Residents of Oahu, Hawaii looking for a simpler solution for intra-island travel were delighted when Superferry was launched in August 2007. Finally, there was a more feasible option for people to bring their bulky belongings to other neighboring islands without having to deal with the hassles and high fees for airplane travel. Plus, people could bring their cars aboard the ferry without having to deal with car rentals on the other islands. On paper, this new ferry looked like it would be a great benefit for the island.

But an obstacle appeared.

Some residents of Maui and Kauai feared that Superferry would damage and disrupt the neighboring marine wildlife. Some environmentalists even disrupted ferry service by deliberately blocking the ferry route. A compromise had been reached which would've allowed an area in the water for protesting without impeding the route of the ferry but the CEO of Superferry at the time, John Garibaldi (now vice chairman), suspended service anyway because of safety concerns.

Now, a year later, Superferry is operating once again, and the business is flourishing. Ridership aboard the Alakai, Superferry's ship, in July increased 40% compared with the ridership numbers from June, while June's numbers increased 20% over May. In July, more than 36,600 passengers and 9,200 vehicles traveled between Oahu and Maui, which is an average of 390 passengers and 99 vehicles per voyage. In August, Superferry carried its 125,000th passenger.

The continually increasing ridership has taken place while retired Navy Adm. Thomas Fargo has been in charge.

"People like Superferry for a lot of reasons," Fargo said. "They're starting to realize that the Alakai is a tremendous ship with great capabilities, new capabilities for Hawaii."

Residents of Hawaii certainly have been liking Superferry--they made up 85% of the ridership this past summer. The rates have been comparable with those of airlines providing inter-island service.

Another reason for Superferry's popularity is the flexibility in seating assignments. It should be mentioned that "seating assignments" on Superferry do not exist; passengers can choose wherever they want to sit. For $20, passengers can upgrade to a first-class lounge.

"It's not the pictures of the Alakai that attract passengers, but understanding how you can fill your SUV with your daughter's belongings and take her to college on Oahu, or put on two kayaks and some bicycles and go to Maui with the family for a day," Fargo said. Superferry has also helped to expedite inter-island commerce, as various companies have developed partnerships with Superferry where goods are shipped as cargo.

The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and Maui County Farm Bureau announced a partnership with Superferry in late August, where a 30% discount is given to qualified farmers and merchants who ship locally grown and produced goods on Superferry.

As Superferry continues to become more popular with the residents of Hawaii, the company also hopes to attract more tourists. Agreements were made with car rental companies in May that allowed their customers to take their rented cars aboard the ferry. Building up ridership is something Superferry will try to do as the winter season draws closer and closer. Superferry achieved 50% capacity in the summer and Fargo hopes they can bring in more riders so that they "can average loads of 500."

It may be somewhat of a challenge to market the ferry because marketing air service in Hawaii has more priority, according to Rex Johnson, the former executive director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. But even with this potential obstacle, Superferry is still determined to grow, as Superferry will take possession of its second ship in May 2009. Additionally, there are plans next year to start a new service serving Oahu and Hawaii's Big Island.

By Brian Cheung

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