I've been remiss in blogging about the ongoing Saga of the Superferry. A lickety-split Hawaii State Legislature session churned out a law specifically designed to answer a court injunction won by ferry opponents that had convinced a Hawaii State Court judge to stay departures of the vessels from Kahului, which was a key point of departure for the ships. A protest of surfers and paddlers in Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai blocked the boat there, causing a PR blackeye that could be reopened when the vessels sets course for the Garden Isle again. The ferry will resume service on Dec. 6. Activists have promised a show of protest. The U.S. Coast Guard is ready to haul trangressors out of the water.

It all makes great political theater, even if the Superferry remains pretty dang expensive compared to flying thanks to the ongoing airwar between Go!, Hawaiian and Aloha in the interisland skies. Early rumors had held that the USCG was going to close the harbor on Kauai to all traffic save the ferry, thereby shutting out protesters or forcing them to choose between a more serious legal violation and their favorite pique du jour. That whipped the opposition folks into a frenzy, which subsided when the USCG said it had no such plans. Anyway, stay tuned for more on this topic.

—Alex, 12/03/07