INDEX - HAWAII TRANSPORTATION

www.islandbreath.org ID# 07-0921


SUBJECT: SUPERFERRY TURNED BACK

SOURCE: JUAN WILSON juanwilson@mac.com

POSTED: 28 AUGUST 2007 - 12:15pm HST

Kauai Surfers & Canoers eclipse Superferry

image above: Superferry tried to enter Nawiliwili harbor and was denied by surfers and canoers
All pictures courtesy of Carl Wright.

by Juan Wilson on 28 August 2007

Even with the threats of arrest and beefed up presence by the Coast Guard, the people of Kauai were able to stop and deny access for the Superferry to our island. The Coast Guard added a cutter and surveillance plane to their fleet of armed zodiac interceptors.

The strategy begun on Sunday won the day on Monday. More than double the crowd and quadruple the surfers met the ferry as it tried to enter past the break water. With more surfers, it was easier to string a defensive line across the inner channel. Several fast canoes worked the outside and could manuever fast enough to keep the ferry at bay.

Again, we achieved a standoff. On Sunday, after a long wait, the ferry used three zodiacs as a wedge, and blew past the thin line of surfers just as dusk fell.Not so Monday. They turned back the ship. The ferry backed down and was forced to stay in the outer channel waiting for clearance from the Coast Guard. It never came.

Kauai police were determined to arrest anyone in the water who returned to shore. As individual swimmers came back to the jetty there were a few arrests. But the crowd quickly realized that they could hide returning surfers' boards and give them "disguises" of dry clothing to confound the police.

One surfer told me he was in the water until 9:00pm. Finally, after hours of standoff the Superferry turned and went back to Oahu. Now that's a sweet victory. A shutout. A slam-dunk.

A few hours after the eclipse of the ferry, a darkness fell across the face of the full moon. Kauai was blessed by a spectacular full eclipse of the moon by the shadow of the earth (its umbra). A fitting end to the day.


Help back Hooser effort to halt Superferry
by Keone Kealoha on 28 August 2007 - 12:00pm

Let's back Senator Gary Hooser's call for Lingle, DOT, and the Attorney General's office to negotiate a halt to Superferry operations, in order to diffuse a potentially violent escalation to the protests on Kaua`i. Hooser's comments are quoted in today's Honolulu Advertiser; below is the full release I got from the Garden Island News. We can call these numbers to comment.

• Governor Lingle's office: 808-586-0034; Aide's offices: 808-586-0221

• Governor Lingle's senior policy advisor is Linda Smith : (808) 586-5330; her assistant Margaret: (808) 586-0027. She will be handing him a copy of Hooser's release today when he gets out of meetings.

• Department of Transportation Director's Assistant
phone: (808) 587-2150
email:
grace.ichikawa@hawaii.gov

• Attorney General Mark Bennett:
phone: (808) 586-1500
email:
hawaiiag@hawaii.gov

Thanks also to JoAnn Yukimura for her many powerful comments to the media!


Superferry Scheduled to Come Today
by Keone Kealoha on 28 August 2007 - 11:30am

Talked with Gov office – no official comment at this time; mentioned Sunday travelers are still ‘stranded’ on Kaua’i and that is a concern; directed me to contact Harbor Masters and Coast Guard for more info.

Contacted O’ahu Harbor Master (808-587-2070) - they have the HSF schedule to depart today. The man I spoke with said they currently have no demonstration on O’ahu.

There could be a more organized O’ahu support team. Do we have Sierra, Surfrider or other Environmental branches that might support? This would be good media and a good solidarity move, showing signs of a growing voice. Sen. Hooser would likely be there to support as well if on O’ahu today.

Contacted Nawiliwili Harbor Master Bob Crowell's office at 808-241-375 Annabel answered and stated that the HSF has a permit to come and they have received no word stating otherwise.

Contacted Coast Guard Command Ctr (on O’ahu) 808-541-2450. Talked with Lt. Cutler. He said they enforce security zones around cruise ships and HSF. He would not comment on what assets were recently assigned to Kaua’i but I got the sense they the assets are not being called down or back. He said they are very busy on Kaua’i and they may not even talk with callers at this time.Sounds like it’s on from what I’ve been hearing. You have any friends on O’ahu that would go down with a sign or two?


 


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see also:
Island Breath: Plea to Reps and TRO 8/27/07
Island Breath: Battles One & Two 8/23/07
Island Breath: Boycott the Superferry 8/17/07
Island Breath: Superferry Preparations 8/10/07
Island Breath: Hui-R Superferry Meeting 7/26/2007
Island Breath: Not So Super Ferry 7/24/07
Island Breath: Superferry Invasion 7/22/07
Island Breath: Superferry Noise 7/18/07
Island Breath: Suoerferry Delayed 5/25/07
Island Breath: Still No Superferry EIS 3/31/07
Island Breath: Superferry EIS Effort 3/25/2007
Island Breath: Superferry EIS Bill hearings 2/26/07
Island Breath: Superferry Promotion 2/24/07
Island Breath: Superferry Launched 1/28/07
Island Breath: Superferry in Trouble
12/12/006
Island Breath: Superferry Reference
11/6/06
Island Breath: Superferry Resistance
11/1/06
Island Breath: Superferry & Military
10/13/06
Island Breath: Superferry History
10/3/06
Island Breath: Stop the Superferry
8/29/06
Island Breath: Superferry Meetings
8/13/06
Island Breath: Superferry Redux
6/23/06
Island Breath: Superferry Problems
11/14/04


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