Thread: Hawaii Superferry set to launch next week

Hawaii Superferry set to launch next week

The controversial Hawaii Superferry should be up and running by Dec. 6, barring another last-minute surprise.

The high-speed ferry, designed as a low-cost way to hop between Hawaiian Islands, operated for just two days in August before environmental concerns, protests and a legal ruling shut it down. Hawaii's governor has since signed a law allowing it to resume service while the state conducts a review of the ferry's potential environmental impact.

Last week the ferry's owner said it would resume service Saturday, Dec. 1, but weekend storm damage to the dock it will use in Maui has forced another postponement to Dec. 6.

The ferry can hold 866 passengers and 282 cars. It'll travel between Oahu and Maui in three hours. Inaugural fares are $29 per person, one way, through Dec. 20. After that, fares rise to $39 per person, one way. Fares for cars start at $55, one way.

The company also plans service between Oahu and Kauai but has not set a start date. It faces stiff community opposition on the island.

Posted at 04:19 AM/ET, November 28, 2007 in News | Permalink

This is a hugely controversial project. The problem in the winter months is the whales. How can a ferry travelling that fast avoid them? I'm afraid it's an idea whose time has come, but they've got to find a way to protect the wildlife.