Commuter ferries are useful transit options in many places crisscrossed by waterways. Logic would suggest they should work in Hawaii, too.

However, it's clear by what ridership information is now public that TheBoat still hasn't delivered the transportation alternative the Hannemann administration envisioned.

The city launched TheBoat two years ago as an adjunct to bus service.

It favors continuing the service for a third year, despite the heavy subsidy by taxpayers to keep fares even with TheBus.

Critics on the City Council say it's unclear whether the annual $4 million investment is likely to pay off with increased ridership. And it will remain unclear until the administration provides a plan of how TheBoat service can become sustainable.

The Kalaeloa-to-Aloha Tower commuter boats sail at only 37 percent capacity, based on September data. Council members and The Advertiser have asked for more recent ridership figures and are still waiting for them. It's impossible to make budgetary decisions without reliable, up-to-date data.

And the city needs to provide further details.

Who are these riders? Commuters who want to avoid rush-hour freeway gridlock, or visitors who enjoy an inexpensive offshore cruise? Tourists are welcome aboard, but it's the local residents who should be targeted.

A report by city consultant Art Anderson Associates has identified some of the disincentives, including the lack of more convenient stops. No 'Ewa resident wants to backtrack to catch TheBoat, especially when it's often sidelined in poor weather.

Ferries tend to succeed in places such as Washington state when the riders have judged the convenience worth the price of the fare.

That has not happened yet on Oahu. The city needs a new strategy for success, or it may be time to "abandon ship."