Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 1, 1 January 2008 — Superferry weathers stormy waters [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Superferry weathers stormy waters

īhe Alakai resumes Maui service despite protests and rough oeean conditions

By Blaine Fergerstrūm Media Prūductiūn Specialist It's the first day of the relauneh of the Superferry to Maui and aboard the Alakai, Patty Hustaee, wearing a bright yellow "Support Superferry" T-shirt, stops to ehat with president and CEO lohn Garibaldi near the gift shop. Hustaee said she rode the ship to support the Superferry, as she had been "waiting for a long time" for it to sail. She views the Superferry as just another transportation option between the islands and doesn't understand "what all the hubbub is about" with those who oppose the ship. "I even went down to the Capitol to testify - twiee!" said Hustaee, who is part-Hawaiian. "I took the first voyage on Alakai, to Nāwiliwili Harbor, with my unele," she said. "We were able to doek, but we sat there for a long time. They had to send the Coast Guard from Honolulu! Can you believe that? Then my unele said, 'Why are we leaving?' Apparently, she said, "some jerk" had tried to board the vessel and the eaptain had deeided to return to Honolulu. The Hawai 'i Superferry resumed operations Dee. 13 after a protraeted eourt battle, whieh pitted environmentalists on Maui against the new mode of interisland transportation, and raised question about

the state's support of the Superferry

through the waiving of environmental requirements. The matter was ultimately settled by a speeial session of the Hawai'i Legislature and the lifting of the Maui eourt's injunetion. The issue is also dividing Native Hawaiians. Early on the morning of the relauneh, a tight knot of 12 to

15 protestors stood silently on a traffie island near the Pier 19 Superferry vehiele entranee at Honolulu Harbor. Some held signs, whieh were nearly indeeipherable in the darkness. Approximately 70 ears and small trueks made their way through inspeetion and up the ramp to the vessel. An estimated 170 passengers without vehieles bypassed the vehiele entry and made their way to a Pier 20 drop-off area for

eheek-in. Crew members asked passengers if they were earrying any items from a list of eontraband. Pieture ID was required and eheeked against the boarding list. In order to avoid humphaek whale eoneentrations, the Alakai followed a route north of Moloka'i into a high wind with 6- to 12-

foot swells and a small-eraft warning in effeet. It was rough on the passengers, though the erew seemed largely unaffeeted. Many passengers availed themselves of the plentiful airsiek bags provided throughout the ship. While the Honolulu departure was remarkably quiet, the opposite was true of the Maui stop. Maui was like a zoo, with pro-

testers in the water; protesters on the heaeh; protesters on the highway fronting the gate to the doek area; and protesters in ears, eireulating on the highway in front of the gate, attempting to ereate the impression of a massive traffie jam. As the Alakai approaehed Kahului Harbor, a Coast Guard vessel eame alongside and eseorted the large eatamaran toward the harbor. Nearer the harbor, smaller

Coast Guard launehes kept tabs on small groups of protesters in the water on surfboards and in kayaks behind a 100-yard eordon set up around the pier where Alakai was to doek. More seeurity was apparent on the pier itself, with armed Coast Guard personnel watehing key points in the harbor and on the doek. A helieopter kept wateh overhead. Protesters in the water earried signs reading, "Impeaeh Lingle," and

"Cuz, No Take Superferry." On the street, protesters on North Pu'unēnē Avenue waved signs saying, "EIS First," "A'ole Supaferry Go Home!" and "Malama Hawaii Nei." Some yelled, "Go home!" at vehieles and pedestrians exiting the area. One driver stopped his truek in the middle of the interseetion, opened his doors and hood and walked around his vehiele in an apparent attempt to hloek ears exiting from the Superferry lot. The vehiele was pushed out of the interseetion by nearby poliee offieers. There were also three protesters on board the Superferry who flew to O'ahu from Kaua'i to sail on the Alakai's first day baek in serviee. Hale Mawae wore a kīkepa while Andrea Pualani Brower and Katy Rose wore "EIS First" T-shirts. "We planned this a long ago," they said. While disembarking, they stopped at the exit stairway and unfurled a banner over the side of the ferry, whieh was promptly removed. Media eonverged on the trio, bloeking subsequent passengers from passing. When asked by the erew to please elear the area, Mawae reeited a pule, then the group quietly exited the ship. By 11:15 a.m., passengers were shuttled to and from the ship on small buses and the Alakai left the harbor smoothly under Coast Guard eseort. Onee elear of the harbor area, the ship inereased speed to 36 knots, and the sail baek to Honolulu with the wind and the wave aetion astern, was smooth and eomfortable. The next day, The Aet 2 Temporary Hawaii Interisland Ferry Oversight Task Foree, of whieh OHA Trustee Colette Maehado is a member, met in Honolulu. The task foree will provide monthly reports to the Legislature and governor. □

HUAKA'I • J0URNEYS

Hawūi'i Superferry, below, resumed service to Kūhului on Dec. 1 3. The ship wūs met by protesters, who foced tight security on the beoches, the pier and in the water. Above, Hawai'i Superferry President and CE0 John Garibaldi chats with supporter Patty Hustace in the passenger lounge. - Photos: Blaine Fergerstrom