Hawaii Superferry Voyages Cancelled
December 29, 2007
The Superferry was never given a warm welcome on any of the neighbor islands. Many of us that live on neighbor islands would prefer to keep our islands rural, peaceful, less built up and polluted, and with less crime than Oahu. I know most polls show that a strong majority of the people that live on Oahu support the Superferry. I also don’t understand why someone would want to ride six hours (give or take) each way to go to another island just to be able to take their own car. Renting a car is often less than $20 a day so I don’t understand… When/If the Superferry comes to the Big Island I could drive two hours to Kona, board the Superferry paying a fare for myself and my vehicle, ride six hours, kill a bunch of sealife, and then arrive on Oahu. Alternatively, I can pay $39 (or less) to fly to Oahu in 30 minutes and rent a car for less than $30. I fail to see how the Superferry is a better option. The best part is the fact that they don’t seem to have thought about Hawaii’s very rough winter seas. If I board a boat in December (which oddly happens almost every December) I always vomit. Most of the people riding the Superferry lately seem to be vomiting as well because of the rough ride. Now, this taxpayer subsidized, environmental hazard, military transport, crime bringing, sea behemoth has had to cancel voyages because of the rough seas. People are being stranded and many are very angry because of this. Big surprise.
Anyone actually been on the Superferry?
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I’m in agreement with you here. Haven’t ridden and no plans to. Seems kind of silly to me…the only exception I could imagine making is if I were moving to another island. Anyway I suspect the real purpose for this thing is probably military anyway, as you said.
comment by Angela — December 29, 2007 @ 12:35 pm
Thanks for your post, Angela. Moving to another island and being able to take your car and belongings is really the only way that I could see it being worthwhile. At least in that case it would be a one-way voyage… But the ride doesn’t even sound comfortable or enjoyable even if you don’t think about the environmental impact. It seems as though the Superferry will be going away in the near future. Unfortunately, we all get to shoulder the cost of this ill conceived project…
comment by Katy — December 29, 2007 @ 4:18 pm
Speaking of us taxpayers picking up the tab for the Superferry…Turns out the new plan for Maui’s Kahului Harbor has the Superferry moving to the West side…and NOT using the barge!
Wait a sec! Didn’t we pay $40,000,000 for these barges? And now we are going to pay another 1/3 of a $billion to create a west pier for the cruise ships and ferry in Kahului Harbor.
I can think of lots of things Maui could use much more urgently than a dock for the unwanted cruise ships and Superferry.
comment by Karen Chun — December 30, 2007 @ 1:08 pm
Thanks for your post, Karen.
Hearing what they will be doing on Maui makes me really glad that Hilo will not be getting the Superferry. Yikes.
The Superferry will probably bankrupt the state if the taxpayers have to continue picking up the tab for their losses and “improvements.” Environmental issues aside, it isn’t even a viable transportation alternative - so why does the state want us to continue paying for all of these “upgrades”?
It seems like Lingle’s administration is way out of control…
comment by Katy — December 30, 2007 @ 6:02 pm