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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Second Superferry in water on budget; sea trials follow

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

The second of two aluminum-hulled catamaran fast ferries built at Austal USA for Hawaii Superferry Inc. is moved into drydock for its launch Monday in Mobile, Ala. It's 20 feet longer than the first ferry.

MIKE KITTRELL | Press-Register via AP

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MOBILE, Ala. — Hawaii Superferry's second catamaran, which is destined to link Honolulu and the Big Island next year, is nearing completion.

The new vessel left Austal USA's ship shed on the Mobile River into floating dry dock Monday, with Austal President Joe Rella calling the launch "ahead of schedule and on budget."

The vessel, which has not yet been named, will head back to Austal for final work before sea trials begin later this year.

Austal reported it is ahead of schedule on its contracted March delivery date, and on budget for "the largest aluminum catamaran vessel delivered in the U.S."

The vessel is about 20 feet longer than its sister ship, the 350-foot Alakai, because of a stern ramp added for military use.

Built at a cost of $95 million, the Alakai can carry more than 800 passengers and 200 vehicles.

It began serving Kaua'i and Maui from Honolulu on Aug. 26, 2007. The following day, protesters on Kaua'i prevented the vessel from docking, despite a 100-yard security zone set up around the ferry by the U.S. Coast Guard. The company then voluntarily stopped the Honolulu-Kaua'i run, and has yet to resume the service.

The Honolulu-Maui service also got off to a rocky start, with the company battling legal and environmental issues. It resumed daily service last December and has since added a second run four days a week.

Austal landed the two-vessel, $190 million deal in April 2004. Initial plans had called for up to five ferries to ply the waters of Hawai'i.