HONOLULU -- Hawaii Superferry announced on Tuesday afternoon it will not go to Kauai at least through Friday.

However, opponents there hope to keep the ship away longer than that. A group called 1000 Friends of Kauai is asking a Kauai judge to ban the Superferry from the Garden Island as it has been banned from Maui.

The group argued that because the state did not get an environmental assessment before improving harbor facilities, those facilities should be off limits to the Superferry until the environmental laws are met.

A hearing on the Maui case will begin on Thursday and is expected to last until next week.

The Coast Guard on Tuesday said it plans to designate an area for protesters on Kauai so they will not get in the way of the Hawaii Superferry when it resumes service to Nawiliwili Harbor. The Coast Guard did not say when it would begin to use the area or how large it would be.

The Hawaii Superferry called off voyages to Kauai after protesters aboard surfboards, canoes and kayaks stopped it from docking.

The Coast Guard said protesters who fail to comply with its security zones could face imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines up to $25,000.