billso.com

My readers who don’t live in the state of Hawaii probably haven’t heard much about the Hawaii Superferry. I won’t bore them with the details. Yesterday, the Superferry announced it was suspending its Kauai service indefinitely, according to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

But the Economist published an article about this affair this week. That article was republished in the print edition of the Star-Bulletin’s Sunday editorial page.

That’s a bad sign. The Economist, a well-respected current affairs magazine with a worldwide audience, is questioning Hawaii’s ability to deal with change. This a weekly magazine that CEOs and top government officials read regularly in its print and web editions.

The Economist frames the Superferry debacle in the context of the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Summit, which just concluded. The Honolulu Advertiser discussed the summit today, and I participated in the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce’s meeting on sustainability last Thursday.

The Advertiser published its own front page story today about the growing divide among the islands. The Superferry debate is only the most recent tipping point that has set neighbors against each other. It’s more than politics or business.

I just have one question.

If the Superferry traveled a regular route between Maui and Kauai without ever docking on Oahu, would there still be protesters, lawsuits and general governmental chaos?

Maybe the Superferry wouldn’t make as much revenue with that route – but they’re not making any money right now.

Keep the comments polite, please.

Last Saturday we took a tour of the Superferry, and I took a few pictures for this blog. The Alakai arrived in Honolulu in early July and remains docked at Pier 19 while the Coast Guard does its final inspections of the vessel. About 4000 people participated in the event, according to this article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

The main cabin is spacious and well-lit. The cafe section has plenty of tables. Voyages can range from 4 to 6 hours, and that’s plenty of time to grab a snack and talk story.

Most of the interior seating in the main cabin is located away from the windows. There are flat-screen displays mounted throughout the cabin. During the tour, the monitors showed a video that must have been shot while the Alakai sailed to Honolulu. On a regular voyage, the monitors will display interesting ocean sights captured by the ship’s video cameras.

There is a spacious first-class cabin on the bow. It costs an extra US$20 a seat. I wonder if the Superferry’s staff will be diligent about keeping the main cabin customers out of the premium areas. I’ve rarely seen flight attendants tell people to return to the main cabin, although that warning is a standard part of the safety briefing these days.

Plenty of amenities, but there’s something missing

First class is the only place where I saw accessible AC outlets, and these were few and far between. We saw perhaps 4 or 5 work carrels in this cabin. At least the few outlets that we found didn’t have a meter attached to them, as they now do at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Anyone who wants to watch a movie on their laptop needs to board the Superferry early or make sure they charged their battery.

There’s no evidence that the Superferry will offer Internet access during voyages, either.

According to an article in yesterday’s Honolulu Advertiser, two court cases regarding the ferry’s environmental impact are due to be heard soon.

While I’m glad we got a chance to see the Alakai, it seems that the Superferry’s management had planned for a smaller event:

1. There were no souvenirs available. No free pens. No t-shirts. No hats. Even the boat’s gift shop was closed! This seems like a missed opportunity to get the brand and logo out to the most interested members of the public.
2. The boat seemed short-staffed. Most of the employees were leading very quick tours of the vessel. It was hard to find anyone who could answer a question or two.
3. While the Superferry is taking reservations online and by telephone, I couldn’t find anyone who was taking Superferry reservations during the event. All those willing customers right on board the boat, and no money changing hands?
4. There is no passenger parking at Pier 19. If you want to ride the Superferry without taking your car on board, then take a cab or have a friend drop you at the pier. I hope that the Superferry adds those tips to their walk-on passengers page soon. Most of the tour groups were shuttled in from downtown Honolulu courtesy of the Superferry, and a shuttle service from a remote parking lot might be a good side business.
5. I didn’t see any rental car counters at Pier 19. Perhaps riders should call Enterprise if they need a rental car to pick them up!

Tech: The New York Times > Technology > AOL Engineer Sold 92 Million Names to Spammer, U.S. Says: ” software engineer for America Online stole the Internet provider’s customer list — some 92 million names — and sold it to an on-line marketer, setting off a torrent of unsolicited commercial e-mail commonly known as spam, federal authorities said today. The engineer, Jason Smathers, 24, of Harpers Ferry, W. Va., and the on-line marketer, Sean Dunaway, 21, of Las Vegas, Nev., were charged with conspiracy and face prison terms of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 if convicted, said David N. Kelley, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York.”