The interisland ferry Alakai was taken out of service Feb. 13 and was to be put back into service on March 3. On Wednesday, Superferry officials said the ship would go back into service on March 25.
The company said the work was extended announced "due to damage to Alakai's hull that occurred during the drydocking process and additional maintenance that was identified while the vessel has been in drydock."
Everyone who believes this, raise your hands. What? You don't believe the latest in Superferry's ever changing story?
Let me get this straight. The Superferry has sailed a total of...who has the count? 60 days? fewer? and it already needs maintenance? I think they should take it back to the dealer and tell 'em it's a lemon.
On the bright side, though, someone said, "Finally, the Superferry has a whale avoidance policy that really works - drydock!"
On a more serious note DOT wants to spend how much money to build it Pier 5 in Kahului Harbor? Oh, 1/3 of a billion dollars. But wait! It isn't only for the Superferry...it's also for the cruise ships. Hmmm....didn't NCL America just move 2 of their 3 cruise ships out of the harbor to Europe?
Good idea, DOT. Spend our state money building a pier for ships that either aren't here or can't manage to operate for more than a few weeks without some disaster befalling them.
If you're going to throw away $350,000,000, I'm sure the people of Maui could come up with waaaay better projects.
Fix Pier 2 that has been crumbling for years. Sell the Superferry barge and get it off our freight dock. Convert the cruise ship terminal and the Stuporferry area to freight uses and get those passengers off our freight docks before we have an accident.
Build our interisland freight a covered area for less than container load. Expand our freight area and make it more convenient for our shippers. Get some Federal funds and expand the Harbor outward to the east. Or better yet take another look at the plan to build a harbor on the other side of the island so we won't have all our freight docks wiped out if there is a tsunami.
There is so much we could do for our freight with all that money. Solve our freight problem today -- tell the passenger ships to go elsewhere. And use that money for freight - not boondoggle passenger ships.
2 comments:
I don't agree w/ all of your statements but I'll have to say what you say is true. I'm from O'ahu and I was on NCL's Pride of Aloha last June and when we pulled in I saw all the tight space. The state should i guess alter the Harbor plan a bit or build another harbor but I would hate to see an accident in Kahului or see any of the comapnies that use the harbor leave.
Agreed. Since freight was here first they should have access to the harbor first. Cruise Ships can still come to Maui. All they have to do is tender outside and bring the passengers in. Everything should be fine since if NCL does that. For the Superferry. I don't know any alternatives for them.
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