Hawaii auctioning off Superferry equipment

Hawaii auctioning off Superferry equipment

LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) — The state of Hawaii is auctioning off barges, ramps and other assorted equipment related to a failed Superferry project that planned to shuttle people between the Hawaiian islands.

The Garden Island reported Thursday that equipment and harbor improvements that cost the state $40 million are being auctioned off online as one lot through next week.

Spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter of the state Department of Transportation says the state is hoping to get back as much as possible, with an opening bid of $250,000. Sluyter says the bid was set by market conditions.

The equipment includes stairs, ramps, light poles, forklift extenders, crates and chains.

Hawaii Superferry filed for bankruptcy in 2009 after the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the law that allowed it to operate was unconstitutional because an environmental impact statement had not been completed for the plan.

“We’ve heard that there is some interest, which is good, but of course we’ll just have to see what happens,” Sluyter said.

The auction site run by Rosen Auctions allows potential buyers to place bids in increments of $25,000. Rosen Auctions will take a 10 percent cut from the final sale price.

The lot is spread across harbors on Kauai, Maui, the Big Island and Oahu.

According to the auction site, the winning bidder must remove the contents of the lot within 30 days of winning the auction, or face storage fees.

Two high-speed boats meant to take passengers and cars were eventually sold to the Navy by the U.S. Maritime Administration for $35 million. The administration took custody of the ferries after the bankruptcy case.