Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste believes it will take many more months before the Hawaii Superferry returns to Nawiliwili Harbor, where protestors blocked the ship’s entrance in August of last year.

“Really (it) looks to us like it won’t be until the second ship comes on line, unless something drastically changes,” said Baptiste.

Hawaii Superferry expects to take delivery of a second vessel in 2009. The company says there is still no timetable to resume service to Kauai.

“My concerns are more for the social aspects between the people who want it and the people who don’t want it,” said Baptiste, who spoke to Khon2 at an unrelated informational briefing at the state Capitol Tuesday. “It’s causing a huge chasm in between our people.”

Hawaii Superferry officials have always maintained the company’s business model depends on running two trips per day, but getting a second daily voyage on the books has proven problematic.

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(Source: KHON 2)