After Oahu’s second commuter ferry ran into problems on Monday morning the new service looked to be headed the way of the Hawaii Superferry.

But, with two days to work on the boat, the Rachel Marie, and a part flown in, the commuter ferry is back up and running on it’s normal schedule from Kalaeloa to Aloha Tower.

Passengers of the ferry can enjoy the last 3 days of the week with free service on both boats.

The second commuter ferry running from Kalaeloa to Aloha Tower was delayed again today as workers try and fix engine problems.

TheBoat, which is the water based transit equal to TheBus, has been running test runs for about a week now and was supposed to start a second boat, the Rachel Marie, on Monday. The boat was scheduled to run and had 39 people ready to ride but was delayed and eventually canceled forcing those passengers to ride TheBus instead.

TheBoat is still running the other vessel and is running it’s promotional offer of FREE! through the remainder of the week. Hopefully they’ll get this boat up and running so the project doesn’t sink.

Are you getting tired of dealing with the traffic jam coming from the west side in the morning and going back to the west side in the afternoon? You like the idea of public transportation but are not a big fan of the Bus? Do you like looking at the ocean all day long, even when you are commuting?

You are in luck. The Boat (a close sister of the Bus) will start its operation from September 17th. The first ferry leaves the Kalaeloa Harbor at 5:30 a.m. and the second one at 8:00 a.m. Unfortunately, one of the originally-scheduled two ferries was not cleared for operation in Hawaiian waters for at least one more week, so an express bus will replace the ferry that was scheduled for 6:00 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. The Boat is 72 feet long and 30 feet wide and can carry up to 149 passengers. The boat travels at 25-28 knots (30-35 mph), and it takes approximately an hour from the Kalaeloa Harbor to the Aloha Tower. You can bring your bike or stroller and enjoy light snacks and drinks. One-way fare is $2, and you can also use your bus pass for the Boat as well. There is no parking at the Kalaeloa Harbor, but a parking lot is planned in the Kapolei area. However, you can take the new bus line that stops at Waianae, Kapolei, and Makakilo to go to the Kalaeloa Harbor. Once you get off at the Aloha Tower, buses will go to the UH-Manoa and Waikiki via Ala Moana.

There will be an open house (should it be an open boat?) event at the Aloha Tower Pier 9 tomorrow, September 16th from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You can tour the ferry, meet the crew, and get to know your new exciting transit option. Kids will enjoy getting on the Boat and get cookies and balloons.

If you want to find more information, please visit www.trytheboat.com.

Please please, no demonstrators for this ferry…