Rock n Roll on the Hawaii Superferry By Melvin Ah Ching Special to HawaiiReporter.com December 18, 2007
http://hawaiifiles.blogspot.com/2007/12/rock-n-roll-on-hawaii-superferry.html The Hawaii Superferry service rock and rolled into Maui's Kahului Harbor on its historic inaugural trip back into commercial service after a 4-month hiatus. Legal roadblocks, protesters nor Mother Nature would prevent the Alakai from making its triumphant return to Hawaiian waters and inter-island service on Thursday, December 13. I was lucky to be a part of the HawaiiReporter.com media contingent to make the first run from Honolulu to Kahului and back. The following is an account and observations of my 1-day round-trip voyage. THE VESSEL Alakai is the name of the first Hawaii Superferry vessel. It is a 349 ft. long, catamaran style ship that weighs more than 800 tons and is powered by four 10,988 hp. diesel engines. The ferry can transport up to 866 passengers, 282 small and regular sized vehicles and cruise at a
d of up to 40 mph (35 knots). Alakai is 4 stories high, and includes two vehicle decks, a beautifully appointed passenger deck and a bridge deck accessible only to the crew. My voyage time on the Alakai was spent on the passenger deck. Our media contingent stayed mostly in the main cabin of the ship where people lounged in aircraft style seats, comfy sofas or executive style dining and work table seating arrangements. There is no assigned seating and you can sit wherever there's space. Large triangular shaped windows offer stunning island views. The main cabin also features two food and beverage areas, a gift shop, video game arcade and a kid's play room. Outside on back of the ship is the open-air aft deck which proved to be popular as the ship shoved off from the harbors and sailed near the coastlines of the islands. It's a favorite place to get unobstructed views of the ocean and passing landscapes, a photographer's paradise. The first-class Hahalua Lounge located in the front (stern) of the
ers glass enclosed, panoramic views of scenery as the ship moves forward. From here you can see where the ship is going as well catch a glimpse of the forward end of the mezzanine deck where some vehicles are parked. If you look closely you can see two forward facing video cameras that send images up to the bridge which are probably used for obstacle avoidance. Seating in the Hahalua Lounge is plush and plentiful. There are first class airline style seats as well as a rounded couch that parallels the panoramic windows. The lounge has its own food and beverage station where travelers receive a complimentary drink, coffee and pupus among other amenities. The view up front is spectacular and well worth the cost of the very modest upgrade. There are four large flatscreen TV monitors in Alakai, and numerous other flatscreen TVs spread throughout the ship. Programming on the sets vary. On our trip the movies "The Astronaut Farmer" and "Bridge to Taribithia" were featured along with several preview reels, short
ubjects, a music video, satellite TV from ESPN, Fox News and a soap opera from CBS. The ship's safety briefing is also played on all of the TVs shortly after leaving port. THE RIDE After 4 months of delay, Hawaii Superferry finally got their service started near the dead of winter. Winter weather in Hawaii consists of a lot of wind and rain, though most of the time it remains nice and sunny. Being a "landlubber" 99.997% of my life, I never gave much thought to how bad weather effects sea going vessels. On my first Superferry voyage I learned what "small craft warnings" are and why the notorious Molokai Channel has such a reputation. Waves were pumping that day and the trip to Maui was a voyage that went against the choppy prevailing currents. Our departure from port in Honolulu was smooth and uneventful. Alakai performed all of its required port maneuvers flawlessly and slowly sailed out of the calm and flat waters of the harbor. Cruising on the
n roll" began when we started crossing the Molokai Channel. We were in for a bumpy ride. It continued the rest of the way almost into the port of Kahului. Superferry took the northerly route past Molokai to avoid the whale sanctuary to the south of that island. We were cruising at or near the top speed of 35 knots through most of the choppy seas. The ocean was relentless against the mighty vessel. The choppy sea was enough to make walking difficult and forced passengers to grab on to something or nearly fall down. Fortunately Alakai features railings that people can hold on to on the sides of some of the aisles. Remaining seated during the rough spots is probably the best idea. Ocean spray sometimes flew over the vessel and hit the full length windows of the main cabin adding thrilling excitement to our trip. The ship pitched and rolled during the worst of it, but was able to stay fully stabilized thanks to its design as its powerfully reliable engines did their job and moved Alakai steadily along.
w passengers standing on the outside aft deck got sprayed by the thick and angry ocean mist. It's not a time or place to be with your expensive digital camera, though the lure of that deck is mesmerizing because you get the best unobstructed views of the outside scenery. Several people lost their breakfast. Seasickness was apparent with some passengers as I could hear or see them "hurling". An "old salt" who I knew got seasick as well as 2 members in our media party. I read up on seasickness the night before and ate sparingly before the trip. I did not take any seasickness pills as I never got sick on the few other times that I had been on a ship. Chanced it with Superferry and made it through the Molokai channel and into Maui with nary a case of queasiness nor the urge to "hurl". I had a soft drink near the end of the Maui run with no ill effect either. The trip is 3 hours long and forces you to do something to pass the time. While the movies on TV can keep passengers occupied, I think most
d to either sleep, do some work (if they could during the choppy ride), eat, drink or engage in conversation with fellow travelers. Photo bugs like me moved up and down the deck going from window to window trying to get a snap of the scenery, document the ship's amenities and activity in the cabin. For the first time inter-island sea traveler, it is the breathtaking views outside of the ship that made the journey worthwhile. I loved the fact that we were passing close enough to the islands of Oahu, Molokai and the area of West Maui to make out some of the major features of each... and photograph them through the glass windows or the outside deck. If the weather were better, I am sure the views of the landscapes would have been more spectacular. We also caught some action on the open ocean as a couple of helicopters were seen buzzing nearby and coast guard vessels came into view and escorted us as we got closer to Maui. Service aboard the Alakai was first rate. The onboard staff were able to
he seasick. The time was long enough to allow some people to strike up a conversation with members of the cabin crew. The maintenance team did a good job of cleaning up spots in the cabin that were inadvertently messed up by some of the sick passengers. The service was friendly, courteous, timely and informative from the moment we were ticketed, throughout the trip and to the time of disembarkation, both ways. Employees seemed genuinely thankful to be back on the job servicing paying passengers. An added bonus was that the endlessly optimistic Hawaii Superferry CEO John Garibaldi was also on the trip and made his way through the cabin to observe the operation and talk to the passengers and the media. He told me that the rough going into Maui was the worst it ever was and assured me that the return segment would be a lot smoother. PORT OF MAUI AND THE PROTESTERS Hawaii Superferry arrived unimpeded at Maui's Kahului Harbor about 3 hours after the voyage began. Notice of heightened security was apparent
closer we got to port. Our vessel was escorted by a Coast Guard ship. The harbor perimeter was well secured by Coast Guard and local law enforcement. Coast Guard troops were heavily armed and monitored the vehicle ramp as well as the fenced in perimeter surrounding Kahului's Pier 2 which Superferry shares with Young Brothers. Coast Guard sailors also manned fast moving zodiac type of craft which helped keep the few waterborne protesters at bay and out the security zone. About 100 protesters were present at Kahului Harbor for the first day of service. Some were on the beaches waving signs and doing interviews with the media. Others were outside the harbor gates where vehicles entered and exited. They were sign waving and shouting anti-Superferry statements at arriving and departing Superferry customers. The few protesters who were in the water sign waved at the Superferry, expecting passengers to be able to read their small and distant placards. Still
o which a Maui taxi driver reported that the Superferry had "no noticeable impact" on traffic. Three protesters paid and sailed on the Superferry. I found out that they had traveled from Kauai with the goal of making a statement on Maui after Superferry docked. They did so by unfolding and raising a banner on the outside deck that read "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono?" (The life of the land is perpetuated by righteousness?) The banner was quickly removed by a Superferry employee. The 3 protesters were allowed to make their chanting statement and talked briefly to the media onboard before they departed the ship. Meanwhile the process of unloading and loading went flawlessly. Motorists who brought their vehicles with them were allowed to go to the car deck about 15 minutes before the ferry tied up at the dock. The departure of the cars and trucks was smooth and orderly. I did not notice any major traffic tie ups in the dock area despite a few protesters waving signs and yelling from a nearby fence.
aging area for incoming vehicles is set up well and after all the cars rolled off the Superferry, the Maui ones were let on. Up the ramp they went, one by one, past a contingent of Coast Guard and Superferry personnel including Mr. Garibaldi who was engaged in conversation with the troops and employees. Walk-on passengers like myself had to disembark from the ferry. We walked down the gangplank and were greeted by a shuttle bus and driver who took us back to the Superferry terminal which consists of a large canopy style, permanent tent structure. The check-in counter are permanently placed, portable office trailers. The waiting and processing area is fully enclosed. Passengers are security checked for their boarding passes, photo I.D. and are allowed to wait near the shuttle bus area where a van picked us up and took us back to the Superferry. Most passengers of course departed to spend their time on Maui. In all Superferry took about a 120 passengers and 40 to 50 vehicles off of Maui
turn voyage. In case you were wondering what all the protest against the Superferry is about, the issues lie mainly on the fact that a required Environmental Impact Statement and study was waived by the government through several processes and a new law crafted by the Hawaii State Legislature through a special session and signed by Governor Linda Lingle. Fear is what drives most of the protest though. Fear of the ferry hitting whales, people transporting dangerous and prohibited items, invasive species, increased traffic and development are what drives the protesters. I am sure the local inter-island airlines and shipping services that rely on the traditional method of barging things over from island to island also figure somewhere into the anti-Superferry sentiment. All of the issues have been covered extensively by the media this year. RETURN TO HONOLULU Mr. Garibaldi was right. The trip back to Honolulu was a whole lot smoother even though we were going on the same northerly route and
choppy seas. The big difference on the return is that Alakai was "going with the flow" of the prevailing currents. We were riding the surf back home! While the ship expectedly rocked a bit, the motion was never as severe as it was on the trip over. The voyage back to Honolulu was actually pleasant. I had a very nice but simple lunch of a turkey and bacon sandwich with chips and a bottle of water. Eating solved my very slight queasiness that I did get at the end of the initial run. A full stomach seems to be a good companion for me on the open ocean. The rest of the trip going into Honolulu yielded the same good service, movies, food and a lot less "hurling" by seasick passengers. There were more people scrambling for position on that open air aft deck trying to get pictures of the Superferry water trail, each other and landscapes that passed by on the trip back to Honolulu. Being up front in the first-class section yielded a nice view of the
st important ports in the State of Hawaii. No protesters were present upon our arrival back to the city. CONCLUSION Disembarkation at Honolulu was another smooth and orderly affair. Vehicles rolled off the ferry ramp and assimilated into the chaotic mess that is Honolulu traffic. Walk-on passengers made their way back to the ferry terminal and were picked up by waiting vehicles. A few walked beyond the terminal to get a bus ride. Overall my trip on the Superferry was memorable. I write off the bumpiness of the Maui segment to the bad weather and compare that to a bad day of turbulent flying on any airline. At least with the Superferry you are not going to lose 2,000 feet of altitude in 2 seconds. It's very assuring to know you are at sea level and that the ship is designed well enough to withstand almost anything our island waters can throw at it. I suspect most Superferry trips to be as pleasant or even smoother than our uneventful trip back to Honolulu. Everyone likes smooth sailing and
e this will be the case for Hawaii Superferry in the long run. I gave Mr. Garibaldi a "thumbs up" as I left the Alakai and hope to ride again in the future, especially when service starts in 2009 to the Big Island of Hawaii. Rock n Roll was never as memorable for me as it was on the Hawaii Superferry. ____________ Melvin Ah Ching is a freelance photographer, writer and blogger. You can see more of his Supeferry photos at the following links: Hawaii Superferry Photos:
http://tinyurl.com/2ozxom Contact info:
[email protected] Mel's Internet Universe Weblog:
http://hawaiifiles.blogspot.com/
