This weekend, the Maui-Lānaʻi Passenger Ferry resumed interisland service for the first time since the fire halted its route into Lahainā.
The ferry service is a lifeline for Lānaʻi residents. It provides access to medical care as well as for first responders traveling to the island. The ferry previously operated out of the Lāhainā Harbor.
The DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation worked to clear ash and debris from the Māʻalaea Harbor to accommodate the ferry instead.
Previously operated daily, the ferry will now run between Manele and Māʻalaea three times per week. The Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule will provide transportation to Lānaʻi for service providers and first responders for the foreseeable future.
Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation staff said prior to the fire, nearly 100 vessels were moored in the Lāhainā Harbor. Now, only seven are still above water.
A newly built ferry dock is one of the few structures in Lāhainā to have withstood the flames. But it will take time to clear sunken boats and debris from the water and resume ferry service there.
