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Superferry Ride Sickens Passengers; Damages Cars
Written by Tina Chau – tchau@kgmb9.com
Monday, January 05, 2009 10:19 PM
The Hawaii Superferry is no stranger to rough waters. Footage shows it plowing through choppy surf near Molokai last winter. The same thing happened Sunday. Rough conditions roughed-up the ferry and passengers on the way from Oahu to Maui.
“The boat was raised high into the air and slapping the bottom onto the ocean,” said one passenger who didn’t want to be identified.
That passenger said, she and more than half the passengers were vomiting at the end of the three hour trip.
Superferry confirmed it was rough and windy. Vehicles on the bottom deck shifted and 13 of them had minor damage. The company says the ferry itself is okay — this time.
But after that trip just off Molokai, the ferry had to stop sailing because of damage to the ship’s auxiliary rudders. Repairs were made but then two weeks later, the ferry was forced to go into dry dock to further strengthen the vessel.
Superferry says this is the first time cars have shifted so much during a trip. They have contacted passengers affected and in the future, the company says it’ll tie down cars during usually rough weather.