Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

[mel]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

And I keep trying to tell you guys that there IS an EIS for all harbor users of Kahului Harbor that is being done right now by HDOT. So you can stop yammering about how the whackos are singling out HSF for an EIS.

You telling me what to do all the way from your lofty, cold perch in Seattle??? You don't live in Hawaii.

The wackos want to stop the Superferry from operating. That's the gist I get by watching the news report on LOCAL TV last night that you don't get out there in SEATTLE. Everything you post about are based on web info and nothing else because of your location.

You cannot be as intimately involved with Hawaii issues by being so damn far away. You are not paying our taxes, you are not living here. Two short visits a year don't count until you get permanent residence, pay our taxes 365 days a year and vote in our state. Otherwise you are just a poor, lame armchair quarterback calling the shots from out of state.

The wackos want to shut down the ferry plain and simple. Sierra Club and the 2 others on that legal complaint.

Go take care of your local issues in Seattle and let Hawaii people mind theirs.

[joshuatree]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

In short there is no legal reason why NCL/YB/Matson should be required to do a EIS. But there is strong legal reasons why a EIS/EA should've been done for HSF.

Are you telling me that NCL/YB/Matson all use their own personal facilities? This is where the argument about EAs and EISs look hypocritical. I'm willing to bet if an EIS was ever conducted on these operations, they probably grade a lot worse than HSF. And the whole grandfather argument is BS, if the environment is really the point of all this argument, all of them should be subjected. Otherwise, why did car manufacturers have to bother moving from R12 refrigerants to R134a? One can easily argue grandfathered in as well.

[Miulang]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Still I believe that singling out only the Superferry to comply with some EIS or EA is still unfair as the rest of the commercial maritime industry has never been subjected to this.

And I keep trying to tell you guys that there IS an EIS for all harbor users of Kahului Harbor that is being done right now by HDOT. So you can stop yammering about how the whackos are singling out HSF for an EIS. The most critical issue is not the whales; it's the traffic mitigation in the Kahului area and the use of the port facilities over the next few years that has Maui County most worried. Tomorrow's trip to Maui might not be too bad for people who drive their cars because it'll be Sunday and traffic is generally lighter. And next Monday will also be lighter because of the Labor Day holiday. But come Tuesday and Wed. of next week when everyone is back at work, take your patience along because it might take you an hour to get off Pier 2. Even with a rent-a-cop directing traffic, there will be a bias toward letting the traffic on Kaahumanu/Puunene Ave have the right of way. And this is the first time I've ever seen any State agency work so fast to comply with a court order.

Miulang

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

I
Still I believe that singling out only the Superferry to comply with some EIS or EA is still unfair as the rest of the commercial maritime industry has never been subjected to this.

If HSF used their own money instead of taxpayer funds to build the harbor infrastructure for their exclusive use, a EIS/EA would not be necessary.

[mel]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

I tried to post this earlier, but the board was frozen for some reason.

Honolulu to Maui... 3 hrs! So, if you decide you want to go joy riding, you need to figure on at least eight hours or so. Can you walk all around the ferry or are you pretty restricted? Must take airplane back... unless they have WIFI! Yo, Adrian, will Clear Wire work on the SF?

Just thinking and wondering. Oh, and are they wheel chair accessible? Mom wants to do the boat thing and most of our lunch/dinner cruisy things don't do wheelchairs. Is that an ADA violation? Not sure.

Hmmm... suddenly this joy ride got expensive!

Yes, with the upgrade it can be expensive... but remember this, it is probably as cheap as it will be with this introductory promo fare.

But just by taking a tour of the ferry last month, I can see that the $20 upgrade to first class is worth it more than an upgrade to first class would be on an inter-island airline flight. You are going to be on the ship for 3 hours each way. Would be nice to get the whole run of the passenger deck instead of being blocked 2/3 the way through.

The only thing that I am uncertain about is the legal cloud and possible action the court could hurl at the Superferry on Monday, possibly shutting down the operation to accommodate the environmental wackos. Hopefully that won't happen.

For that reason I am not going to make a reservation since I don't want to deal with refunds.

If you take your computer, be sure to bring your AC cord and perhaps a power strip onboard with you. Our own PZ found power outlets near some tables and seats where you can plug in. I don't know about wifi. Can't remember if they had that or not. Someone please tell us if you do ride.

And if you are not a sports fan, you may want to being one of those portable DVD players along and plug that in. I am sure most of the overhead TV's will be plugged into some football game, especially if anyone is traveling tomorrow.

On another note, long ago when I worked for an ad agency in the 1990s, we did one of those Port Hawaii booklets. It had plans for upcoming developments for all of the harbors. In Honolulu there was a plan to build a ferry terminal long before Superferry ever came into being. This would have been funded through the regular process of DOT appropriations that they get from the legislature, much like how it is now.

In so far as the EIS or EA or whatever goes, then if that is required only for Superferry, then it should be strictly for the harbor facility and not for whale avoidance, the possible spread of invasive species or drug trafficking. All of this can be done without the Superferry. The only thing that harbor improvements might bring in the case of the Superferry is increased vehicular traffic.

Which reminds me, the intersection to/from pier 19 to Nimitz will probably need a traffic light installed in the near future.

Still I believe that singling out only the Superferry to comply with some EIS or EA is still unfair as the rest of the commercial maritime industry has never been subjected to this.

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Don't think the facilities for HSF were specifically built for them either. The pier facility on Oahu had been completed for years, in hopes of a ferry like HSF would utilize it. And supposedly if another ferry came to town, I believe these same facilities are to be made available to them. Look, I don't mind an EA or EIS but what's good for the goose is good for gander. It would really be interesting to see how Matson/YB/NCL fare in an EIS assessment.

I disagree, the 40 million dollars in Hawaii taxpayer funds is being used to build harbor infrastructure for HSF's exclusive use. The pier facility you
mention was originally built for the cruise ship service, not exclusively for one company. That being said, if HSF built the harbor infrastructure without
Hawaii taxpayer money, this all would be moot.

In short there is no legal reason why NCL/YB/Matson should be required to do a EIS. But there is strong legal reasons why a EIS/EA should've been
done for HSF.

The Star Bulletin has a op-ed which supports my argument.

[Sprite]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

It would really be interesting to see how Matson/YB/NCL fare in an EIS assessment.

I'll say! I would love to see THAT report!

[joshuatree]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

The existing piers were not built for one singular entity.For example if Matson or NCL exclusively used the piers and it was specifically built for them using
taxpayer funds, a EIS would have be done. But since that is not the case,thats why they are exempted. That isn't the case for HSF though. The
harbor improvements are being funded with taxpayer funds. Plus the improvements will be exclusively used by HSF.

Don't think the facilities for HSF were specifically built for them either. The pier facility on Oahu had been completed for years, in hopes of a ferry like HSF would utilize it. And supposedly if another ferry came to town, I believe these same facilities are to be made available to them. Look, I don't mind an EA or EIS but what's good for the goose is good for gander. It would really be interesting to see how Matson/YB/NCL fare in an EIS assessment.

[zztype]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Waterfall...waterfall...surfing...raining...nah... nah..juss joking!

Hahaha! Funny.

Actually, I gave up after 90 minutes with the phone stuck on my ear. But during the 90 minutes, I got up, wandered to the kitchen, cooked a pot of coffee, went lua. I came back several times to check and I was still on hold with the music blasting my ears.

After 90 minutes, I gave up, hung up, then called back the number. Busy. Called again. Busy.

Give up. I call um bumbye.

I actually was interested because I booked a trip to Maui yesterday AT FULL PRICE. Then I found out about the $5 deal.

So I was reading on their site and it said that the previously booked passengers would get the $5 fare.

This morning, I was trying to confirm that I would get the cheap fare, and not the $600 fare for our trip. Not happening. I'll call them later.

But at 5:45 a.m. when I got on their web site, still had trips available for the Labor Day weekend! I went all the way through the reservation system online. Only had to hit the final button and I would have TWO trips to Maui for the family.

[Sprite]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Honolulu to Maui... 3 hrs! So, if you decide you want to go joy riding, you need to figure on at least eight hours or so. Can you walk all around the ferry or are you pretty restricted? Must take airplane back... unless they have WIFI! Yo, Adrian, will Clear Wire work on the SF?

Just thinking and wondering. Oh, and are they wheel chair accessible? Mom wants to do the boat thing and most of our lunch/dinner cruisy things don't do wheelchairs. Is that an ADA violation? Not sure.

Shopping list prior to boarding:

Creme Crackers (for me)
Dramamine (for Mom... & hubby if he agrees to go)
New LapTop
New Contract with ClearWire
HSF Tickets
Airline Tickets for return

Hmmm... suddenly this joy ride got expensive!

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Who were the piers built for???

What about Aloha Tower and the big cruise ships? Didn't they spend a bunch of money on Aloha Tower area?

I don't think I can park my boat there. (No, not really. I don't have a boat, but you know what I mean...)

The existing piers were not built for one singular entity.For example if Matson or NCL exclusively used the piers and it was specifically built for them using
taxpayer funds, a EIS would have be done. But since that is not the case,thats why they are exempted. That isn't the case for HSF though. The
harbor improvements are being funded with taxpayer funds. Plus the improvements will be exclusively used by HSF.

[1stwahine]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

I still on hold!! 35 mins now.

Waterfall...waterfall...surfing...raining...nah... nah..juss joking!

Lynn

[zztype]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

I still on hold!! 35 mins now.

[1stwahine]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Just click the link on http://hawaiisuperferry.com (Note that they don't use the www. in their address.)

Call 1-877-443-3779. Press 2, at next message, press 2.

Other notes: The lady who recorded the phone tree messages speaks WAY too slowly, though the voice is pleasant. But after a few seconds, she becomes really irritating. They need to shorten the message and speed up giving you the options.

Then when finally you get the options pressed, the music that comes on is very nice, but VERY LOUD!

I did all that and den it disconnected on me three times!

The link doesn't work foa me. FireFox is blocking something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a Great Trip Everybody!

Lynn

[zztype]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Yes Matson/YB don't own the piers. They are using state facilities. But the piers were not built specifically for Matson/YB/NCL in mind.

Who were the piers built for???

What about Aloha Tower and the big cruise ships? Didn't they spend a bunch of money on Aloha Tower area?

I don't think I can park my boat there. (No, not really. I don't have a boat, but you know what I mean...)