Hawaii Superferry To Run In Canada

The vessel, which was renamed the USNS Puerto Rico, will go between Maine and Nova Scotia.

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The Hawaii Superferry will be back in action this summer, taking passengers and vehicles between Maine and Nova Scotia, according to an Associated Press story Thursday.

The 349-foot catamaran was initially built in 2007 for high-speed travel between Oahu, Kauai and Maui, but the company folded in 2009 and the U.S. Navy took the vessel.

The ship had been renamed the USNS Puerto Rico but will be called the CAT when it starts operations in June.

Bay Ferries, based in Canada, struck a two-year deal with the Navy to lease the ship at a cost of $3.4 million annually with an option to renew, according to the AP.

The Hawaii Legislature is moving forward with a bill that would require the Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study of establishing an interisland ferry system again. Senate Bill 2618 cleared the House Transportation Committee last week, and now awaits a hearing in the Finance Committee.

Read the full AP story here.

The Superferry Alakai, shown at Pier 19, sailed between Maui and Oahu between 2007 and 2009.
The Superferry’s Alakai, shown at Pier 19, sailed between Maui and Oahu between 2007 and 2009. Flickr: Bill Sodeman

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