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Hawaii Superferry to resume service (again)

The harried Hawaii Superferry, which has carried passengers and cars between the islands in fits and starts since December, will hit the water again Monday after weeks in dry dock, the company said Thursday.

One-way fares, good for travel between Honolulu, Oahu and Kahului, Maui, through June 5 are $39 for passengers and $55 for passenger vehicles. There will be one round trip per day.

>>Click the photo to open a gallery of the Alakai ferry from June 2007.< <

The Superferry, launched with high hopes, has been tossed on a sea of legal, environmental, political and mechanical problems. Eco-activists say it endangers Hawaiian flora and fauna; company officials say they have taken steps to prevent damage.

In the latest hang-up, the high-speed catamaran, known as the Alakai, was put into dry dock Feb. 13 to fix a “design issue” with the rudder, said John Garibaldi, Superferry president and chief executive. En route, the ferry collided with a tug that was hauling it, causing more damage, and also sustained keel damage in dry dock, he told me.

“Hard luck, I guess I’d say,” Garibaldi remarked. No kidding. Now the boat is fixed and ready to sail, officials said.

For reservations, visit the Superferry website or call (877) 443-3779

— Jane Engle, Assistant Los Angeles Times Travel Editor

[Photo: A surfer catches a wave last year as the Hawaii Superferry approached Honolulu. Marco Garcia / Associated Press]

This entry was posted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 2:37 pm by Jane Engle and is filed under Family & Kids, Hawaii, Hawaii's Big Island, Islands & Beaches, Kauai, Maui, News, Tips & Advice, Oahu. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

2 Comments on “Hawaii Superferry to resume service (again)”

beatofhawaii.com Says:
April 5th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Superferry’s problems extend beyond those you already indicated.

Their fares will be nearly $75 one way (with their 35% fuel surcharge), starting in June, making it the highest priced option at this moment.

The crossing between Maui and Oahu is often rough and unpredictable, even in summer. It has been coined the “barf barge.”

Their fuel consumption is estimated to be three times that of air travel per person. Will our fuel prices so high, can that continue to work?

I’ve done a number of posts, most recently this week, on the Superferry as relates to visitors.

Thanks,
Jeff
kaikea Says:
April 10th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
i hate the super ferry! i think it takes up so much space and its just making our islands look more mainlandy! thank goodness we dont have sky scrapeing buildings in kauai like oahu.