Alakai Headed to Haiti Too

From: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100120/BREAKING01/100120032/Alakai+gets+call+for+Haiti+relief+duty

Updated at 12:04 p.m., Wednesday, January 20, 2010
"Alakai gets call for Haiti relief duty" by Advertiser Staff

...U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced today that the Department's Maritime Administration has started preparing Alakai for relief duty in Haiti. The ship will be crewed by civilian mariners. "This ship will help our relief workers on the ground by allowing quick movements of people in and out of Haiti from various staging points," LaHood said in a statement...

From: http://blog.al.com/press-register-business/2010/01/hawaii_superferry_built_at_aus.html

"Hawaii Superferries built at Austal's Mobile shipyard to deliver Haiti relief"
By Kaija Wilkinson al.com January 20, 2010, 10:16AM



Huakai, a catamaran designed and built by Austal USA, has been mobilized along with its sister ship Alakai by MARAD for relief efforts in Haiti. MARAD reposessed the vessels in summer 2009 after Hawaii Superferry Inc. went bankrupt. Two high-speed catamarans built at Austal USA in Mobile for Hawaii Superferry Inc. are headed to Haiti to assist with relief efforts, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced today...

Although no details have been released about how they will be used, the ships may serve as a link between Haiti and Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba or Miami, carrying relief supplies and personnel to and from Haiti.

The catamarans can carry nearly 800 tons per voyage, Austal said. They will be crewed by Hornblower Marine Services of Albany, Ind.