Leaving Honolulu

My wife and I took a weekend trip to Maui.  She had to work on Friday so she flew to Maui while I took the SuperFerry over to Maui.  I wasn't even sure if the SuperFerry was going to leave due to the bad weather on Oahu.   Thursday's SuperFerry run was canceled because the seas were too choppy.   I was due to sail out on Friday afternoon.  There is also a 6am SuperFerry departure, but that's WAAAAY too early for me.

The SuperFerry regulations recommend arriving at the port 90 minutes prior to departure if you have a car.  I had a 3pm departure so I arrived at the port around 1:45 pm.  The inspection process is fairly thorough.  An attendant checks the tickets to ensure they're correct.  You're then directed to a second attendant who inspects your driver's license, vehicle registration and safety inspection documents.   If any of those aren't in order, you're not getting on the boat.  Next, you pull forward to a different attendant who inspects the vehicle - inside and out.  Your car must be clean - no caked on dirt on the car, even in the wheel wells.  The interior is inspected for seeds, dirt, etc..  If you don't pass inspection you must leave and get your car cleaned.  Then you have to go back in line at the beginning.  Thus, if you plan on taking the SuperFerry, clean your car first.

My car passed all required checks and I was good to go.  When the SuperFerry was ready, people and vehicles entered the SuperFerry.  It was a very efficient process and everything was loaded quickly.  We left on schedule at 3:30pm with a tentative arrival time into Maui at 7pm.   Perfect, because my wife's plane was due to arrive in Maui at 6:50 pm.

The seas were choppy and this caused many people to vomit along the way.  I'm fortunate to have good equilibrium and I don't get seasick.  The SuperFerry is spacious and comfortable.  I would be exaggerating if I said that it was only 25% filled.  Many empty seats.  The boat has a bar, a food concession and a gift shop.  There are also many flat screen TVs throughout the boat.

I had been looking forward to getting some good photos along the way, especially since I would be traveling at sunset.  These plans were dashed due to the rough seas and cloudy skies.  The lighting was poor and the choppy water made it difficult to take any sharp photos.  The weather didn't really get any better until we were around East Molokai.  Oh well.

The SuperFerry got into Kahalui, Maui on schedule at 7pm.  My car was off the boat at 7:05.  Once again, very efficient.  I drove 5 minutes from the dock to the airport, picked up my wife and we drove 40 minutes to the Sheraton Hotel in Lahaina.