Superferry No Match for Hawaiian Kahuna

First the Kahului barge broke loose the night after Judge Cardoza lifted the injunction. Then more storms, more damage, more barge breaking loose and many canceled service days.

Then damage to the rudder housing.

This report has now been confirmed. See KMGB News

From sources/eyewitnesses close to the HSF dry dock:

When HSF was being positioned to enter the floating dry dock facility it went aground on a sandbar. A tug was used to move it off the sandbar, during the move the tug pushed a 20’ x 20’ dent into the side of the HSF. HSF encountered a few more bumps in trying to position itself. When they finally got the vessel in the floating dry dock, they went about putting blocking into place. The goal is the set the vessel perfectly on these blocks. The key to the blocks is the must be set directly under each frame of the vessel. Failure to do so results in pressure on unsupported plate and massive damage. This procedure is critical for any dry dock and the utmost care is taken. Hsf entered the floating dry dock, blocks were in place and lines were fasten from above to keep the vessel in place. The dry dock was raised (water level lowered). However, attendants failed to slacken the lines. Pressure mounted, the lines snapped, causing one side of the facility to break off and fall onto HSF, causing major damage. It gets worse. When the lines snapped the vessel shifted and the blocking missed the frames, causing damage the entire length of both hulls. The hull is now structurally damaged, dented and serpentine. The USCG has ordered massive work to be done.

As of this writing negotiations are under way with USCG to formulate a plan of repair. The damage is so extensive, no one is sure when or if it will ever get out of dry dock.

One long-time worker at an adjacent boat yard stated: “I don’t think that vessel will ever be put back into service”.

This is what happens when you come to Hawai'i and do business in bad faith. The Hawaiian gods don't much like greedy businesspeople killing their aumakua (the whales).

I sure wouldn't ride this cursed ship!

Superferry Extends Dry Dock

From Pacific Business News:

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.

Kanahele EIS Comments

I worked for many years on the SS Independence, one of two sister-ships operated in Hawaiian waters by the now defunct America Hawaii Cruises. As a crew member of this vessel I must have gone in and out of Kahului Harbor a couple hundred times. The thing I remember most about the approach and entrance to the harbor were the ever present strong trade winds, the often rough seas, and the narrow turning basin. I also remember the strong harbor surges and winds that sometimes would cause our mooring lines to snap as they strained to keep the ship tied to pier one.


The Proposed Harbor Design is Unsafe

It appears to me that placing a breakwater along the western edge of the turning basin will make it more difficult for larger vessels to maneuver in the harbor safely, and especially those vessels that will require the assistance of tug boats to turn either eastward or westward in the turning basin.

Also, I think cruise ships and freighters may have difficulty making the U turn into pier 5 as these vessels would expose their broadside to incoming surf, surge, and trade winds from the harbor opening.

• Is there enough room for large vessels to turn in the turning basin?
• Will the Westside breakwater restrict the ability of tugboats to maneuver ships safely?
• Will surf, surge, and wind make it dangerous for ships turning into pier 5?
• Can you provide drawings to show how ships of different sizes will maneuver in the turning basin?
• Can you provide drawings to show how the west break water will impact the ability of tugboats to maneuver ships to piers 1, 2, and 5?

The EIS Does Not Adequately Address the Impact of Harbor Expansion on Hawaiian Culture

Read more...

Save Maliko Gulch Boat Ramp Feb 12

From Maui Trailer Boat Club

The Lease is pau and will be closed to ALL of us Paddlers, Fishermen, Boats, Surfers, Jet Ski’s, Divers, and our future Ohana! Join us now! IMUA!

Meeting February 12, 2008 @ 6 PM Lihikai School 335 S. Papa Ave.

We need all your Aloha & Support!
www.mauitrailerboatclub.com 875-9530
e mail: SaveMaliko @Yahoo.com 573-5530/280-1863

I emailed our County Council on this and Michelle Anderson emailed me back the text of a state statute which says that A&B is protected from liability when it allows the public to use the boat ramp.

How is it possible that we can spend $340,000,000 to build cruise ships and the Superferry their own docks, parking lots and terminal buildings but we can't scrape together enough money to fix our small boat ramp?

George Peabody's Video of Superferry's Wild Ride

Apparently the damaged and "hardly ever used" auxiliary rudders that are computer controlled to keep the ship from being tossed around are maybe a little more important than Superferry wants us to believe.
No way I'm trusting my life to this ship!