Cruise ship's Moloka'i stop off
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
This week's scheduled visit to Moloka'i by the ms Statendam was canceled yesterday after the cruise ship altered its course to rescue three crew members of a yacht who were in distress.
Holland America Line spokeswoman Rose Abello said the rescue caused the Statendam to lose a day of sailing toward Hawai'i and the decision was made to drop Wednesday's call to Moloka'i because of the uncertainties of the weather and the port.
"It's disappointing,'' Abello said. "We have a long history of successfully getting into the other ports. Based on what happened on (Dec. 28), when we were unable to get into the (Moloka'i) port, we wanted to reduce the chances of being turned away because of the weather.''
The decision averted another showdown with Moloka'i residents who don't want cruise ships to stop on the Friendly Isle, fearing damage to environmental and cultural resources.
Abello said the next scheduled stop to Moloka'i, on April 15, remains on the ship's itinerary.
More than 150 people demonstrated against the Statendam's initial scheduled visit, but windy weather prompted a decision to avoid the risk of shuttling passengers into Kaunakakai Harbor in choppy seas and instead bypass the island.
Colette Machado, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee who helped to organize the protests, said she was happy the Statendam wouldn't be making its call on Wednesday.
"I don't know what we're going to do with our new shirts, banners and signs,'' she said. "It's real interesting how things work out.''
Machado said the delay would allow foes to continue lobbying the Legislature and the Hawai'i Tourism Authority for tougher cruise ship regulations.
The rescue took place after the Coast Guard received a distress signal from a 45-foot private yacht, the Enchantment from Newport, Calif., early yesterday and sent a C-130 search plane northwest of the islands, said Tyler Johnson, Coast Guard chief petty officer.
The boat was located 1,000 miles northwest of Hawai'i at 12:35 p.m., and the Statendam, which was cruising in the region, was asked to alter its course to pick up the three men, who had abandoned ship into a smaller sailboat, Johnson said.
The cruise ship found the men at 4:27 p.m. in 25-foot seas. All three passengers, one of whom was a diabetic without medication, were safely transferred to the Statendam without incident and were being treated on board, officials said.
The men are captain Terry Tupper, 57, William McQuistin, 52, and James Casey, 45, the Coast Guard said.
"We are extremely proud of the seamanship of the officers and crew of the ms Statendam," Stein Kruse, Holland America's senior vice president of fleet operations said in a statement. "The three gentlemen are in good spirits. They will sail with the ship to Honolulu.''
The 720-foot ms Statendam, a luxury cruise liner, carries 1,258 passengers and 560 crew. The Enchantment was on its maiden voyage from California to Honolulu.
The Statendam, which left San Diego on Tuesday, originally was scheduled to call in Hilo, Honolulu, Nawiliwli on Kaua'i, Kaunakakai, Lahaina and Kona before sailing back to San Diego, arriving on Jan. 30. The ship will now call in Honolulu Jan. 20, Nawiliwli Jan. 21; Lahaina Jan. 22, Kona Jan. 23 and Hilo Jan. 24.
"Although we will have guests disappointed about the missed call to Moloka'i, we are certain that they understand the need for this schedule change," David A. Giersdorf, Holland America's senior vice president for marketing and sales, said in a statement.
