San Francisco Ferry Terminal logo at new Gate E.
November 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson. Home/Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow/ News/Links/Bibliography/What's New
San Francisco Ferry Terminal logo at new Gate E.
November 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Sign at the Ferry Building directing passengers to their boats. October, 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
One month later. Sign at the Ferry Building directing passengers to their boats after Gate E opened. November, 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Modern ferry service on San Francisco Bay began in 1968 when the Red and White Fleet introduced ferry service from Tiburon to San Francisco. Many new services have started since then, encouraged by deteriorating traffic conditions and the occasional natural disaster.
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Tour boat operator Red and White Fleet revived ferry service on San Francisco Bay by opening service from Tiburon to San Francisco in 1968. Service began with regular tour boats. In 1987 the monohull tour boats were replaced by faster catamarans. The Blue and Gold Fleet took over most of the Red and White Fleet's business in 1997.
Rush hour sailings from San Francisco use the Ferry Building. Mid-day and weekend sailings leave from Pier 41, at Fisherman's Wharf. The trip is scheduled for 20 minutes from either terminal. The Tiburon terminal is a pontoon reached by a gangway. It is not luxurious.
Service is provided most days by the MV Catamarin.
Ferry Golden Gate approaches the Sausalito ferry landing.
September 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Ferry Golden Gate at the Sausalito ferry landing.
September 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Two companies currently offer ferry service from Sausalito to San Francisco.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District was formed in 1923 to build the Golden Gate Bridge. As traffic worsened during the 1960's, the bridge district decided that ferry service should be part of Golden Gate Transit.
Golden Gate Ferry service from Sausalito to San Francisco began in 1970, using MV Golden Gate. All service operates from the Ferry Building to a pontoon terminal in Sausalito.
Blue and Gold Ferry Bay Flyer at the Sausalito ferry landing.
September 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
The Red & White Fleet launched mid-day tourist service to from Pier 43 1/2 Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco to Sausalito in 1982. Blue and Gold took over this service in 1997 and began operating it from Pier 39. They share the Sausalito landing with Golden Gate ferries.
Ferry Sonoma arriving at the Ferry Building from Larkspur.
August 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Ferry Sonoma just arrived at the Ferry Building from Larkspur.
August 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District offers ferry service from Larkspur Landing to San Francisco. The service started in 1976, offering 35 minute service over the 12 mile route, provided by three 25-knot gas turbine-powered, water jet propelled, aluminum monohull boats (San Francisco, Sonoma, and Marin). The schedule was almost immediately lengthened when people complained of wake damage in the Larkspur channel. The steep jump in fuel prices in the late 1970's caused Golden Gate to convert from the gas turbine/water jet propulsion to more economical but slower diesel/propeller propulsion. The boats could only run at 20 knots. Crossing time increased from 35 to 45 minutes and ridership dropped. Ridership has grown again over the years as the service proved reliable and traffic worsened on Highway 101.
The complex at Larkspur Landing including the Ferry Division offices and repair facilities.
High speed catamaran Del Norte (325 passengers) went into service in 1998, and was joined by Mendocino (408 passengers) on 10-Sep-2001. Each can do 36 knots and can cover the Larkspur run in 30 minutes.
Ferries San Francisco and Mendocino at the Ferry Building. San Francisco has just arrived from Larkspur
and Mendocino is a new high speed boat just arrived from the shipyard.
August 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
New high speed catamaran ferry Mendocino moored at the Ferry Building before
entering service.
August 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Ferry Intintoli approaches Pier 1/2 at the Ferry Building.
April 2002. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Vallejo Baylink currently offers ferry service from Vallejo to San Francisco. High speed catamarans Mare Island and Intintoli perform most of the service. Lower-speed boat Vallejo serves as a backup. The company offers weekend service from San Francisco to the Marine World amusement park, via a connecting bus from Vallejo. Until 2001, the company offered weekend service from Vallejo to Angel Island State Park.
Ferry Intintoli backing out of Pier 1/2.
April 2002. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Ferry Intintoli turns towards Vallejo after leaving the Ferry Building.
April 2002. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Two companies currently offer ferry service to the state park on Angel Island.
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Ferry Encinal at new Gate E.
November 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
New high speed catamaran Peralta backing out of Gate E.
December 10, 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Red & White fleet started ferry service from the San Francisco Ferry Building to Jack London Square, Oakland and Alameda as an emergency measure when the 19-Oct-1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake closed the Bay Bridge. The route is currently covered by the Alameda/Oakland Ferry, a publicly subsidized public transit system operated by the City of Alameda and the Port of Oakland.
Alameda/Oakland ferry terminal in Alameda. March 2004. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Catamarans Encinal and Peralta cover the five mile route in 35 minutes from Oakland, and 20 from Alameda during rush hour. Two miles of the route, through the Alameda Estuary, have to be run at low speed because of wake restrictions. Encinal can do 25-knots and carry 388 passengers. Peralta, which went into service on 07-Dec-2001 can do 26-knots and carry 344 passengers.
In October 2001, service shifted from Pier 1/2 North of the Ferry Building to the new South Terminal, Gate E.
Some time after running over a sailboat on 13-Sep-2003, Peralta was taken out of service for work. She is due to return in Spring, 2004.
On 10-Oct-2003, I saw a catamaran boat named Klondike Express practising landings at Gate E. She is an Alaskan boat used for glacier cruises. She was leased to fill in for Peralta. Like Peralta, she is an InCat design, built by Nichols Brothers.
The ferry landing at the Pier 1 1/2 at the north end of the Ferry Building.
It was used by Alameda/Oakland ferries until October, 2001. Vallejo
and Tiburon ferries continued to use it.
August 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Alameda/Oakland leased Alaska cruise boat Klondike Express to fill in while Peralta II
was in for servicing. Here she practices landings at Gate E.
10-Oct-2003. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Another view of Klondike Express on a practise run.
10-Oct-2003. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Harbor Bay Ferry terminal in Alameda. March 2004. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Traffic remediation requirements for a new development led to the Harbor Bay ferry service, using the high-speed catamaran "Bay Breeze".
Ferry service from Richmond to San Francisco died on 22-Nov-2000.
See the bibliography for more details.
The Blue and Gold Fleet currently offers ferry service to the national park on Alcatraz.
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The ferry landing at Pac Bell Park. July 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
When the San Francisco Giants' new Pacific Bell Park opened in the 2000 baseball season, it was easily accessable by ferry.
Blue and Gold Ferry Bay Flyer at the Pac Bell Park ferry landing.
September 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Golden Gate ferry at the Pac Bell Park ferry landing.
September 2001. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Some companies offer ferry service to 49'ers games at Candelstick Park.
See bibliography for more details.
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There used to be many small ferries in the Sacramento River Delta. Most have been replaced by bridges or abandoned. Five operate today, but only two are really open to the public. Three have one terminal on private property.
Ferry Real McCoy crosses Cache Slough. February 2004. Photo by Joe Thompson.
The Real McCoy, built in 1945, crosses Cache Slough from a point near Rio Vista to Ryer Island. The Real McCoy is a free running Diesel-powered boat that makes the short trip on demand. People claim that it is the oldest piece of equipment used by CalTrans. There is room on deck for 6-8 vehicles, but I was the only passenger the day I rode.
Ferry Real McCoy at the landing on the Rio Vista side. February 2004. Photo by Joe Thompson.
Ferry J-Mac crossing Steamboat Slough. February 2004. Photo by Joe Thompson.
The J-Mac, built in 1966, crosses Steamboat Slough at the other side of Ryer Island. It also operates on-demand. It is Diesel-powered but cable-drawn. It has room for 4 vehicles, but I was again the only passenger. The ferry had shut down the week before because a bad storm had put a lot of debris in the river, which could have snagged the cable. Real McCoy had continued to run. I remarked to the operator on the beautiful scenery. He said it was less interesting after the first few hundred times he saw it.
An end-on view of ferry J-Mac pulling itself across Steamboat Slough. Note the cable
in the foreground. February 2004. Photo by Joe Thompson.
The other ferries which are not open to the public are cable-drawn ferries across Little Connection Slough and across the Middle River to Woodward Island from Bacon Island Road. A study is underway to replace the Woodward Island ferry, which is currently the only way for vehicles to reach the island, with a bridge. Victory II, which takes vehicles from Jersey Island to both Webb Tract and Bradford Island, is free-running.
The Blue and Gold Fleet started in the 1970s offering tours from Pier 39. In 1997, Blue and Gold Fleet acquired Crowley Maritime's Harbor Carriers (Red and White Fleet), becoming the dominant tour and ferry operator on the bay.
Blue and Gold's current fleet:
| Boat | Built | Builder | Capacity | Speed in Knots | Class |
| Bay Clipper | 1974 | Colberg | 693 | 15 | Clipper |
| Bay Flyer | 1971 | Colberg | 693 | 15 | Clipper |
| Bay Monarch | 1976 | Colberg | 693 | 15 | Clipper |
| Golden Bear | 979 | Nichols Bros | 396 | 12 | Oski |
| Harbor Emperor | 1974 | Colberg | 500 | 12 | Clipper |
| Old Blue | 1979 | Nichols Bros | 396 | 12 | Oski |
| Oski | 1979 | Nichols Bros | 396 | 12 | Oski |
| Royal Star | 1969 | Blount | 650 | 13 | Clipper |
| Zelinsky | 1986 | Nichols Bros | 388 | 26 | Catamaran |
Blue and Gold also operates the Alameda/Oakland ferry using boats jointly owned by the cities.
Blue and Gold services its boats at San Francisco's Pier 9.
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The Red and White Fleet, originally known as Harbor Carriers, grew from the Crowley family's many maritime activities, first offerring boat tours during the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. In 1997, Blue and Gold Fleet acquired the Red and White Fleet. To prevent a monopoly, regulators forced Blue and Gold to sell some of its fleet, allowing the formation of the modern Red and White Fleet by Thomas Crowley Escher
Red and White's current fleet:
| Boat | Built | Builder | Capacity | Speed in Knots |
| Harbor King | 1958 | Colberg | 225 | 12 |
| Harbor Princess | 1959 | Colberg | 444 | 12 |
| Harbor Queen | 1954 | National Steel, Oakland | 444 | 12 |
| Royal Prince | 1962 | Colberg | 500 | 12 |
Red and White pioneered the current ferry era on San Francisco Bay, starting Tiburon-Ssan Francisco service in 1950. Its last service, Richmond to San Francisco, ran from September 1999 to November 2000. They are interested in getting back into the ferry business.
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Last modified 30-Nov-2003