MARCH 6, 2004 - HONOLULU, HI: The "Spirit of Ontario I" super ferry sailed into Honolulu Harbor this weekend for a preview look of what the new "Hawaii Superferry" will be like.

The Hawaii Superferry will be an interisland ferry boat service that will enable businesses, residents and visitors to not only bring themselves, but also their vehicles on trips to the neighbor islands. Hawaii Superferry is also the name of the firm that will be operating two 340 foot long by 80 ft. wide ocean-going "semi SWATH" type catamaran type vessels. The Hawaii Superferry will be built in Mobile, Alabama by ferry ship builder Austral USA.

Our private tour took us aboard the "Spirit of Ontario I" which is a smaller ferry that will sail in Lake Ontario between Canada and the United States. The ship is on its delivery voyage from Australia.

The "Spirit" is most impressive with its airline-type of seating through most of the coach and business class decks. Large windows will offer stunning views of the Hawaiian Islands and the ocean scapes that the ferry will sail through. Amenities include an onboard restaurant, bar, entertainment center, computer workstation area, and a children's playroom. The vessel is powered by 4 40,000 HP diesel engines and features a state of the art bridge and control room.

Two decks will hold about 200 vehicles including passenger cars and large trucks.

Once the Hawaii ferries go into service, pricing will be competitive with the airlines at around $45 per person. Extra charges will be applied to vehicles. Travel time between Oahu and Maui will be about 3 hours. A trip to the Big Island of Hawaii will take about four and a half hours. The Hawaii Superferry is scheduled to enter service in late 2006.

This story also appears in Hawaii Reporter.com - March 10, 2004

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