i L i n d . n e t

Today’s reporting on the return of the Superferry is quite interesting. The Honolulu dailies both provided lukewarm accounts including the obligatory quote or two from happy passengers.

From the Star-Bulletin:

Walk-on passengers arriving at Pier 19 in Honolulu from Kahului said except for rough seas off Maui, the trip went smoothly.

“It was a great trip, great crew, great service,” said Larry Jellen, 64, of Waikiki, who sailed round trip with his brother, Tom, 68, of Cleveland. Jellen said a third of the passengers got sick, according to an employee on board. “Going over was a little bumpy, but coming back was smooth.”

Okay. Great trip, a little bumpy.

The Advertiser reports:

New Yorker Rajnikant Ray and his family found out about the ferry service yesterday while walking around in Waikiki.

“It cost us $267 for six of us,” Ray said. “It’s a chance to enjoy another island.”

You have to turn to the Maui News for the real goods. One passenger provide a capsule description:

“It was one of the most miserable rides I’ve ever had,” said Kim Lane of Seattle. “

The article goes on:

Passengers arriving in Kahului said many of them were puking during the ride.

“The crew was really trying to keep things clean, but there were vomit bags all over the place,” said passenger Monica Bishop in describing her ferry ride.

“You open the bathroom door and there’s puke on the sink,” said Brian Driscoll, a ferry rider from Fargo, N.D., who said he was among those who avoided illness.

“There were sick people all over the place,” he said.

Lane quickly added that Superferry crew members were friendly and cheerful, despite showing signs of seasickness themselves.

“It was really, really rough. . . . It was so bad you thought you were going to fall out of your chairs,” said Bishop, who rode the ferry with her husband, Doug, and four children. The family plans to move from Oahu to Maui and decided to use the next week and a half looking for a place to live on the Valley Isle.

Immediately after coming ashore, a Bishop son declared he would not return to Oahu on the ferry. He eventually relented after his father, a former sailor, agreed to ride it again despite Monday’s bumpy sail.

And this report came from Brad on Maui via e-mail:

Offloading from Oahu: Less than 15 cars (I counted 12 and an onboard reporter also mentioned 12 to a Maui Tomorrow rep). Offloading 40 people with at least 5 visible staying on the vessel for a total of about 45 people. Disembarking included 1 dog, 1 car packed to the gills, and at least 1 regular commercial customer.

Onloading from Maui: 15 cars, 1 motorcycle. Could not count people onloading, but company reporting has averaged 3 people per car in the past…for an estimate of 45 people onloading.

The company would have incurred at least $15,000 to $20,000 of fuel expenses uncovered by revenue on the round trip today.

KGMB9 and KHON were on the vessel filming. Should have reports from them on TV tonight.
KPOA and Maui TV News were filming onshore and should have reports from them online soon.

KHON reporter reported to have gotten seasick, and their cameraman did not feel good, but did not report getting seasick. KGMB9 evening news reported some passengers getting seasick in what were relatively calm seas, [B-O-M Level 3, Beaufort Force 5].

If you’re puzzled by the B-O-M reference, here’s a hint–remember the Barf-O-Meter scale?

I also noted this quote down at the bottom of the Star-Bulletin story:

O’Halloran said the Superferry’s projected average load is 400 passengers and 110 vehicles one way.

“At that load factor, this is a viable business,” he said.

So is the inverse also true? If they can’t reach that projected load factor, it simply isn’t a viable business? And wasn’t that initial load factor computed long before the days of $100+ per barrel oil? Have they recomputed the break-even load factor for today’s actual economic conditions?

Over at the Legislature, it’s politics as usual. No, I’m not talking battles over plastic bags, genetic modification, or ceded lands. It’s the session ending staff party that grabbed the spotlight yesterday.

Last week, a joint Senate-House party was announced. Venue–The Pearl Nightclub at Ala Moana, $25 per person, two drinks included, with both House and Senate contacts announced for purchasing tickets.

Then yesterday morning came an email from Rep. Pono Chong overturning the joint planning.

We will be having our House Staff Party on April 30, 2008 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Hukilau’s in the Executive Center. This will be in lieu of the joint senate/house staff party emailed earlier. We apologize for the confusion. The cost will be $25 per person. The ticket covers food and two drinks. Also there will be good door prizes.

Venue? Hukilau’s downtown in Executive Center. Also $25. “Cash preferred or checks made out to CASH”

Sorry for the confusion, but I expect a wave of defections as House staffers opt for The Pearl.

The politics behind Chong’s attempt to enforce the House-Senate divide were not made explicit.