Hawaii Super Ferry goes to Haiti

This is the strange story of the forgotten Hawaii Super Ferry, the High Speed Vessel (HSV) Huakai.  For those not familiar with this ferry, it was originally built to provide inter-island high speed ferry service for the Hawaiian Islands.  Hawaii Superferry built two aluminum catamarans at Austal USA in Mobile, AL.  Upon starting service in 2007, the company faced fierce protests from residents and environmentalists on Maui and Kauai, and was eventually ordered to suspend service until a environmental impact statement was completed.  The state legislature later passed a law allowing high speed vessels to operate between ports on the Hawaiian Islands.  The law was later ruled unconstitutional, and the Hawaiian Super Ferry ceased service for a second and final time.  The company went bankrupt several months later in May of 2009. The vessels were declared abandoned and repossessed by MARAD and remained laid up until now.  This completed the strange first chapter for the Hawaii Super Ferry.

The Haiti earthquake happened and brought an urgent need for high speed transportation of equipment and supplies to the desperate country immediately following the quake.  MARAD turned to its new high speed ferry for help.  Operated by Hornblower Marine Services (HMS), the Huakai crewed up, and proceeded to Haiti.  Third hand reporting described the service aboard the Huakai as sketchy at best, as the ferry was not originally designed to house a permanent crew.  Crew members set up tents on the main passenger deck and shared the one shower available aboard the ship.

Its service in Haiti was well documented on the HMS Haiti blog.  Check it out HERE.

Below is a slideshow of photos provided by the crew of the Huakai documenting what they saw in Haiti.  For once, the Huakai, although odly out of place, found no protests, no court orders blocking its passage, but simply sailed as she was designed to do, and to the service of at least two thankful nations.