Voyager's two submarines to be auctioned on Internet
By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer
The yellow tour submarines that disappeared off Kewalo Basin are back in the water these days, but only to give potential buyers test rides.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
In a sign of continuing troubles in Hawai'i's No. 1 industry, an Internet auction Wednesday will feature Voyager Submarines Hawaii's two subs and six support boats.
Sergei Chechin inspects a banner on Voyager I promoting the Web site that has the details about next week's auction.
The auction is the latest in a series of fire sales for once-promising local tourism businesses. American Classic Voyages had its own auction last month.
Voyager used to offer underwater rides off Waikiki Beach, battling sub-to-sub against Atlantis Submarines Hawaii LP.
"They competed with each other and drove the price down, which was good for the consumers but not for business," said Mark Glen, owner of Mark Glen auctions, which is handling the online auction. Voyager stopped operating in July.
The subs, which cost $3.8 million to build in the early 1990s, can carry 48 passengers and dive to 300 feet. To operate legally in U.S. waters, a sub pilot must qualify for a Coast Guard merchant mariner's license, with an endorsement to operate submersibles.
Despite the relatively hefty price tags and operating requirements, the subs have drawn widespread interest. Potential buyers from Indonesia, South Korea, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia and even Israel have made inquiries or scheduled test rides, Glen said. Most are interested in starting or expanding their submarine tour businesses.
But some dot-com moguls also have expressed interest.
"They're the kind of people who like to have their own subs," Glen said. "They'll spend a couple of million dollars on a crew and you, too, can take your friends for a ride."
