In a Norwegian Cruise Line building in Copenhagen, Denmark, there is a simulator that puts captains and pilots at the helm of the 965-foot-long Norwegian Star cruise ship as it prepares to enter Nawiliwili Harbor. Dave Lyman, president of the
In a Norwegian Cruise Line building in Copenhagen, Denmark, there is a simulator that puts captains and pilots at the helm of the 965-foot-long Norwegian Star cruise ship as it prepares to enter Nawiliwili Harbor.
Dave Lyman, president of the Hawai’i Pilots Association, will go there this month for additional training to prepare himself for December, when the Star could make its first visit to Nawiliwili.
The word “could” is used because, as of this writing, it is not known whether or not the ship will be able to safely make it in and out of Nawiliwili for what beginning in December is scheduled to be weekly Kaua’i stops of the brand new cruise ship the company says was built specifically for cruising Hawaiian waters.
The length of the ship, combined with prevailing wind and sea conditions and scarce room for error in the harbor’s “S” turn entry and exit pattern, is cause for concern for the pilots, U.S. Coast Guard and state Department of Transportation Harbors Division.
All are expected to reach a consensus either later this month or in early October, as to whether or not the ship can safely enter and exit Nawiliwili Harbor on a regular basis.
Millions of dollars in sales and other revenues hang in the balance, as the ship would bring around 2,000 passengers and over 1,000 crew members to the island on a weekly basis.
Surveys show that each cruise ship passenger spends around $80 a day at each Hawaiian port, or $160,000 during each Kaua’i stop in the case of the Star.
But the decision to attempt the harbor channel won’t be determined by dollar signs. Guided in part by existing wind and sea conditions at the time of entrance and exit, safety of people, property and the environment are the overriding factors, Lyman said.
Nawiliwili, as reported earlier and often, is one of the most difficult Hawaiian ports to enter and exit.
“It’s a very dynamic entry into this port, because of its size and shape,” said Capt. Steven G. Baker, a former Kaua’i resident and Hawai’i Port Pilot #12. “It’s always been a challenging port.”
The sheer size of the Norwegian Star, even with its state-of-the-art, computer-assisted, satellite-based navigation and propulsion systems, is the reason for concern.
“Funny thing; 965 feet is still 965 feet,” said Lyman, adding that the pilots have successfully brought into Nawiliwili 920-foot-long vessels.
Earlier this year, though, the 964-foot-long Infinity three times could not be brought into Nawiliwili, due to the safety concerns listed above. The 959-foot-long Carnival Spirit is scheduled to make two Nawiliwili stops next month.
If a decision is made not to bring the Star in, it won’t be for lack of effort on the pilots’ part. The nine-member association whether or not the ship can safely enter and exit Nawiliwili is still shaping up to be the most completely trained group of pilots in the world on the newest cruise ship propulsion systems, called “potted propulsion.”
That’s as a result of spending lots of their free time this summer aboard large cruise ships in Alaska, getting familiar with the newest technology while learning how the ships navigate in and out of Alaskan ports.
With a two-week-on, two-week-off schedule, during the on weeks being on 24-hour call, the pilots would rather be doing a number of things other than cruising Alaskan waters during their off time, said Baker.
The pilots will also spend time at a simulator in Florida, which is equipped to simulate the Star’s potted propulsion systems and Nawiliwili Harbor’s tricky entrance. All nine will have spent time on the large ships in Alaskan waters by the time the Star is scheduled to first reach Nawiliwili.
Hawai’i Pilots Association members by state law are required to be onboard large, foreign-flagged vessels as they navigate in and out of Hawai’i harbors.
The way Lyman explains it, captains of these large ships give the pilots the keys, and they valet park the ships.
The pilots must undergo around a decade of training and hands-on experience, with Coast Guard certification required at each harbor they operate in. The Coast Guard standard for certification at Nawiliwili is 15 round trips. The association also has its own rigorous training program.
The Coast Guard also mandates pilots’ licenses for those bringing ships in and out of Hawai’i harbors. Captains aboard the Independence and ms Patriot, American-flagged vessels which make weekly calls on Nawiliwili and some other Hawai’i ports, all have pilot licenses.
While much has been made about the economic impact of the cruise ships, and the loss of income not hosting the Star on a weekly basis would mean to Nawiliwili and Kaua’i, no mention has been said about the revenue the Hawai’i Pilots Association would stand to lose, also, if a decision is made that the Star is too large to regularly and safely call on Nawiliwili.
The pilots’ fee schedule is based on the size of the ships they assist, and the Star would be in the schedule’s highest range, the pilots said.
Again, though, they stressed that this is a safety issue, not an economic one.
There is pressure, naturally, from the cruise line itself, whose surveys indicate Kaua’i is the favorite Hawai’i stop for its customers. Visitor officials and Nawiliwili-area businesses also don’t want to see the Star cruise right past Kaua’i, either.
Business Editor Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
