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Water Ways Ray Pendleton |
Superferry accounting
for whalesIn a column a couple of weeks ago, I pointed out a few of the benefits a newly proposed 300-foot catamaran Superferry might provide Hawaii's recreational boaters.
This ferry, with a planned startup date of 2006, may offer owners of trailered boats a way to fish off Kauai, Maui or the Kona Coast without making the often challenging channel crossings on their own.
As the Superferry would be capable of carrying large vehicles, an Oahu resident could just drive aboard in Honolulu Harbor and a few hours later, drive off in Nawiliwili, Kahului or Kawaihae and head for the nearest launching ramp.
Hawaii Superferry has adopted a logo showing an interstate road sign with the designation "Interisland H-4," because the company is planning on offering local drivers something they have never had -- the opportunity to drive their own vehicles from one end of the state to the other.
I can't help but wonder if this will spark future consumer interest here in motor homes, campers and trailer parks.
In my earlier column I also noted a potential conflict between a Superferry traveling at up to 48 mph and Hawaii's increasing winter population of humpback whales.
So for more information I recently spoke with Terry White -- one of the company's principals -- who provided details of Hawaii Superferry's efforts to address the problem.
To begin with, he said, issues involving whales were first identified during the company's initial discussions with researchers and ferry operators in late 2001.
Since then, White told me, his company has analyzed Hawaii whale research data, collected data from ferry operators around the world, studied catamaran ferry characteristics, researched on-board technology, and studied National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regulations.
From this effort, Hawaii Superferry has developed a strategy consisting of five elements:
>> To base its operation policy on the strictest NOAA regulations that include not approaching whales within 500 yards, and if a whale is identified within 500 yards, to steer away and slow down until clear of the area.
>> To alter its Maui and Big Island ferry routes during whale season to avoid Penguin Banks (the shallow waters west of Molokai), and to slow down at the 100-fathom line near all ports of call where whales tend to congregate.
>> To establish two dedicated whale lookouts during whale season -- one using visual techniques and one using electronic instruments -- along with the usual two watch officers on the bridge.
>> To provide redundant and complementary technologies such as automatic tracking and plotting radar, high power, image-stabilized binoculars, laser range/bearing/speed finders, large screen night vision monitors, and forward scanning fish-finders.
>> To avoid whales by identifying their presence beyond 500 yards and within 150 degrees off the vessel's bow.
There were also two facts that came out of the company's research that tend to be reassuring to anyone concerned for whale safety.
One was that catamaran ferries haven't had a history of whale collisions, even in whale-rich areas like New Zealand, and in 22 years of combined operations, Molokai ferries traveling in so-called "whale soup" at 20 to 28 knots have never reported an incident.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Ray Pendleton is a free-lance writer based in Honolulu.
His column runs Saturdays in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be reached by e-mail at raypendleton@mac.com.
