Save Paddling in Kahului Harbor
See what's up at SaveKahuluiHarbor.com. Find out about the impacts of Cruise Ships, the Superferry on our State.
Latest news: A Maui Department of Harbors employee just promised Norweigen Cruise Lines berths at Kahului Harbor for the next TEN (10) years...without any consultation with the Mayor's office, without any EIS, without any discussion of a sane booking policy.
What does this mean? 43% of increased dock space for the next 10 years is going to NCL - that's more than all our freight carriers combined. Our freighters will be forced to wait offshore while NCL's giant floating hotels (who don't pay any transient taxes to us, whose pitifully small wharfage fees don't cover the expenses of docking) will be hogging the piers for 35 hours at a time SIX (6) days a week.
Maui Groups asking the courts to make Superferry do an EIS so they can tell us what their solutions to the Pu'unene/Ka'ahumanu traffic, Young Brothers and Canoe clubs have been turned down. Superferry CEO, Garibaldi, claims that they'll come up with solutions later. Since the ferry is slated for operation in 18 months, this claim seems a bit, um... optimistic.
What you can do: Write or email your legislators and tell them that Harbors has to withdraw NCL's docking bookings for anything beyond one year. We need a policy that puts freight before cruise ships.
New Rules for Kahului Harbor
We can no longer go in the inner harbor where the boats dock even when there are no boats there. ($25,000 fine). And we must stay at least 100 yards away from all cruise ships, fuel barges and military ships. ($25,000 fine). We cannot go east of the line which extends from the small green house on the pier closest to the canoe hales (Pier 2) to the green buoy at the mouth of the harbor ($25,000 fine). We must be completely out of the turning basin (e.g. on the beach or wall side of the red buoys) whenever a ship/barge is entering or leaving the harbor.
The harbors division is faxing or emailing us the barge schedule and has made available the cruise ship schedules so that we will not be caught in the turning basin when a ship is moving. These schedules are posted at Na Kai 'Ewalu's hale and are available here. Apparently some hotdoggers on kayaks or OC-1's were trying to race the barge a couple weeks ago and got us all in trouble. The Harbor master is doing his best to work with us and still keep the Feds happy, so it is respectfully requested that everyone do their best not to cause incidents with the ships.
In the event that you find yourself at the mouth of the harbor when a ship is unexpectedly entering or leaving, safety is your highest concern. Do not try to outrun or cross in front of a ship -- they simply cannot manoever or stop fast enough. In this case duck behind the green buoy and hug the wall to the east of it, and hope that the Coast Guard is merciful to you for breaking the security zone.
Clubs - let the paddlers know what's up. Email the webmaster with your info on practice times, fundraisers, contact info, race dates etc. If you would like a free club page designed and kept updated for your club contact the webmaster.
Paddlers - looking for just one more person to make a full crew? Post on our hookup page. Also check out the buy/sell page. It's free to list for individuals.
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