OK, the Super Ferry is here and ready...
Are we?

Sure does look nice but like everything in Hawaii sure does cost a bunch.

Still, it's enticing to be able to drive my MINI on the neighbor islands for a change.

Read the article from today-
http://honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/p...WS09/707040401

See the photo gallery-
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar...uperferry.html

Go for a test drive.

 

See
http://www.hawaiiminiclub.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=432

Seems costly.

 

Yeah with all of the airfare wars going on, it'd be hard to justify spending two more hours longer and more money to get to Maui. BUT of course if you fly, no-can drive the MINI! That 35% fuel surchage is just simply nutz! :impatient

On the other hand, driving up Haleakala with the club would be awesome. We are planning to swing by the winery on the way down too. The CEO of the Super Ferry is a MINI owner (he bought for his kids) and we are in contact with him so "maybe" we can get some sort of club discount.

 

Please, Please, Please wait until after September 1!!!!

 

I think the earliest we could do it would be in September! Therefore, you're safe!

 

Was there for a Month back in Feb. Its one of the best drives you can make on Maui. Plus the winery kicks ***. Hope it comes together for you.

 

I am really looking forward to going with a group of Club folks to another island in our cars.

... I run a whinery here on O'ahu... oh wait... you mean winery, not whinery. My bad.

 

Let's go! Let's wait for Feedback... but let's go!!!!

~pyratio

 

gonna be putting in my order for my MCS this month (thx, keith, for your emails--very helpful), so if the timing is right, we're in for superferrying it to maui.

not too long ago, i did a superferry trip for mini plus two people v. fly on $39 roundtrip airfare plus el cheapo rental car comparison. i presumed a thursday - tuesday trip and the cost difference came out to about $60 more on the superferry side. of course, the difference goes up if you're bringing a bigger vehicle - i think if we took the beau's titan it would cost about $150 more.

 

So anyone up for this?

Anyone already give it a try yet?

Article in the paper said some test trips have been done.

A few people complained of getting sea sick even with fairly mild conditions.

Keep this in mind then the weather gets foul later on- it might not be so smooth.

 

The few people that get seasick probably get seasick no matter what. I've been following the progress - apprently some judge just ordered that they have to do another EIS... I thought they had already done a couple? Ugh. If Maui doesn't want it, just cross 'em off the list is what I say!

 

Actually it was a lot of people that got sick (that's what they seemed to show on the news). I think it may be due to them loading early and sitting on dock for a long time.

I think they were saying on another newscast that the surge of traffic during loading and unloading was a BIG problem on Kauai and Maui too.

Can't wait to see how the initial runs go.

 

there is a $5. deal on the super ferrie next week!

 

I really hope it goes well, 'cause I'd love to see a way for us to get cars between the islands (without putting them on barges). The $5 deal is pretty cool!

Hey Peter - can ya e-mail me? (I think it's in the profile - andy dot kauffman at gmail dot com) There are a few of us from Kaneohe / Kailua going tomorrow. We were going to drive around the east side rather than across the Pali / Likelike... we can add you to our tiny caravan if you'd like!

-Andy

 

I got the e-mail from Super Ferry yesterday but forgot about it until I saw the paper this morning. By the time I checked the website (about 8:45am), all $5 were booked. Anyone get in?

 

Didn't this get shut down pending an EIS?

 

Yes. Yet another good thing that Hawaii is going to screw up.

 

I think they are still fighting the EIS.

Seems like they should have decided that before the ferry came here not after. They did question it but at the time it was deemed not necessary.

So after all that why is it needed now?

Big Island people say their Mayor says bring on the Ferry if Kauai and Maui don't want it.

 

The thing that kills me about the Maui and Kauai protesters... it's not like they just started talking about the Superferry 2 months ago. I guess they were all too busy getting high and surfing to take notice.

 

--My friends in Kauai told me that all the protestors aren't even local. They're transients and hippy transplants. My Kauai friends whose families have lived there for nearly a century are all like, "come on over Oahu!" The real locals don't care about environmental studies and welcome the added revenue and visitors.

I think those protestors are all afraid that everyone will come over and smoke all their weed. They really suck!

My Coast Guard friends are so busy trying to keep those lunatics at bay that they've hardly seen their wives or husbands recently.

You know 30 thousand people fly into Kauai during the PGA tour and you don't see any protestors at the airport telling them, "GO HOME!" do you? Has anyone done environmental studies of rental cars coming from the mainland to Kauai? No? I didn't think so. Yet thousands of new rental cars hit the islands every year.

It's just plain stupidity. I hope Superferry has the funding to outlast these idiots.

~pyratio

 

Things are looking bad. I bet the protesters were jumping in joy to hear that the ferry will leave if they have to wait for a study. Only the legislature can save it now.

 

This is a federal requirement though...not state?

Outsiders perspective is that this was a dirty project that got pushed through by greasing some local palms. You guys have got it great over there, why risk it getting screwed up by something that just adds a little convenience?

Again, outsiders perspective...trying to understand

 

This State is run by greasing palms. Every year there's someone from the State being arrested and thrown in jail for kickbacks or something.

"Something that adds a little convenience?" You're completely right. We need to stop airline and boat service to the islands while we're at it. Wouldn't want anything too convenient going on.

 

At the risk of destroying further destroying what makes Hawaii, Hawaii?

It is a destination right, isn't part of the novelty of living there the different way of life?

Again, not trying to pick an argument, just wanting to understand why this is so special it should be outside the standard rules for any large project or business venture.

 

This is a STATE "requirement".

There are many arguments for and against.
The Superferry did everything it was asked of by the state and spent who knows how many millions of dollars to set this up (and BUILD the ferry). The state itself spent something like $40 million upgrading piers for it.

We have a lot of large cruise liners pull into the various ports here and nobody complains about that. Airports, the current local barge company, the cruise lines etc have never had to do a study.

There are suspicions that the local tug and barge company that currently moves most goods between the islands is behind this. Who knows if it's really true.

If the legislature doesn't do something to get the ferry working soon, it will be leaving us forever. Not only would it be a huge loss for us, but what do you think it would do to our economy? We already have a reputation for being one of the worst states to start a business in. This would be the knockout punch to our reputation for businesses.

If you really want to read the intense in-fighting check out the local paper's forums:
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/bo...hp?forumid=163

I gotta warn you though - that forum has the worst flames you could imagine - supposedly from adults. Just look for threads that have the superferyr in the title.