Despite court threats and some protestors, Hawaii’s $95 million Superferry started offering the first passenger ferry service between the islands.
The boats filled up with passengers paying a discount fare of $5.
The boat’s maiden run was a three-hour voyage to Maui.
More than 500 passengers and crew, and 150 cars, were aboard when the four-deck, blue-and-white vessel emblazoned with manta rays pulled away from the dock to a chorus of cheers, said the AP.
Choppy water and strong wind between the islands have scuttled previous attempts at interisland ferry services with much smaller ships, according to the AP.
“Even in seemingly calm seas, the Alakai swayed at times, causing some passengers to become nauseous as the ferry passed the green, rugged mountains of Molokai and Lanai,” it said.
Passengers can pass the time by watching sports events on high-definition TV or browse for souvenirs in a gift shop.
Before the ferry, the only way to travel among the Hawaiian Islands was with highly competitive local airlines now engaged in a fare war.
Report by David Wilkening
