This is an email we received last week in regards to the Huakai and it’s mission to Haiti.
I was out in Norfolk this week and met up with a good friend of mine from high school. She is a doctor in the Navy and deployed with the USS Comfort to Haiti.
I asked her if she happened to see the Huakai while she was there and she started beaming. Her parents used to live in Hawaii and she rode the Superferry a few times. She was super excited to see it in port as she was flying over in an SH-60 and took a picture.
Thought you might like it!
HMSHaiti was featured in a Special Report in the March 2010 issue of FogHorn magazine.
You can read the story here in a .pdf download.
The people over at ‘The Maritime’ have written a short blog entry about the HMS Haiti operation from January through March.
You can take a look here at the post.
Those of you that have followed this mission since January have seen the videos, pictures and accounts from some of the crew of the HSV Huakai and its relief efforts in Haiti.
Here, we get to introduce them to you a bit.
Chief Engineer Randy Naker
2120Z/06March
Final Thoughts
The Huakai is now moored starboard side to, and the high paced world of day to day, fast paced operational commitments, has now come to an end. The main engines are put to sleep, auxiliaries are secured and a certain quietness prevails through out the vessel. The interior climate control system is scaled back down, numerous ventilation fans are secured and the activity that was always present in the passenger deck mid-ship servery and food prep area, is quiet and deserted. Also through out the passenger deck area, where crew members had their sleeping mattresses and tents, are now put up and properly stowed, ready for the next adventure.
From Version: 2/M Erich Krueck
Onboard the HSV Huakai, we departed Jacksonville, FL en route to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This will be our third trip to bring relief supplies to the disaster stricken nation.
The ship, a 370-foot high-speed ferry, had a full load of support vehicles that the ground troops on the front lines of the relief effort were anxiously awaiting. We passed the Jacksonville breakwater and quickly made our way down the Florida coast, staying close to shore to avoid the persistent Gulf Stream current. The importance of our mission was felt wholly by the crew as each time we pulled into Port-au-Prince, we could see the devastation first hand.
Jetting across the Straits of Florida, we approached the Bahama Bank where the waters started to calm and the Huakai settled into a rhythm, leaving nothing but flush tracks of white water across the ocean she passed.
As quickly as we departed, we made our preparations for arrival, being greeted by familiar faces along the pier. Many of the troops on shore had made the trip to Haiti with us on our first voyage down. Happy to see us back so quickly, we were equally happy to see the progress being made by them on shore.
With such frequent trips to Port-au-Prince, we all started seeing the changes and were reassured that the efforts we’re all putting forward were making a strong impact. Less than two hours after tying up we were back at sea making our way to Florida for another cargo load. With little more on our minds than the hope of finding Haiti looking even better on our next arrival.
HELPING IN HAITI: Hornblower Marine Services continues work after earthquake
By DANIEL SUDDEATH
Daniel.Suddeath@newsandtribune.com
Since it deployed in January, the Huakai superferry has logged 5,000 miles and carried more than 900 tons of supplies into earthquake ravaged Haiti.
The boat is managed by Hornblower Marine Services, a New Albany company located at 115 E. Market St. The 373-foot Huakai is designed to get in and out of awkward docking areas, which has made the vessel invaluable with many of Haiti’s ports destroyed or severely damaged.
“With 16 feet of water and fairly calm winds, we can back in and unload anywhere,” said Greg Brown, vice president of Marine Operations for Hornblower.
The Huakai left port in Jacksonville on Saturday morning carrying another 250 tons of supplies to the people of Haiti. On this trip, they supplied humvees, generators and trucks with supplies for the people.
Currently, the Huakai is returning to port in Jacksonville, scheduled to be returning tomorrow morning, to pick up another load of supplies before heading back to Haiti shortly after.
We’re hoping to get in some new pictures and possibly video over the next week or so to give you a glimpse of how HMS and the Huakai is helping Haiti.
Above is a map of the mission as we have it now.
We pick up supplies and aid in Jacksonville, Florida, transport them to the Port of Verreaux which about 1.5 miles from Port-au-Prince and then head to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to await our next orders.
As of 09Feb, we have delivered over 600 tons of supplies and aid and 155 troops. The dock conditions at the ports are very poor which make it very difficult.
Upon our arrival, the pier that was available for the Huakai was older and designed for much smaller and lighter vessels. Troops on the ground radioed the Master in advance to exercise extreme caution when bringing the ship alongside as they were suspect, given to the condition of the pier, that the bollards were only held in by ‘magic.’ Because of the shallow draft, the self-deployed stern ramp and its advanced maneuverability, Captain Ken Kujala was able to conquer these obstacles discharge cargo vital to the mission.
Chief Engineer Randy Naker
2015Z/09Feb
The Huakai has successfully demonstrated its mission capabilities in support of the Haitian relief efforts. At the present them, Huakai has completed its second mission to Haiti, this time bringing U.S. Army vehicles from Jacksonville, Florida to Pier Verreaux, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
During these missions, Huakai has shown that with minimum manning from the ready pool of mariners that Hornblower Marine Service (HMS) has gathered and the centralized monitoring control system (Marine Link), this vessel was and is able to rapidly respond to this important request of service.
But what is Marine Link?
Marine Link is a state of the art automation system installed on the bridge of the Huakai that is the central point of the manning requirements for the vessel. The system allows the engineering officer on watch to monitor and control the vessel’s propulsion plant and vessel auxiliaries while being an effective member of the underway bridge management team at the same time. Because the centralized engineering control console is located on the bridge, the underway deck officer has immediate and rapid feedback from the engineering watch officer about the vessel’s engineering status allowing him the ability to respond accordingly in the safe operation of the vessel.
