A firm date for start-of-service is still not set, but Terry O'Halloran, director of business development, told The Maui News that passenger and vehicle trips are planned to begin around the end of August. The Alakai and its crew are completing certification reviews by the Coast Guard.

Superferry is taking reservations for voyages beginning Sept. 5 and O'Halloran said sales are "very, very strong," without offering any numbers. The Superferry is designed to carry 866 passengers and more than 200 vehicles, including large vans and trucks.

At Kahului Harbor Tuesday, Duane Kim was still wearing his project manager hat, but he will turn into the Maui operations manager in a few weeks.

He is overseeing completion of perimeter fencing for the passenger terminal area this week and waiting for Maui Electric Co. to bring permanent power to the end of Pier 2 where there will be a covered passenger waiting area as well as a vehicle staging lot next to the massive docking barge set in place at the end of the pier.

Later Tuesday, Kim made a presentation to the Kahului Kiwanis Club, where one member wondered whether the commercial aspect of the ferry might swamp the passenger side of the business. Kim had said that Superferry "is going to change the way people do business in the islands."

Kim replied that Hawaii Superferry's focus has always been passengers. The venture expects that businesses will use the ferry mostly on weekdays, while travelers will be riding mostly on weekends. So the fit, he said, should be good.

As for price, when the ferry announced its intentions in 2004, it said it would be half the cost of an interisland air ticket.

Much has happened since then, including an airfare war that has startup go! virtually giving away tickets, and a big jump in the price of diesel fuel.

Superferry's prices are now above some airfares, although O'Halloran argues that by traveling on off-peak days, booking 14 days in advance and taking advantage of discounts for seniors, veterans and other breaks, a family will still break even on bargain airfares if their stay on Oahu lasts three days.

With a fuel surcharge, a one-way ticket currently is $78 — $62 for the base price and $16 for the surcharge.

Eventually, O'Halloran predicts the "silly" airfare situation will settle out and the ferry will be cheaper than air.

Kim told the Kiwanians that the ferry is what it is, customers will have to decide which deal they like better.

As the start date gets closer, the ferry is adding more details about how it will operate.

On Tuesday, Kim showed off three vans that will be used to carry walk-on passengers from the receiving gate on Puunene Avenue to the pierhead. It would be a half-mile walk otherwise.

Superferry has two 14-passenger vans and one that can carry up to three wheelchairs or scooters to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

O'Halloran said that on visitor day in Honolulu recently, he was struck by the number of people on three-wheel scooters. He said they had no trouble getting around the ship.

Besides worrying about whether the Superferry would be too successful, Kiwanians wondered about longer voyages during whale season, exactly how the schedule would work for a family wanting to take a quick weekend jaunt to Oahu and whether canoe clubs would be able to move their canoes interisland on the ferry.

Kim admitted that with children in school, a weekend trip might have to be pretty short, at least until the second ferry arrives in 2009.

On a Saturday, departure from Kahului would be at 11 a.m. with arrival on Oahu by 2 p.m. That wouldn't leave much time in Honolulu if the family had to get kids in school Monday morning, because that would require a departure from Pier 19 at 6:30 a.m. Sunday.

Otherwise, leaving at 6:30 on a Monday morning would get Mauians back home by 9 a.m.

Kim said the schedule would be more attractive for families with small children.

As for racing canoes, which can be up to 50 feet long, Superferry is still studying whether they can safely navigate the turns and inclines required to load and unload. Discussions with canoe clubs have begun.