super ferry

[shivaman]

Looks like that big sucker is going to happen. Just think(I know all the bad stuff that is going to happen to the out islands) but we will be able to ride with guys from different islands after a 3 hour boat ride with our bikes. :P

[Air Force 1]

I've been getting caught up on Hawaii news and saw that it's going to begin ops in July. $82 per person with a motorcycle. I'd pay $164 to ride in Kauai any day!

[kouaka]

The whole thing still looks quite dubious to me. For example for the Big Island: The trip from Oahu to Big Island will be 3+ hours. Unloading and loading will take at least 30 minutes. If they will - as advertised - let several hundred cars etc. on the ferry, that will take more than an hour to load.
Then, anybody living in Kona, or Hilo, will have to travel at least one hour, maybe two, to get to Kawaihae, and back.
So, just a one-way trip, will take anywhere from 5 to 7 hours, and the same back. If you want to ride for a day, you will need to book at least two nights hotel, and are gone for three days.
$ 82 for the ferry, $ 90 - $ 120 per night * 2, adds up to somewhere around $ 300.

If you fly, you can get flights now for $ 80 round trip pretty easy. Bike rental for 24 hours is $ 100 for locals. Adding transportation from the airport and back maybe another $ 40 - $ 60 (or you just hitchhike). which is less money, and you only spend a day.
I still don't see how the Ferry is going to work in Kawaihae. They are already having problems with the barges not being able to unload and being diverted to Hilo. The high surf often makes it challenging to load/unload in Kawaihae also. After 4 pm, traffic is getting backed up from the airport through Kona to Kealakekua, an approx. 18 mile long parking lot. If there would be an additional 500 or so vehicles on the road, it would be even worse. At that time, a trip from Kawaihae to Kona is about 75 minutes, going further south to Kealaekua is easily over two hours.

Maybe it will be better for Maui, with shorter roads and better location.

[MAUIBUILT]

I think I was told to get to the Big Island I would go to Oahu first. I'm still really interested in it but I think I'll wait a couple years.

[Stevess369]

Still in the n news and they plan to open the first leg on july 1. :)