Could the Superferry bring droves of outsiders here to surf Kaua‘i surfspots? Or bring homeless people from O‘ahu to live here in their automobiles? Those are just some of the scenarios posed by the public Tuesday at a Public Utilities
Could the Superferry bring droves of outsiders here to surf Kaua‘i surfspots? Or bring homeless people from O‘ahu to live here in their automobiles?
Those are just some of the scenarios posed by the public Tuesday at a Public Utilities Commission hearing on Superferry Hawaii, the entity that hopes to move cars, people and freight throughout the four major islands via two 345-foot, four-story, twin-hulled catamarans.
Even Young Bros. Tug & Barge President Glenn Hong isn’t opposed to the Superferry, at least on record. Hong was at the Tuesday meeting and his primary concern was that the Superferry not interfere with the pier space at Nawiliwili.
“Any co-location of operations with the Hawaii Superferry, or possible re-allocation of space to the Hawaii Superferry, could impose safety, security and operational efficiency concerns at Young Brother’s cargo facilities,” Hong said.
After the hearing, Hong again stressed his opposition to Superferry Hawaii’s contention that they can ship cheaper. Superferry Hawaii has said they can ship at two to three cents per pound.
“If you think about it from a business perspective, you have to ask yourself what are the personal investments in shipping on the Superferry. What is your true cost?”
Superferry executives admit that people will have to supply their own refrigerated containers. But other agriculture businesses, especially the small mom and pop operations, stand to gain from having a quick, cheap way to get product to the Honolulu market.
At least 50 people showed for the hearing at Wilcox Elementary School’s cafeteria, compared to four who showed for O‘ahu’s hearing Monday. Tuesday’s turnout was an indication that the Superferry has sparked more interest on neighbor islands than on O‘ahu.
No one questioned the Superferry’s business model Tuesday night. The $50 one-way trip will be half the price of airplanes, making inter-island travel once again affordable, and opening up all the islands for casual travel along what company executives are calling Hawaii’s “H-4”.
Many Kaua‘i residents were concerned, however, with protecting Kaua‘i’s environment and “rural” quality of life.
Has anyone considered the impact that “homeless people” might have on the islands? asked one Kaua‘i resident.
“Many of them live in their cars on O‘ahu,” he said. What if they simply decide to move here via the Superferry? he asked.
Another resident wondered if Superferry Hawaii would be willing to start a fund to mitigate against the effects of unwanted “stow away” invasive species like Koki frogs or Miconia.
“We want a complete federal/state environmental impact assessment process,” said Judy Dalton of the Sierra Club’s Kaua‘i chapter.
After the meeting, Hawaii Superferry chief executive officer John Garibaldi tried to answer most of the questions.
Regarding fares, Garibaldi said that, unlike the airlines, HFS’s fares are set by the PUC. As for invasive species, the vessels don’t have ballast, so the question of ballast water carrying invasive species is moot, he said.
“We’ll follow the same Department of Agriculture standards as the barge companies,” he said. The idea of a “fund” was new to him, and they would consider it, he said.
As for the socio-economic questions – e.g., Kaua‘i’s rural quality of life or the homeless moving here – Garibaldi seemed nonplussed.
“We are only in the business of moving people from point A to point B,” he said.
Most people at the meeting were cautiously optimistic that the Superferry would work here. Even before the public meetings started this week, the state Consumer Advocate had approved of the project.
“We support the Superferry,” said Cheryl Kikata of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The ferry is needed and serves the public’s interest, she said. But their support is contingent upon the development of proper harbor infrastructure and the construction and delivery of the ships. HFS expects the first ship to be operating by late 2006 and the second by early 2008.
The ships will carry up to 866 passengers and 282 vehicles. Vehicle decks are large enough to carry semi-trailers up to 48 feet long, smaller delivery trucks, pleasure boats on trailers and passenger cars.
The resulting traffic concerned many residents at Tuesday’s hearing, but Superferry executives are saying that they can move 150 cars on or off the ferry in 15 minutes, and that the area in and around Nawiliwili Harbor is adequate for such activity.
“You’ve got to remember that if 150 cars come off, you probably have another 150 cars leaving,” Garibaldi said.
But the waters could get rough for Superferry Hawaii if the PUC postpones their decision, or holds more public hearings. That’s because their financing is dependent on PUC approval. With a conservative cost estimate of $152 million for the two ships alone, financing for the Superferry is still a long way off, and the company needs PUC approval to secure another $55 million to complete the deal.
Garibaldi insists that there is plenty of money waiting in the wings as the idea for the Superferry builds emotional – and promotional – steam throughout the islands.
Already on board the Superferry dream is Grove Farm owner and multi-billionaire Steve Case, who purchased half of Maui Land and Pineapple Company’s $1 million share in the project.
“We hope it will allow for expansion of diversified agriculture, once shipping off-island becomes easier, more dependable and more affordable,” said Beth Tokioka, director of the Kaua‘i Office of Economic Development. “I’m sure there will also be opportunities for entrepreneurs who can develop unique ways to service passengers coming and going from the dock, like a car wash.”
Tokioka said that the Superferry could offer more opportunities for Kauai’s festivals and events to attract off-island attendees. Hotels, especially those that offer good kama‘aina rates, she said, are also likely to benefit greatly from the increased kama‘aina traffic.
The PUC held a meeting yesterday in Kahalui, Maui, and will hold another at Waikoloa on the Big Island.
The Superferry, which company representatives have nicknamed “H-4,” will offer one-way fares of about $50 per passenger, with cars at $55 and with larger vehicles at $90. A one-way trip from Honolulu to Maui or Kaua‘i will take an estimated three hours; the Honolulu-Big Island run will take four hours, the company said.
Each ship will be built in Alabama by Austal USA, making it compliant with the Jones Act, which requires that vessels sailing between U.S. ports be American made and staffed.
To date, Australian-based Austal USA has built 25 similar vessels, almost all of which remain in service around the world, serving routes connecting Ireland with Britain and France across the Irish Sea and English Channel, Australia with Tasmania across the Bass Strait, Poland with Scandinavia across the Baltic Sea, and the trans-Mediterranean passage between Spain and Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Phil Hayworth, Business Editor: 245-3681 (ext. 251) and phayworth@pulitzer.net
