On June 30, 2007, the Hawaii Superferry's Ala- kai sailed into Honolulu Harbor to a big, warm welcome. Thousands lined beaches from Diamond Head to Downtown Honolulu to see the massive catamaran for the first time.

Dozens crowded viewing platforms at Aloha Tower to see it dock.

Yesterday, the Alakai got a much more subdued farewell. Around 3:30 p.m., the catamaran left Honolulu Harbor for a three-week journey to Alabama. Only a handful of people stood at Aloha Tower to wave goodbye to the ship — and its skeleton crew — as it pulled away from Pier 19 for what could be the last time.

"Bye!" shouted one woman, waving feverishly to the crew with one hand and snapping photos with the other.

The Hawaii Superferry suspended its Honolulu-Maui sailing this month after a state Supreme Court ruling forced it to stop running. The ruling invalidated a 2007 state law that allowed the ferry to operate without the completion of related environmental studies.

The Alakai is headed back to Mobile, Ala., which is home of the Austal USA shipyard where the high-speed catamaran was built. The 7,600-mile journey will take the ship through the Panama Canal, company officials said. Once the ship is in Alabama, Superferry officials plan to lease out the vessel for service in another locale while the state Department of Transportation completes environmental studies on ferry-related port upgrades.

In a news release yesterday, Hawaii Superferry said, "Alakai's move to Mobile is to position her for future employment. The company doesn't have a business opportunity in Hawai'i for the foreseeable future."

The shutdown of the Superferry caused the layoffs of some 236 employees. The company has not said whether the ship will return to Hawai'i.

The Superferry sailed its final voyage before stopping service on March 19. Some 290 passengers were on the Alakai for its trip to Maui, and 398 passengers made the return trip to Honolulu. The vessel is capable of carrying 836 people and 282 vehicles.

At Aloha Tower yesterday afternoon, residents express- ed mixed opinions on the Superferry's saga in the Islands — a tangle of legal battles and dueling protests.

Susan Nako of Makiki said she liked the idea of the Superferry.

But she said the ship wouldn't be leaving if the law had been followed in the first place.

"It's a shame that it's leaving the island," she said, while eating lunch with friends.

Others said they hoped the venture opened the doors to another ferry service.

"I hope it comes back, or something like it," said Kathy Carranza of Hawai'i Kai.

Scott Watschinger of Schofield Barracks said he was planning to take relatives visiting this week on the Superferry when he heard they were stopping service. He said the same trip by plane would cost him too much. Without the Superferry, he said, he's scrapping the Neighbor Island visit and will instead take his relatives on tours around O'ahu.

"It looks like just a lot of fun," he said wistfully as the Alakai prepared to leave.