Surfing Demonstrators Protest Hawaii Ferry

(AP)  The Hawaii Superferry faces rough seas after jumping ahead of its launch schedule with two sold-out voyages at radically discounted $5 fares - one temporarily blocked by surfing protesters at the harbor entrance on Kauai.

Environmentalists are going to a Maui judge Monday to try to halt the first giant passenger and car ferry which is the first alternative to air travel among the islands where 1.2 million people live and tens of thousands of tourists arrive each day.

Coast Guard patrol boats shooed away a dozen surfers who blocked the ferry on Kauai for more than an hour and escorted it to the dock. Hundreds more protesters onshore beat drums and chanted in support of the surfers. They object to the ferry's failure to conduct an environmental impact study, saying its plan to ply 400 miles of Hawaii waters each day endangers whales, threatens to spread invasive species and will worsen traffic and pollution around island docks.

Hawaii Superferry Inc., in a statement late Sunday, said it was disappointed in the delay on Kauai.

"We are sorry to see that minority dissident groups have chosen to oppose a service that the people of Hawaii have overwhelmingly embraced," the statement said, noting it had sold 22,000 tickets.

Loaded with people attracted by the $5 fare for the 100-mile voyage past scenic island shores, the first Hawaii Superferry, completed its maiden run to Maui and arrived back in Honolulu on time earlier Sunday. The ship named Alakai was built specially for Hawaiian waters by Austal USA at its Mobile, Ala., shipyard.

Sunday's rushed voyages were moved up two days with fares that are less than one-tenth of those to take effect after Sept. 5. The stepped-up schedule and discounts were prompted by a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling last week that the state should have required an environmental report.

The state said that since there was no injunction against the service, it wouldn't be stopped.

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[rushman71]

Man, those boats are ruining the waves, dude!!! It could even break my board, too, dude!!!

[usayesterday]

"surfing protesters"

HAHAHAH! LOL!

Ask these morons to give a basic definition of "global warming/climate change" and their heads would implode!

An alternative to the $100+ airfares needs to happen in that island state so the less-than-wealthy residents of Hawaii can have less restrictive travel.

Inexpensive inter-island travel will greatly boost the economy for the residents of Hawaii, especially on the islands like Kauai, Maui, and Molokai.

[gunnerv1]

I''ve lived in Hawaii, I belive this is the second time a ferry has tried to make this run. The first was a Hydro-foil type and it seems that both are doomed due to expense.

[gunnerv1]

I''ve lived in Hawaii, I belive this is the second time a ferry has tried to make this run. The first was a Hydro-foil type and it seems that both are doomed due to expense.