Ferry?

[LittleRonnowWife]

Is there a ferry between Oahu and Kauai? If we get to make the move I'll be living in Honolulu but i would love to do regular camping and backpacking trips in Kauai? Is there a ferry or other boat service or is flying the only option?

[LikaNui]

Re: Ferry?

No ferry. The water in the channel between Oahu and Kauai is wickedly rough and choppy almost every single day of the year!

[Menehune Man]

Re: Ferry?

There were Hawaii SuperFerrys, now defunct.
Did go between Oahu and Maui and was supposed to also go to Kauai and the Big Island... maybe more.

There are 6 chapters about the SuperFerry on Hawaii Threads.
From the beginning

[LikaNui]

Re: Ferry?

Yeah, I though about mentioning the SuperFerry but thought it might confuse our newbie here. It only made, what, one single run to Kauai plus the second run that got turned around without landing, and that was several years ago. But yes, our newbie will find interesting reading in the SuperFerry threads.

[helen]

Re: Ferry?

You might want to check out the threads that were tagged with superferry. It spans at least 9 threads across two forums.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Ferry?

Hmmm...how ironic. Kamehameha couldn't traverse that route, SuperFerry couldn't either. But a mainland outfit named Young Brothers did.

[Shredded Mango]

Re: Ferry?

Do you remember the Boeing hydrofoils? They were something and great when they worked (1970’s) but the rough channels did them in. They would break down all the time and then they would serve the passengers free drinks while they waited to be rescued. I rode on one once to Kauai and back and it worked fine on that trip--no free drinks for me.That went on for awhile until they decided the channels were too rough indeed and then no more hydrofoils.

I followed the Super Ferry fiasco on the internet. From my point of view that seemed like a good idea but obviously the airlines and the car rentals didn’t want them and who knows who else. It seemed to me a political game and someone or something did not want that ferry. So goodbye.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Ferry?

Do you remember the Boeing hydrofoils? They were something and great when they worked (1970’s) but the rough channels did them in.

SeaFlight... yes, that's what they were called.
I went to their office to apply for a job, but was told they were closing soon at the time.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Ferry?

Amazing that I found this old article about the (at the time) future of inter-island ferries.
http://www.maui-lahaina-sun.com/inte...hydrofoil.html

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Ferry?

I lived on a 160' Schooner right next to their repair dock at the mouth of Palolo stream/Pier 39, and remember being awoken and watching the tugs bringing in the one that caught fire and almost sinking before they could get it secured. I loved being up Aloha Tower to watch them often do figure 8s in the harbor... as the Harbor Master scolded the Captains

Those were the last of the good old days when it looked like America still had a worthy future.

[joshuatree]

Re: Ferry?

SeaFlight... yes, that's what they were called.
I went to their office to apply for a job, but was told they were closing soon at the time.

Does anyone remember what happened to those hydrofoils? I thought they were sold to HK? If so, I think they may still be in service.

http://www.turbojetseaexpress.com.hk...et.asp#jetfoil

[anapuni808]

Re: Ferry?

My daughter & I used to take SeaFlight often - to Kauai but more often to Maui. We stayed at a condo in Kihei and it was very convenient. The trips to Kauai were often an adventure - never knew how long it would take because of the high waves bringing the hydrofoil to a dead stop - rocking on the waves til they got the foils dried out & re-started. Lots of free drinks on those trips

[D'Alani]

Re: Ferry?

I lived on a 160' Schooner right next to their repair dock at the mouth of Palolo stream/Pier 39, and remember being awoken and watching the tugs bringing in the one that caught fire and almost sinking before they could get it secured. I loved being up Aloha Tower to watch them often do figure 8s in the harbor... as the Harbor Master scolded the Captains

Those were the last of the good old days when it looked like America still had a worthy future.

Did you mean Kapalama Stream?

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Ferry?

SeaFlight... yes, that's what they were called.

The company's name was spelled SeaFlite. Just thought I'd share that, so as to make any research on Google easier for anyone interested on the topic.

This website contains quite a bit of info on SeaFlite's brief history.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Ferry?

Did you mean Kapalama Stream?

...maybe
I thot for decades it was Kalihi stream, then my Kalihi bred bud corrected me. Thanx for re-correcting me, I might get it right someday!