Hawaii Superferry Alakai Heading to Haiti

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced that the Alakai, a combined cargo and passenger ship built for ferry service in the Hawaiian Islands, will be headed for Haiti for relief duty. The ship will be crewed with U.S. civilian mariners.

“This ship will help our relief workers on the ground by allowing quick movements of people in and out of Haiti from various staging points,” said LaHood. “It is another example of why our country’s merchant marine is so important.”

The Alakai is a high-speed passenger and vehicle ferry, originally built for service in the Hawaiian Islands. It is capable of carrying up to 866 passengers, as well as relief cargo at a top speed of nearly 40 knots in the open ocean. It is currently undergoing preparations to leave its current location in Norfolk, Va.