Kathie's December 2003 Article

Twas just days before Christmas and all through the Ferry, many creatures were stirring especially those merry. 

The children were waiting to come to the boat, to see their friend Santa come up from the float. 

They come to eat treats and sing with the teacher, to ring jingle bells and hear of a long ago Preacher. 

The children all smile and look up at Santa, as Mrs. Claus hands them a gift in a while. 

They all can’t be good and many of us know, some have had trouble as they started to grow. 

Their pictures are taken as they light up and smile, and Santa knows he will be bringing gifts in a while. 

As Santa leaves and we say good-bye, we see the merry twinkle in his eye.  He says he must leave to pick up his reindeer that he left on West Island, the same as last year. 

As we look towards the water as he sails away, he turns around and we hear him say, 

“Merry Christmas to All

And to all a Good Day!”  

Kathie's November 2003 Article

I ordered a new book that some of you might enjoy. I had to special order it, but it was worth the wait.   Our friend, Bill Knorp,  recommended it to me.  

The Title is, “Good Life In Hard Times, San Francisco in the '20s & '30s” by Jerry Flamm. It has wonderful information about the Ferry Boats on the Bay.  Mr. Flamm tells about the veteran commuters who had to be at work early and how they usually headed for the restaurant or the standup counter on the main deck for a cup of coffee. Coffee was a nickel and you could get refills and take them out on the deck to enjoy the crisp fresh air on your trip over.

The commuters knew all the nuances and angles about riding the ferries. The window seats were the most desirable, but the most experienced rider knew which windows on which ferries leaked when it rained. Puddles would form on the seats or on the floors, rolling up and down as the boat tilted and bucked through the choppy waters.

Kathie's October 2003 Article

The ferry engines were always on display to the passengers and the ferry engineer always kept the engine room polished. He was proud of the crew and of his engines. On each boat there were two whistles, one operated from each pilot house. The whistles were usually designed by the original engineer of the vessel. Each ferry had a different whistle and most ferrymen would know a ferry by hearing its whistle. This was very important in the fog. When the ferrymen heard a familiar whistle in the right direction they knew they were on the right course.  

Kathie's August/September 2003 Article

From the book, "Of Walking Beams and Paddle Wheels," by George Harlan and Clement Fisher Jr., I learned that one of the traditions of the San Francisco Bay, in the early days, was the decoration of the ferry boats on holidays and other special occasions.  

Besides carrying banners of every color, all of the old-time boats were equipped with a house flag, a vessel flag, and a commission pennant. On special outings, bunting was put up around the upper deck, and at Christmas time garlands of greens were draped on railing and house fronts. Each vessel had a tree on the masthead and one in the cabin. The vessel decorations served to reflect the pride the crews had for their boats. There was competition between the boats even though there were no prizes.  

The ferrymen took every opportunity  to display their vessel in the best possible light.  

Kathie's July 2003 Article

At the June meeting, I told the members about getting an e-mail from Pam Courtage in Seattle, Washington. She had entered "Lady Sailors Antioch" on Google on the Internet and got our web site where she got my e-mail address.

Pam asked me if the Sausalito could possibly be the same ferry that her grandparents took her and her sister to in the 1950s.  She described that they used to enter on a road through a vineyard and that her grandparents had a small cabin and a place where her grandfather kept a small fishing boat. She was sure that is no longer existed. The only thing she has is a small pin with a gavel that says, “Lady Sailors.”

I looked back in my records and her grandmother, Vida Cunningham, was Lady Sailors President in 1955. I told her I would look to see if her grandmother’s picture was up in the club. When I checked, she is one of the only past presidents whose picture is missing. Pam has asked her family members if they have any memorabilia for our museum and a picture of Vida for our Club. She also hopes to make a trip with her sister to come to the ferry to relive some very special memories.

Kathie's June 2003 Article

Most of you have heard me describe the collision at sea between our Sausalito Ferry and the San Rafael, off of Alcatraz, on November 30, 1901. Jack London refers to this event in the opening of his book, The Sea Wolf.

There was also a ferry called the City of San Rafael. She was built in Alameda in 1924 for the Richmond San Rafael line. She was the last side wheeler to be built on the bay. Right from the beginning, she was characterized by being out of operation as much as she was in operation.  In 1938, she was retired and berthed in Richmond. In 1942, during a storm, she broke loose and went sailing off into the San Pablo Bay on her own. She ended up high and dry on a beach near Richmond. The ferry was declared a loss and plans were made to salvage her useful parts. 

She was saved from demolition when the Army decided they needed a ferryboat. The City of San Rafael was rebuilt and relaunched in 1943. As soon as the Army got her, they decided they didn't want her. She then was put on the Martinez/Benicia line, and was retired for good when the line closed in 1956.

In 1957, she was sold for scrap to a resident of Sausalito who towed her to the Gate 5 area where he planned to make the ferryboat into a restaurant. But just when he began the reconversion he saw a more suitable boat which was also being demolished, The Charles Van Damme.  

She was used for a residence for several years, then in the 1970s she was slowly crumbling inwards and in 1980 the City of San Rafael Ferry was condemned as a fire hazard and fell to the wreckers.

Kathie's May 2003 Article

Ferry Boats played a significant role in the history of the San Francisco Bay for 150 years. It started with the California Gold Rush, which brought people from all over the world to the Bay Area.  

Today, we also have ferryboats that carry passengers as an alternate form of transportation to cross the Bay.

From 1927 to 1940, the Delta King and its twin the Delta Queen linked San Francisco with our capital at Sacramento. The ferries operated at night, leaving either city at 6:30 p.m. and arriving at their destination the following morning at 5:30 a.m.

After retirement as a ferry, the Delta King was drafted into military service in WWII, serving as a floating dormitory in Alaska. Today it is moored in Sacramento as a luxurious floating hotel in Sacramento's Old Town.

Kathie's April 2003Article

On February 22, 2003, our Club had visitors — Don & Karen  Thoza. Don is the son of Joe Thoza, Sportsmen’s 1938 Commodore. They came to the Bay Area to visit friends and took a chance to come by to visit the Sausalito.  They said they have wanted to visit us for years.     

Don was nine years old when the Sausalito came to the Wilbur Avenue site. I showed them the Ferry and the museum which they really enjoyed.  He had many stories about the early days. He said he could remember taking a row boat and rowing completely around the ferry. He said he made money on rainy days by rowing members to their cars that were parked out by the road because of flooding. He remembered the cabin his family had and took pictures of it. He was surprised that the ferry looked so good and was especially impressed with the cement deck on the North end of the ferry.  He told a story about a member who was talking to him on the upper deck on the South end of the ferry. He said though he was nine years old, he remembers this like it happened yesterday. He said the man seemed very tall and had his foot up on the railing.  As the man was talking he sneezed and with the sneeze the man's teeth flew out of his mouth.  The man in one clean swipe caught his teeth in mid air!
We invited him to the birthday dinner, but they had to get on the road. He said he will look through his father’s things for artifacts for the museum.

Kathie's March 2003Article

I thought for March, I would go back in the archives to see what was happening at the Club in March 1939. I found the following article:  

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP EVER TAKEN BY SPORTSMEN INC:  We have purchased seven acres of river front property, one-fourth mile this side of the Antioch Bridge. The dredging contract has been signed for a landlocked harbor, 100x300 feet. Four feet at low tide and dredging a cradle for moving of the club house. This project is going to require a lot of work by the membership. NOT JUST A FEW, but every one who is physically able. Everything we do now in the way of improvements will be done for ourselves, not for a landlord. SO LET'S PITCH IN FELLOWS AND MAKE THE BEST CLUB IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA A LOT BETTER. IT WON'T TAKE LONG IF WE ALL DO OUR SHARE.  It is taking a certain amount of money to make down payments on equipment for our new harbor. The results so far have been very gratifying, yet there are some who have not seen fit to help as yet. The Board of Directors are not asking for gifts of money to the club, but are giving a legal note to each member who loans money to the club. So more money is needed NOW.  

Open meeting Monday evening, March 20th, 55 minutes of moving pictures with sound effects. Bring your ladies and friends, An enjoyable evening is assured. 

Kathie's February 2003Article

Our Museum would not exist without you. I appreciate it so much when you are traveling that you look for artifacts from the old Ferry days whenever possible.  When some of our members recently took a three month trip, their eyes were always open to see what was available.

When they were in Vermont, they visited the Shelburne Museum, where the historic Steamboat, "Ticonderoga," has been designated as a historical monument. I received the book Ticonderoga, by Richard Strum, and the following letter which I would like to share with you: 

To Kathie, the Keeper of our History and our Museum. In the Ticonderoga we have seen the powerful engine and touched her walking beam. These things made us think of the Sausalito and you. Enjoy this small tale of historical significance. 

A gift to you from Muriel Telles and Jean Novinger.

I am also happy to say I received the book Tales of the Mississippi, a history of the Steamboat, by Ray Samuel, Leonard v. Huber and Warren C. Ogden.  This book was a gift  from Delores Swart and Bud Chappell. They bought the book while visiting New Orleans in December. 

A sincere thank you to all of you.  

Kathie's January 2003Article

Even though our Christmas party for 2002 is now history, what wonderful memories we have for many years to come.  It was so nice to see so many families come for this event.

The Ferry looked like a “Winter Wonderland” with beautiful decorations inside and outside.  The food was very good and there was plenty for everyone.  The children all looked beautiful and handsome in their Sunday best.  They were all so excited to see Santa and I heard, "The real Santa always comes to the ferry." They were all so well behaved. 

When I called them up to sing, they all came up to the stage area with smiles on their faces, ready to sing. Their voices sounded great and they rang the bells in time with the music.

When Santa arrived they found their parents and again orderly went to see him arrive. They were so excited they could hardly stand it. Mr. and Mrs. Santa looked great. I believe they both were wearing new outfits thanks to Muriel and her elves. Then they led the parade into the ferry. 

It was so hard to wait for their turn to see Santa, but they waited with sparkling eyes. This year they even sang Jingle Bells for Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. As each child climbed on Santa's lap to receive their present and special bag of goodies, they told Santa what they wanted for Christmas and had their picture taken. Thank you Freda!

When it was time to go, all the children followed Santa outside to say good-bye. What a wonderful evening to remember.