Saturday, April 19, 2008

HI Superferry: More Opportunities to get Seasick

New word coined by Ian Lind after reading the first blog report from the survey link below:

"Disembarfing" - The act of leaving the vessel after a ride during which many passengers "lose their cookies." - Ian

Regarding seasickness and adding more opportunities for that; we reference the following posts:

http://hisuperferry.blogspot.com/2008/01/hi-superferry-survey-of-seasickness-on.html
http://hisuperferry.blogspot.com/2008/02/seastate-barf-o-meter-index-v20.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g20Qho-JeRA

About the 'more opportunities,' we reference the following articles:
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/502765.html?nav=10
"Superferry announces second round trip;
Additional service between Oahu and Maui to begin May 9"
By EDWIN TANJI City Editor
POSTED: April 19, 2008

"Hawaii Superferry announced it will begin a second round trip four days a week between Oahu and Maui beginning May 9, drawing questions from its critics on Maui and a promise by Mayor Charmaine Tavares to monitor environmental reviews.

...Maui Tomorrow member Dick Mayer, a retired Maui Community College professor, noted that the Superferry immediately began taking reservations for the second Oahu-Maui runs although it has not yet received approval from the state Public Utilities Commission.

“It’s the same pattern as when they ordered their ships a year and a half before they had approvals to begin their service in Hawaii,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that they haven’t learned their lesson.”

In announcing the second trip, Garibaldi said “advance bookings have been very strong” since service resumed April 7." [Not the days I was out there counting.]

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/NEWS09/804190338/1001/NEWS
"Superferry poised for 2nd Maui run;
State approval needed for afternoon/evening trip beginning May 9"
By Gordon Y.K. Pang Advertiser Staff Writer
Posted: Saturday, April 19, 2008

"Hawaii Superferry is launching a second O'ahu-to-Maui roundtrip that will provide afternoon/evening sailings four days a week, the company announced yesterday.

...Pending approval from the Public Utilities Commission, the second trip will start May 9 and operate afternoons on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

...Despite not yet securing PUC approval for its afternoon schedule, Hawaii Superferry yesterday said it is taking reservations for the second trips.

..."That is what we're projecting once we get ramped up," O'Halloran said. "We're not there yet but the bookings are strong and increasing daily." [Strong?]

The summer months also mean a calming of Hawaiian waters, he said, and a reduction in the number of rocky voyages that have left a number of Hawaii Superferry passengers seasick in the past. [Trade wind created wind waves in the channels will continue to be 6 ft.+ in the summer.]

...Kula resident and Superferry opponent Dick Mayer said he was unhappy that the company began taking reservations yesterday even before it received PUC approval for the additional trip. "That's typical. They keep putting pressure on the state government to 'give us approvals right away,' " Mayer said.

...Mayer said people who have been monitoring the number of passengers and vehicles count the vessel averaging about 20 percent full, and said he doubts the increased trips will help the fledgling business stay afloat." [Dick was being generous. More recently the numbers have been 15% of capacity with some days just above 10% of capacity...stronggg.]

And a strongly worded editorial in the Maui News today:
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/502773.html?nav=9
"Audit details malfeasance"
POSTED: April 19, 2008

"The state auditor has yet to write her final report, but it is clear from a preliminary release that the state Department of Transportation officials were guilty of malfeasance in deciding to put $40 million into harbor changes to accommodate the Hawaii Superferry without an environmental assessment.

The investigation of how and why the decision was made was ordered by the Legislature and was conducted by state Auditor Marion Higa. The audit will most likely confirm what nearly everyone knows — the DOT, which answers to Gov. Linda Lingle, was so intent on having an interisland ferry service, it gave the Hawaii Superferry whatever it wanted, when it wanted it.

It appears that Superferry officials approached the governor, who became an enthusiastic supporter of the enterprise, and on the strength of that support were able to negotiate the $300 million or so in financing needed to get the boat in the water. Part of that financing was a federal $140 million loan guarantee that expired Jan. 1, 2006.

Higa’s preliminary report says Superferry CEO John Garibaldi threatened to move the operation elsewhere if the state didn’t give him a go-ahead by June 30, 2005. Hawaii’s environmental law mandated an environmental assessment be done to determine if a time-eating environmental impact statement would be required.

It is apparent that state officials knew an assessment would trigger an EIS and that would put the Superferry on hold to well beyond Garibaldi’s deadline.

The DOT’s handling of the Superferry situation confirms that leaving agenda-driven decisions to bureaucrats and elected officials with a bureaucratic mind-set will result in laws being ignored and broken. Hawaii and its taxpayers deserve better."

Aloha, Brad

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