What impact is this going to have on Maui and Kauai?  I can't imagine residents being universally enthusiastic.

Superferry could be wonderful if it's done right...but I have lots of concerns and feel they need an EIS.

Superferry says they're the biggest change in Hawaii since the jet aircraft...till you talk about an EIS...then they say--hey, we're just like everyone else!

At the recent Hilo meeting they said they can't guarantee they won't hit whales....but only after they dodged the question, and I followed up by asking if they could commit to the safe whale speed of 10-13 knots instead of the 25 knots they propose.

 They WILL hit whales, according to the Pacific Whale Foundation.

Superferry creates more low-frequency noise than other vessels, which may be illegal since it affects whales, but they have not provided requested noise data.

Superferry says the courts have always ruled in their favor. Not true.  In once case, the plaintiffs were granted legal standing. In another, the case is under appeal. "No court has ruled against the argument that an EIS was required in this case," says State Attorney General Mark Bennett.

Inspections for bombs, weapons, drugs, stolen goods, coquis and other invasives will be done by Superferry staff  (I think this is a conflict of interest) in a limited time.  

Superferry's recent "issues study" says most Hawai'i residents oppose a law that would delay or cancel startup. But the survey claimed Superferry was "environmentally friendly" and did not mention the law was for an EIS.

I'm very concerned about the environmental impacts, and the stretching of the truth.

Cory Harden, Hilo

It is unfortunate that some people are so easily swayed by the idea of a Super Ferry.  Yes, it would be great to carry your tackle gear, boogie boards, camping supplies and bring SUV's over to other islands, but at what expense? At what cost to the beautiful environment we all love so much? 

For those who are unaware, there is a very serious drug epidemic  that is currently affecting the islands.  Will the Super Ferry company search vehicles that are being transported and if yes, will they actually have enough time to search every one of the 300 vehicles they will be carrying?  Unfortunately the transport of drugs inter island will increase tremendously. What effect will that have on us as a community?

And what about the traffic?  There are already terrible traffic issues affecting Kona and Honolulu... what would happen when hundreds of additional cars and SUV's hit the roads?  It won't be so easy to carry all your beach gear and actually get to a beach. 

And what about whales?  There is no guarantee that whales will not be hit.  What injuries will result to people, children and vehicles when the Ferry collides with a whale?  Who will be responsible when this occurs?

As community members living in the state of Hawaii, it is imperative for us to stop thinking solely about our "fun beach days" and think of what affect this new mode of transportation will have, not only for the state as a whole, but also the impact on each individual island.   

I am very concerned about the impact the Super Ferry will have on my community, the environment and my family.  -- Rose Acevedo

Yes, it does sound exciting to bring your SUV and camping equiptment to the outer islands.  But did you know that Kawaihae's infastructure is not equipted to handle 110 to 200 plus cars a day?  Did you know that we have a 2-lane road that leads into Waimea which cannot handle the already congested traffic?  Did you know that this area is already suffering from unplanned roadways and an enormous boom in construction?  Did you know that Hawaii Superferry and DOT could not comment about any plans to eleviate this congestion?  Where is everyone planning to camp?  Did you know that the earthquake damaged Pier 1 and the DOT has chosen not to repair it but instead has decided to relocate the Superferry terminal to Pier 4 which is one of the last few beaches in Kawaihae our children have to swim in?  Did you know that Pier 4 is right at the base of our heiau - Pu'u Kohola which was eroding due to vehicle vibrations and now the earthquake?  Did you know that no impact study is considered to see if the ramps etc. from the new terminal will affect it?  Did you know that the croakie frog is making it's way to the northern side of this island and may probably make it's way to yours? 

People enjoy coming to our island because we live a different lifestyle.  We have open spaces, no freeways and do not have the "city life."  Why would we want this to change?  We do not want OUR quality of lifestyle to change.  Do we not have a right to require that our voices be heard and require and Environmental Impact Study?  Does the State or Hawaii Superferry even care?  Who is to benefit?

Hawaii Superferry is moving into our backyard.  It will have a tremendous impact on our community and affect our qualitiy of life.  Does anyone care about it's impact on the people and small communities of this island?

It absolutely boggles my mind that you are missing the big picture and the little picture, you are not even t a reasonable facsimile.. 

Super Ferry is a reward to Republican Supporters who were subsidized by tax dollars to build the Super Ferry in the first place.  (do some research, the truth is there and it's been publicized) Then pier improvements for the benefit of a private enterprise are subsidized by the state, yet the state cannot afford the funds to provide for infrastructure improvements to handle the impact of the increased traffic, such as the widening of Queen Kaahumanu or Kawaihae Road, or expanding the facilities at the harbor.  Have you seen the bathrooms there.....you have to be dying to use them and you might die if you use them....what a pretty picture for all the tourists.  So where all of you guys going with your fishing poles and coolers?  Welcome to the Big Island, we'll be sitting in the huge traffic jam with you, but the bummer is, we'll be trying to get to work, to pick our kids, to go to the Doctor....not many here have time for fishing.

How will you spend your vacations when the boat trips are cancelled/postponed due to .....my god could it be true, the vagaries of ocean travel like the days when even the barges can't travel?  And barges are more capable then this supper boondoggel, oops superferry.  Remember the Hydrofoil?  If you don't, you are too young or too malihini. 

Next time you complain about the poor quality of our schools or the high cost of tuition at HPA or Punahou....just remember that instead of the kids learning how to function in the world today, you all can grab the poles, grab the cooler, jump in the SUV, bob around in the ocean for a few hours, camp out but  bring plenty TP since there are very few camp grounds and fewer facilities, (don't forget your shots since you won't be the first one camping) and say thank you Uncle George, for this Super Ferry.  PS  Can I get my money back when it's bankrupt?  Probably not and Johnny still can't read!!

Without even considering the loan guarantees, the ferry got $31 from every man, woman, and child in Hawaii to start up. They say they will pay it back in the form of taxes and fees but that remains to be seen. Wouldn't you love to get that kind of money for a start-up?

Also, people who think they are going to camp anywhere can think again. I don't know about Kauai and BI, but on Maui it's illegal to sleep in your car or just camp anywhere. Permits must be had in advance for the few camping areas there are.

Like so many things in this state, the ferry is Oahu-centric. Anyone on a neighbor island wishing to go to another neighbor island will have to buy a ticket to Oahu and then another ticket to wherever they're going plus spend the night on Oahu.

It is my sincere wish that anyone who uses the ferry becomes extremely sea-sick.

Please, please help me understand. 

1.  I am forbidden from taking an apple to snack on during a flilght to Honolulu from the BI because of potential invasion of unwanted organisms.  Hello, this apple was bought at KTA and arrived from lands afar.  BUT The superferry will be allowing hordes of cars, people, luggage etc. to enter neighboring islands with who knows what sorts of living organisms stowing away in all the billions of nooks and crannies.  The HSF tells us that their search teams are prepared to handle the volume and we should not worry about tranferring undesirables from island to island.  Do I believe them?  Do you?

2.  In Kealakekua area there is major warfare going on to prevent people from swimming with wild spinner dolphins.  The opposition to the dolphin swimmers claim that these protected marine mammals are being harrassed and that their natural rhythms affected due to SNORKELERS!!!   BUT  the superferry will be plowing through the mating and nursery section of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary at speeds never before seen, with hightech engines whose noise impact on marine life is unknown.  How would you like it if a mack truck drove through your bedroom while you were in there romancing?  What about a tractor-trailer making a detour through the delivery room at your local hospital?  Why is HSF being allowed to do this and more without an Environmental Impact Study?

HSF website is propoganda.  The glossy ads and descriptions tell how lovely it will be to sail around visiting our neighbor islands with the kids and pets in tow and all the niceties of home stashed in the family car.   Remember what happened years ago when "neighbors" from other lands came to visit Hawaii...75% of the local population was killed by the germs which landed with the ships.

HSF does not make sense or compute for a multitude of reasons.  Who is pulling the strings on getting this project through when it clearly contains potential for major negative impacts on many levels?  I find it impossible to believe that any rational person does not see that the balance sheet on this project is far from balanced.  From my perspective any potential benefits from the HSF is horrendously overshadowed by the significant downsides.  

 How many whales, how many invasions of unwanteds, how many clogged highways, would it take to turn the HSF around once it has been established?  The time to act is now!  Speak up and voice your opinion before the problem arrives in your town.

The unequal distribution of power is extemely distressing to me - in that Oahu has the bulk of the support for the HSF and yet will experience the least impact.  The neighbor islands oppose the ferry with few exceptions and yet we will be the most heavily impacted.  To the extent that our lifestyle will be very different.  The county councils on Maui, Kauai and Big Island have all passed resolutions opposing the ferry.  If Oahu wants to have a ferry that's fine, but then just go around Oahu.  We don't want it.  We already have horrendous traffic on Kauai - with the exception of 5 miles of highway, all our roads are 2 lane - adding 100 - 200 cars every day is a major impact.  One - two hundred cars on Oahu wouldn't even be noticed.

And what about the whales and other endangered sea life?  The HSF is like NO other craft sailing Hawaiian waters.  The speed is nearly double that of any other craft with 2 narrow hulls traveling over 40 mph.  The HSF Whale Avoidance Policy sounds good until you read it - They will slow down to approx 2 knots more than other vessels and use an alternate route in the winter and have 2 "spotters on deck with binoculars!  How many mother and baby whales swimming just below the surface of the water will be seen by the spotters?  And how many will they see at night?  NOAA says that a safe speed to avoid whales is 10 - 12 knots - not the 25 knots HSF has offered! 

We hear that Matson and YB didn't have to have an EIS - it's true, but they've been operating for over a 100 years - long before the EIS requirement - not to mention they travel at a MUCH lower speed and their design is conventional.  And without them, we couldn't survive.  We don't NEED the HSF. 

The HSF claim to PUC was affordability and convenience.  Unless you're only planning to go to Oahu and you'll be taking 4 passengers and staying for at least 6 days, it's far and away cheaper to fly and rent a car.  And convenient??  From Kauai, we get into Oahu at 9 - 10 pm, have to either sleep in our car or get a hotel.  It's not like you can "run over for the day to shop".  

And the real kicker is that this is not a viable venture.  The ferry uses 1981 gallons of fuel per HOUR - that's nearly 12,000 gallons on a round trip between Oahu and either Maui or Kauai.  At the current cost of marine diesel, a gallon costs a little over $2.00 or about $24,000 per round trip.  Based on their projections of passengers and vehicles, they would gross about $50,000 per round trip.  That leaves $26,000 for salaries of the capt and crews, dock fees, insurance, wages for support people at the dock, rental of tents and toilets at the "passenger terminals" and other incidentals.  The former CEO of the ferry manufacturer, Austal, says they will need 400 - 500 passengers day in and day out to BREAK EVEN!  Who ever goes into business to BREAK EVEN??  The ferry will come to our islands, we'll suffer and pay for the negative impacts and then they'll go belly up and we'll GET to pay AGAIN!!  The MARAD loan for the ferries is a federaly guaranteed loan so we'll get to pay for that when they can't.  AND we'll get to pay for the $40 mil in harbor improvements.  It's supposed to be paid by user fees, but when the HSF goes belly up, the other users will have to pay and that will be passed on to us - the taxpayers!  IS THIS STILL SOUNDING GOOD TO EVERYONE??

Historically, fast ferries have had a dismal financial history in the US and Canada.  Most, if not all, have lasted a few years at most before going bankrupt.   HSF and the policies for whale avoidance that THEY developed is akin to the fox watching the hen house and people - WE IS THE HENS!! 

Aloha from Kauai, Judie 

The unequal distribution of power is extemely distressing to me - in that Oahu has the bulk of the support for the HSF and yet will experience the least impact.  The neighbor islands oppose the ferry with few exceptions and yet we will be the most heavily impacted.  To the extent that our lifestyle will be very different.  The county councils on Maui, Kauai and Big Island have all passed resolutions opposing the ferry.  If Oahu wants to have a ferry that's fine, but then just go around Oahu.  We don't want it.  We already have horrendous traffic on Kauai - with the exception of 5 miles of highway, all our roads are 2 lane - adding 100 - 200 cars every day is a major impact.  One - two hundred cars on Oahu wouldn't even be noticed.

And what about the whales and other endangered sea life?  The HSF is like NO other craft sailing Hawaiian waters.  The speed is nearly double that of any other craft with 2 narrow hulls traveling over 40 mph.  The HSF Whale Avoidance Policy sounds good until you read it - They will slow down to approx 2 knots more than other vessels and use an alternate route in the winter and have 2 "spotters on deck with binoculars!  How many mother and baby whales swimming just below the surface of the water will be seen by the spotters?  And how many will they see at night?  NOAA says that a safe speed to avoid whales is 10 - 12 knots - not the 25 knots HSF has offered! 

We hear that Matson and YB didn't have to have an EIS - it's true, but they've been operating for over a 100 years - long before the EIS requirement - not to mention they travel at a MUCH lower speed and their design is conventional.  And without them, we couldn't survive.  We don't NEED the HSF. 

The HSF claim to PUC was affordability and convenience.  Unless you're only planning to go to Oahu and you'll be taking 4 passengers and staying for at least 6 days, it's far and away cheaper to fly and rent a car.  And convenient??  From Kauai, we get into Oahu at 9 - 10 pm, have to either sleep in our car or get a hotel.  It's not like you can "run over for the day to shop".  

And the real kicker is that this is not a viable venture.  The ferry uses 1981 gallons of fuel per HOUR - that's nearly 12,000 gallons on a round trip between Oahu and either Maui or Kauai.  At the current cost of marine diesel, a gallon costs a little over $2.00 or about $24,000 per round trip.  Based on their projections of passengers and vehicles, they would gross about $50,000 per round trip.  That leaves $26,000 for salaries of the capt and crews, dock fees, insurance, wages for support people at the dock, rental of tents and toilets at the "passenger terminals" and other incidentals.  The former CEO of the ferry manufacturer, Austal, says they will need 400 - 500 passengers day in and day out to BREAK EVEN!  Who ever goes into business to BREAK EVEN??  The ferry will come to our islands, we'll suffer and pay for the negative impacts and then they'll go belly up and we'll GET to pay AGAIN!!  The MARAD loan for the ferries is a federaly guaranteed loan so we'll get to pay for that when they can't.  AND we'll get to pay for the $40 mil in harbor improvements.  It's supposed to be paid by user fees, but when the HSF goes belly up, the other users will have to pay and that will be passed on to us - the taxpayers!  IS THIS STILL SOUNDING GOOD TO EVERYONE??

Historically, fast ferries have had a dismal financial history in the US and Canada.  Most, if not all, have lasted a few years at most before going bankrupt.   HSF and the policies for whale avoidance that THEY developed is akin to the fox watching the hen house and people - WE IS THE HENS!! 

Aloha from Kauai, Judie 

Just HOW is the ferry getting to Oahu?  Thru' the PamAm canal?

If so does it need to refuel on the way over?

TIA   Bill 

(Forgot to leave comments checked....  SBT)

Bill