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BREAKING NEWS: Hawaii Superferry management has announced the company is suspending its Kauai service indefinitely after being informed by the U.S. Coast Guard that it would not be able to assure safe passage for the vessel into Nawiliwili Harbor.
In addition, pending the Maui Circuit Court ruling on Wednesday, Hawaii Superferry has canceled voyages to and from Maui on Thurdsay, August 30. We are hopeful to continue service to Maui begninning on Friday.
Press Release - August 28, 2007
HAWAII SUPERFERRY SUSPENDS SERVICE TO KAUA‘I
Service Will Resume When Coast Guard and Other Agencies Can Assure a Safe Operating Environment
HONOLULU – At a press conference held at its offices today, Hawaii Superferry management announced the company is suspending its Kaua‘i service indefinitely after being informed by the U.S. Coast Guard that it would not be able to assure safe passage for the vessel into Nawiliwili Harbor.
“Our top priority is to operate a safe and reliable ferry system for Hawaii’s residents. When that can be accomplished, we will resume service,” said Hawaii Superferry president and CEO John Garibaldi.
For passengers who have traveled on our O‘ahu/Kaua‘i service that are impacted by this suspension of service, Hawaii Superferry will pay for their return air fare, ground transportation, hotel accommodations, car shipment and other related expenses.
Steve & Regina
Hawaiian Acres / North Lake Tahoe
'If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there' - George Harrison
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Greg ,
Would you support the entire Superferry advisory board( which includes experts from invasive species, humpback whales etc from each Island ) to resign from there current positions ? These individuals represent us on a daily basis , not just with the Superferry ?
How is it reasonable to ask the Superferry to perform an impact study, but not the cruise ships, barges, tugs, ships from all points? You believe that coqui's for example would find their way onto the Superferry , but not other ships ?
Or, as I was reminded on another board, what about the whale watching boats that actually run into whales ?
It really does seem that the Superferry is being singled out.
Greg Henderson
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Greg, I strongly believe that the cruise ship industry as well as the interisland barges should be subject to invironmental impact studies along with the Superferry. I also believe it is insulting and culturally insensitive for canoe paddlers to be threatened with machine guns in the name of national security. I've seen this personally in Hilo bay, and I'll tell you that if one of our canoe clubs tries to blow up a ship, we've allready lost the war on terror. Advisory board? Who selects them? Are they subject to public scrutiny? I don't know. Whale watch? Do it from shore as far as I'm concerned. Did you know that the only small boat harbor in west Maui (a whale watch center) has no pumpout facilities? Where does all their dookie go?
Re "experts" -- anyone who has witnessed legal circuses -- I mean trials -- can see that there is always an expert who can be paid to say and may even believe the point of view from either side. Experts with impressive credentials, too.
Re coqui frogs -- not so likely on cruise ships, hasn't happened yet. Cruise passengers return their day rentals on the same island. The wheelwells and tire treads are possible coqui transport mechanisms. The Superferry is not inspecting vehicles ... but relying on eradication on the Big Island to take care of the problem ... their own statement. Which we know is a joke.
The Alenuihaha Channel between the Big Island and Maui is no joke. Mean sumbitch. 40 foot swells. The cruise ships don't take it on either. So avoiding that is not political BS. However, the cruise ships do come around from Kahalui to Hilo ... imagine the Superferry could do that.
But I was looking at the Ferry passengers from Oahu going to Kaua'i, and I noted some were going to play golf, others want to take surfboards. It seemed these people were off to get out of urban land and play on the neighbor islands, and I could see why they want to go to the west side.
There's a lot of business travel to Hilo, but business travelers don't have time to take the slow boat; that is for leisure travel.
I do suspect though, that the Stryker transport was always an agenda, and we already know the military does their transport convoys out of Kawaihae up to Pohakuloa.
The Kawaihae bottleneck would be a nightmare after disgorging a boatload of vehicles. Stupid stupid idea. It is bad enough now.
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I'm no expert, but as for coqui frogs getting to Kauai -- how well are planes currently checked? Couldn't a few hop into the baggage hold and make their way between islands?
John Dirgo, R, ABR, e-PRO
Aloha Coast Realty, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.hawaiirealproperty.com
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http://aaronstene.blogspot.com/2007/08/h...bacle.html
"Firstly I have to say that the DOT did a bonehead mistake by exempting HSF from doing a EA from get go. That mistake could potentially could be costly to all taxpayers if HSF is permanently barred from service here.
That all being said, I know legally HSF cannot operate until a EA is completed. But the reality is this, HSF depended on government assurances that everything was legal. Is that fair that midstream that the rug is pulled out from underneath the HSF.I certainly don't think its fair to the 300 employees, the HSF stakeholders, the residents of this state. So I strongly believe a EA should be done concurrently with HSF operating.
There is parallels with the Hokulia debacle in Kona and the HSF. Hokulia was enjoined from further development AFTER 350 million was invested and 190 lots were sold. In this case, like HSF the developer relied on government assurances that it was legal.
All in all, these bonehead decisions are making a mockery of this state and furthering our reputation of a horrible place to do business."
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Hey John...that's a great coqui question. I dunno if all the cargo holds are pressurized but that's a real likely thing.
Carrie
"All I can say about life is, Oh God, enjoy it." Bob Newhart
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There's less of a mess at the bottom of a birds cage isn't there?
I see no reasonability in any of it.
The state says yes. The courts ( prodded by the Sierra Club) say no. ( Sierra Rep. said today that they do see the Superferry operating , just want the impact study )
Not sure my jaded mind believes that.
There was simply more involved in the Kauai protests than an impact study imho. When you have Sovereignty activists, surfers splashing water on the Coast Guard, protesters surrounding / beating cars exiting the ferry - that goes beyond a peaceful protest.
KathyH, the "experts" aren't hired guns from the mainland, there is no Henry Lee - blood spatter expert "to the rich and famous"  the individuals are experts in their fields of work ,all from their respective Islands.
Blanket EIS for everyone or no one. Pretty simple for me.
Greg H.
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Everybody gets to look bad! What a typical situation for Hawaii. The State Government looks bad for by-passing its own environmental regulations. The Superferry guys look bad for trying to jumpstart their operation in the face of an impending injunction, stranding some customers in the process. The citizens look thuggish pounding on the hoods of cars coming off the boat and screaming at fellow "locals" to go back to Oahu. The surfers look childish splashing water on the Coast Guard, and the Coast Guard looks incompetent for not being able to deal with the surfers. The tourist industry looks like it can't even buy any good press, and the mainland news media have already picked up the whole stupid story. First it was bad news about haoles being beaten up in nasty racial incidents, and now this. And believe me, when some of my backwoods relatives back on the mainland have heard these stories (and they have), the news has penetrated pretty deeply.
When people stop wanting to come here on vacation, we are all in trouble. Ask Aaron Stene about hard times in Hawaii. When companies feel they can't trust the state government or expect to do business here without kowtowing to small extremist groups, we are in trouble. This place is an isolated group of rocks. Thumbing our noses at the business world and progress is nothing less than self-destructive. It is a great way to lose what you are trying to save. Just wait and see.
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A thousand years ago there was an ocean/agriculturally driven economy here that supported hundreds of thousands of people without importing anything but seeds. Now we import 80% of our consumables and rely on visitors to drive a service economy. The potential is still here for Hawaii to become sustainable again. Especially here on Hawaii Island, where we have Agricultural land (thousands of fallow acres), Energy (Sun, wind, tidal, geothermal)and with the tech industry, another potential facet of economy. Personally, I don't feel that downsizing tourism is such a bad thing, as it may serve to change us back to a more diverse way of life. There is no guarantee the tourists (or supply ships) are going to keep comming anyway. If we keep Hawaii a beautiful place full of aloha, the visitors will probably come, but I feel no need to bet all of our resources on them.
Edited by - greg on 08/31/2007 18:00:34
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