I understand (for the most part) why these guys went out of business. Hawaii seems like an extremely tough place to start and run a business. The political and regulatory environment must be the two big killers. But I still do not understand why no one has tried to revive the Hawaii Superferry. I've been blessed to travel all over the world and EVERY island nation or archipelago I have been to has established, cheap, reliable ferry service. Why is Hawaii any different? I know the EIS wasn't done properly (or at all) and the whale lovers were pretty upset about it, but what gives? Are there not whales in every other part of the world that are threatened by ships? Could a new EIS not be completed IOT get this thing going again? It's just disappointing to see the rest of the world doing it right when it comes to inter island transportation and Hawaii is "missing the boat." Pun intended. You're welcome.

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I was in the minority too in that I wanted to see the ferry run but a lot of the guys that were in the harbor here on Kauai blocking the ferry were mainland transplants from the north shore. There were a few local boys in there too but I think they were just bored

I saw the one guy letting out air in some dude's tires I would have brakleened his sorry ass

I thought they were hired by the local shipping companies

This is just a WAGS but I think the fact that the service was in operation for just over a year gave the owners a good idea of whether the business was viable even without having to deal with the problems and the costs of obtaining an EIS.  The Superferry plug was pulled because it was losing money and was not projected to make a profit.

i heard that the more established shipping operations were behind the resistance to the superferry

This is just a WAGS but I think the fact that the service was in operation for just over a year gave the owners a good idea of whether the business was viable even without having to deal with the problems and the costs of obtaining an EIS.  The Superferry plug was pulled because it was losing money and was not projected to make a profit.

This was just one messed up situation.  An operation that every actual person was behind, but was hated by the airlines and shipping companies.  They financed the "grass roots movements" that called for the EIS, which was total BS.  An EIS for an inter-island ship?? This is the sort of thing Obama would be proud of, perverting a system with legitimate uses to stop another system that actually benefits people.

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^The airlines and the federal govt do the same thing. I just don't see why Hawaii is any different than any other group of islands in the world. And yes, BHO is proud I'm sure, to see its demise. I'll never understand it myself, and I'm sure HAL and others paid big bucks to put up some major opposition.

I was in the minority too in that I wanted to see the ferry run but a lot of the guys that were in the harbor here on Kauai blocking the ferry were mainland transplants from the north shore. There were a few local boys in there too but I think they were just bored

I saw the one guy letting out air in some dude's tires I would have brakleened his sorry ass

I don't think many people realize the effects of brakleen. I keep a can of it in my trunk along with my sockets and stuff in case I need to clean something. 

Superferry would have given us access to an actual racetrack...

I don't think many people realize the effects of brakleen. I keep a can of it in my trunk along with my sockets and stuff in case I need to clean something. 

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I have never met anyone that disliked the ferry. Yet it seems like a case of the tail wagging the dog. I was actually booked for a trip back to visit my Mom on Maui when the operation was shut down.
I have no doubt the "old" shipping company had a lot to do with the "problem". I used to ship my cars on the "old" barges and it was a painful and slow process. My pet turtle moved twice as fast as the guy checking the cars in. I had to set aside half a day to get my car on board. I still feel pissed off when I think about it today. Everyone I talk to about this feels the same way.
 
Anyway, I love brakleen. FYI- there are 2 types of Brakleen. Chlorinated and non-chlorinated.
Chlorinated is badass stuff.  Kills just about everything, ants, roaches, weeds, grass...your skin...

Non-chlorinated is also badass stuff. I use it for cleaning my brass and ammo. DO NOT breath in the fumes too much. I understand that some components of that mixture can cause heart palpitations.
But I love it anyway.
 

So....for about $1mm someone could buy a decently used, 150 person/50 car capacity catamaran ferry. Basically a smaller version of the super. For guys that have lived here awhile, with lessons learned from the super, how realistic would it be to attempt it again? I'm thinking much smaller scale (small ships = less environmental impact and considerably lower overhead). The smaller boat means less risk. I think the super was on the order of $200mm just for the ship. The wheels (or props) are beginning to turn in my entrepreneurial brain...

This was just one messed up situation.  An operation that every actual person was behind, but was hated by the airlines and shipping companies.  They financed the "grass roots movements" that called for the EIS, which was total BS.  An EIS for an inter-island ship?? This is the sort of thing Obama would be proud of, perverting a system with legitimate uses to stop another system that actually benefits people.

This was my thought exactly.  It's a boat.  It floats on the water.  There are literally thousands of them in and around the Hawaiian Islands already; what was the big environmental impact concern with this?

This was my thought exactly.  It's a boat.  It floats on the water.  There are literally thousands of them in and around the Hawaiian Islands already; what was the big environmental impact concern with this?

100% concur with this. I get the chance to fly around the islands on a weekly basis and you are correct...there are thousands of boats out there every single day. Everything from the Matson cargo ships, to oil tankers, to barges. So you're telling me two more ferries are going to break the Hawaiian environment so much that they should be shut down? It's good to learn from your mistakes, but it's better to learn from others'. I am convinced that this could be successfully reattempted.

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I have never met anyone that disliked the ferry. Yet it seems like a case of the tail wagging the dog. I was actually booked for a trip back to visit my Mom on Maui when the operation was shut down.
I have no doubt the "old" shipping company had a lot to do with the "problem". I used to ship my cars on the "old" barges and it was a painful and slow process. My pet turtle moved twice as fast as the guy checking the cars in. I had to set aside half a day to get my car on board. I still feel pissed off when I think about it today. Everyone I talk to about this feels the same way.
 
Anyway, I love brakleen. FYI- there are 2 types of Brakleen. Chlorinated and non-chlorinated.
Chlorinated is badass stuff.  Kills just about everything, ants, roaches, weeds, grass...your skin...

Non-chlorinated is also badass stuff. I use it for cleaning my brass and ammo. DO NOT breath in the fumes too much. I understand that some components of that mixture can cause heart palpitations.
But I love it anyway.
 

Only thing I have found that Brakleen does not kill is a cane toad

The SuperFerry would've been a great example of Change - sound familiar? Ironic when you consider the politics involved. The demise of the Superferry is a great example of the powers that want to keep the greater good oppressed for the sake of continued profit.  I can only surmise that Young Bros. and other businesses that would've suffered when the SuperFerry took off had a role in its termination.

FWIW, Superferry was not the first commercial inter-island high-speed ferry service to operate, and fail, here.  Nor the second.  If we're going to pitch in, buy a boat, and start shuffling passengers, we need to do our homework!

Yes too bad it went under. It was still operating when I planned my move here and was integral to my business plans.  I operate a classic car restoration company www.ranchomerced.com and needed the flexabillity of the ferry since I am located on the Big Island .  Now Young bros or Pasha gets to haul my cars inter island and has created quite a headache for me.  And yes from my observations the shippers and the airlines used the useful idiot environmentalists and the a few of the Hawaiian culture types (whom I have great respect for by the way) to kill it.  All in the name of profits.  Off topic a bit; but the Jones Act needs to be repealed too.

Oh, man, I hope not!!  If the Superferry came back, I'd have to find a job on the mainland!   


...but really, I wish the Superferry did come back.  I'm not a fan of Mesa Air and it's Hawaii regional brand go! at all.  I feel that go! would have the most to lose, and after their absolutely atrocious business tactics, I'd be glad to see them go down.  People will still want to go back and forth between the islands quickly, and I think Hawaiian and some of the others would still be getting business from tourists, businessmen, and those who just don't wanna go via boat.  If I wanted to visit another island via commercial means, I'd ship my vehicle via Superferry and still fly Hawaiian to the island I'd be touring.  I'd rather be in a plane than sailing.