Ferry business holds steady one year later
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
LAHAINA, Maui — Today marks one year since the Moloka'i-to-Maui ferry was relaunched without the government subsidies it relied on during the 1980s and 1990s.
Timothy Hurley • The Honolulu Advertiser
Dave Jung, president and general manager of Sea Link of Hawai'i Inc., plans to give the venture at least one more year.
In addition to commuters, the Moloka'i Princess also takes people on half-day trips to Maui.
So far, he said, income has been flat.
"We're like a fisherman,'' Jung said. "We're still waiting for that big catch.''
Demand for commuter ridership has been steady. The number of Moloka'i residents taking the daily 90-minute one-way cruise to Lahaina averages 15 to 20, the same as the first month of operation.
The company also has been running sightseeing voyages to Moloka'i, offering tour packages for $149.
"We're pushing to see more support on the promotional end of Moloka'i,'' Jung said.
The biggest challenge is the dock at Lahaina Harbor. There are times, Jung said, when the ferry must wait offshore for as long as a half-hour while cruise ship tenders are accommodated or scuba tanks are unloaded from dive tour boats.
Jung said harbor agents are merely following a policy that seeks to satisfy all of the harbor's users, but he feels the ferry should have priority because timely service is critical.
"It's like flying on an airline to a Neighbor Island and having to circle the airport for a half-hour,'' he said. "All we need is 15 minutes to unload.''
Jung said he's hoping to get some help from state lawmakers.
Kevin Kimizuka of the Maui Branch of the state Department of Labor's Workforce Development Division said Jung has gone beyond the call of duty in offering the ferry service.
"He's sacrificed a whole lot of time and money,'' he said.
Kimizuka said the ferry has contributed to lessening unemployment on Moloka'i. In March 2001, the unemployment rate was 13.3 percent; this March it was 6.1 percent.
Moloka'i Visitors Association Director Sandy Beddow also offered praise.
"It's been wonderful,'' she said. "We're really, really happy with what's been going on.''
Beddow said the 149-passenger Moloka'i Princess has been bringing 65 to 90 people a day for half-day visits, and many of the island's vendors and businesses have benefited.
Sea Link charges commuters $15 per round-trip ticket. Rates for the public are $40 one way for adults and $20 for children. A book of six tickets costs $185.
The previous Moloka'i ferry, also operated by Jung, shut down in 1996 after a $300,000 annual state contract was canceled in a budget-tightening move.
