The lengthy legal challenge that nearly scuttled the Hawaii Superferry also denied the company a summer launch, when it would have avoided two wintertime worries: humpback whales and rough seas.

Hawaii Superferry officials say they are well-prepared to handle both.

The catamaran design of the 350-foot Alakai and its advanced computerized ride control system are said to provide a stable, comfortable voyage, and the company's whale-avoidance policy includes dedicated on-board observers to spot approaching marine mammals.

But rough seas already have taken a toll on ferry facilities at Kahului Harbor, where a barge was moored to Pier 2C to enable vehicle loading and unloading.

A couple of steel cables holding the barge in place snapped about a month ago for unknown reasons. The state Department of Transportation's Harbors Division hired Healy Tibbitts to deal with the problem.

Then on Nov. 14, during the first big northeast swell of the season, a mooring chain installed by Healy Tibbitts broke and sheared a bollard, or mooring post, from the pier.

Deputy Harbors Director Michael Formby said backup "soft lines," or heavy ropes, kept the barge secured during both incidents and at no time did it break free.

However, when the chain broke, it created a gap between the barge and the pier, and as the barge moved with the swells, it bumped against the pier's fender system, damaging fenders and denting the barge. Tug boats moved the barge to Pier 2B, where the Alakai docks, so it would be a little more sheltered.

"The surprise was that the cable snapped the first time," Formby said.

It likely was caused by a combination of factors, he said, including ocean surges and wakes from other vessels in the harbor.

Under an operating agreement with the state, the Superferry is responsible for maintaining the barge. With the Superferry out of service at the time, there was no one around to monitor the platform, according to Formby.

The dents were "cosmetic" and did not affect the function of the barge, which will be moved back to Pier 2C and resecured by Friday, he said.

SOLUTION IN WORKS

Officials with Healy Tibbitts, Hawaii Superferry and DOT are working on an interim solution that includes more bollards and fenders, and use of soft lines that allow the barge to ride the surges when the ferry is not in port.

Formby said that just before the Alakai arrives, ferry workers will bring the barge snug to the pier, and then slacken the lines when it leaves.

A long-term solution may include an automated hydraulic winch system, he said.

"We knew from the beginning that this was going to be an ongoing process. Until you go through the winter season, you never know how it's going to perform," Formby said.

Kahului Harbor was built on the windward side of the island and its entrance opens to the sea. During large northeast swells, waves sometimes break across the harbor mouth.

In a good year, there are zero days when sea conditions disrupt vessel operations at the harbor, Formby said. In a bad year, it will happen a total of four days.

Hawaii Superferry Capt. Joe Curtis said he is confident the Alakai will not have problems connecting to the barge and ramp regardless of conditions in the harbor. He said the vessel, the largest aluminum vessel of its kind, is well-designed to handle Hawaiian waters, and that similar ferries are used around the globe.

"People say it's rough here in winter. Try off the coast of Maine going to Nova Scotia," he said.

Catamarans have a wider beam, the distance from one side of the boat to the other, which makes them more stable than single-hull ships.

Helping to stabilize the ride is the ferry's advanced computerized ride control system, which moves small wings on the hulls that work much like ailerons on an airplane's wing tips. The hull wings twist to counteract changes in pitch and roll, or up-and-down and side-to-side motion, respectively.

Hawaii Superferry will be using private weather forecaster Rick Shema to provide seven-day marine forecasts that "will give us a good handle on surge and wind speed," he said.

Still, no one is guaranteeing a seasick-free voyage, and the shipboard shop, the Calabash Store, will stock Dramamine and other remedies.

PROTECTING WHALES

Conditions imposed by Gov. Linda Lingle after she signed a law earlier this month allowing Hawaii Superferry to resume operations while environmental studies are conducted add little additional protection than the whale-avoidance policy already devised by the company.

An estimated 7,000 to 9,000 humpbacks migrate to Hawai'i in the winter months to mate, calve and socialize.

Dedicated on-board observers and the bridge crew will be the ferry's "primary tool" in detecting whale activity on the surface and avoiding collisions, said Terry O'Halloran, director of business development.

Lingle required the company to request that NOAA Fisheries provide additional observers. The request was made but it appears unlikely to result in any action.

"We responded and explained that NOAA Fisheries contracts to deploy fishery observers to collect catch and bycatch data from U.S. commercial fisheries, but that a similar program for deployment of observers on other types of vessels currently does not exist," said Chris Yates, head of NOAA Fisheries' Office of Protected Resources for the Pacific Islands Region. "Such a program would require significant time and resources to develop."

Yates said his agency provided the Superferry with contact information for contract observer providers, but O'Halloran indicated the company had not made any other arrangements for additional observers.

The ferry also has to apply for an incidental-take permit from NOAA Fisheries under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act, a process that includes an examination of potential conservation measures. The company submitted its application Nov. 5.

"We have conducted an initial review of that document and have responded to the Hawaii Superferry in writing outlining additional information needs," Yates said.

He said the agency remains concerned about the speed of the Superferry and other vessels. The Alakai has a cruising speed of 37 knots, or about 43 mph.

"NOAA Fisheries is concerned about the potential for ship-strikes from all vessels, including the Superferry. We have been engaged in this issue with partners at the (Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary) and (the state Department of Land and Natural Resources) for several years due to our concern that the operation of the Superferry may result in ship-strikes with protected species, particularly humpback whales," Yates said.

The company's whale-avoidance policy calls for speeds no greater than 25 knots while traveling through the sanctuary and in waters of 100 fathoms or less.

O'Halloran said the ferry will be using a route that sails north of Moloka'i and outside sanctuary boundaries, when sea and weather conditions permit. The route is preferred not only to avoid whale sanctuary waters but to provide stunning scenery of the Moloka'i coastline, he said.

The ferry also will use night-vision equipment, video cameras and shipboard radar to spot objects on the surface.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.