Ferryboat Sausalito History 2005 Articles

Kathie's December Article

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

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

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

Santa arrived all dressed in his finest, to see each child and ask of their kindness.  

The children all smiled and looked up at Santa as he handed them gifts in a very nice style. They said they were good, but many of us know, some had trouble as they started to grow. 

Their pictures were taken as they smiled with Santa in hopes he knows what their wants are. 

As Santa left and we waved good-bye, we could see the merry twinkle in his eye. He said he must leave and pick up his reindeer that he left on West Island to rest for the journey. 

As we looked toward the sky, we heard him exclaim, “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.”

Written by Kathie Hammer, 2004 

Kathie's November Article

One of the things that makes Ferryboat history so interesting is each ferry has its own history and story.  

One of the oldest wooden hulled ferryboats on the West Coast was the "City of  Seattle." Built in Portland in 1888, the 121' side-wheeler provided the first scheduled ferry service on Puget Sound. 

She had a capacity of 400 passengers and 10 teams and wagons. This cargo was replaced by autos when she was towed down the coast to become the first steamer for the Martinez - Benicia line in 1913. 

Even then she was referred to as "The Old Ferry." She remained in that service until the war, when she was requisitioned by the government for the Mare Island service. After the war she was mothballed.  

Kathie's October Article

Paddle wheelers were an important part of the Klondike Gold Discovery in Alaska. These mighty ships braved harsh conditions in remote areas to deliver goods and services to the miners.

These vessels where carefully designed to navigate the gravel and sand bars of the Yukon River. These paddle wheelers operated in the days before radar when crewmen had to rely on experience and charts to navigate the ever changing river. 

Crew members over the years nailed hundreds of metal pie plates to trees along the river to act as reflectors and aid with night navigation. Prior to the introduction of the radio in 1925, the only means of communication in an emergency was to hook a portable phone to the telegraph line which followed the river.  

Kathie's September Article

Our ferry expert, Bill Knorp, recently mailed me the following information:

The "Fresno" was one of six ferry boats know as the diesel-electrics. They were built in 1927. When the ferry service ended on the bay, several ferries were sent to Seattle; only the Fresno remained for a while.  

The "San Leandro" of 1923 was the sister to the "Hayward," both owned by the Key System. Bill Knorp's mother rode these boats to get to Mills College in the 1920s. They were the regular Key Route boats. The Key System never included autos on their ferries, they were strictly passenger ferries. Southern Pacific bought the "San Leandro" to replace the "Sacramento" on the Oakland Mole run in 1954.  

Kathie's July/Aug Article

On July 14-17, Sacramento will host the 52nd 4S Cruise-In. For those of you new to this event, I would like to give you the history.  The 4S started in 1953 when four clubs (Sportsmen, Sacramento, Stockton, and San Joaquin) got together for an Over-the-Bottom Race. The host club would serve sandwiches at the end of the race. This event has really changed in 51 years. Now it is a three or four day event with games, food, entertainment, and a lot of fun.  

In 1986, Sportsmen Yacht Club donated a perpetual trophy for the 4S games. Sportsmen won it in 1986, then again in 1992; in 1997 we brought it home and were able to keep it in 1998, 1999, and 2000, and again we won it in 2004.  In 1994, Sportsmen Yacht Club started the tradition of presenting medals to all the game winners.   

We hope to see you at this year’s 4S.  

Kathie's June Article

Last month, I stated with so many new members I would go back to our beginning history. What I forgot is, this is the computer age. When I recently went into our web page that Don Lucido does such a great job on, I could see the history of our Club and Ferry is there for all of you to enjoy. We have come so far. A very special thank you goes to Don for all his work. 

I will try to fill in with events and happenings you might not have heard. As most of you know, our Sausalito was built in 1894, but did you know she is the second steamer of that name? The first, was built in New York in 1877 for the North Pacific Coast Railroad Company. She was taken apart and shipped by railroad cars to San Francisco where she was put together again. Her name was spelled “Saucelito,” a misspelling of a Spanish word for Willows. She operated between San Francisco, Sausalito and San Quentin. In 1884, she was destroyed by fire while tied to the San Quentin Pier. After she burned, the town of Sausalito corrected the spelling of its name and in 1894 our Sausalito was  built.

Kathie's May Article

On April 16th, over 60 people either cruised or came by car to the Ryde Hotel for dinner and a murder mystery.

The Ryde Hotel was built in 1927 and the attire of most made it seem like we were back in that era. During that time, it was the middle of Prohibition and the hotel served as a riverboat way station and also, some say, a bordello.  

The lower level was a speakeasy, where Bootleg and Jazz were popular. It was interesting to see the downstairs.  There is a window to see who is at the door and a light behind a curtain to let the clientele know they were open. If you didn't know the password, you didn't get in. Rumor has it, that many politicians, from presidents to movie stars to mobsters frequented this establishment with close friends they didn't want to be seen with. There was even a trap door in the floor that opened to reveal a tunnel running under the road to a hidden doorway at the river's edge. Years ago when we visited the hotel, we were told the back wall was open for the cars to drive into the lower level, then covered with a tarp. If they had to leave in a hurry, they could drive right through it.   

In later years, the hotel was a boarding house for the men and women who built the Delta Levees. The Ryde's name has changed several times and also had many owners, including the Lon Chaney Jr. family. At one time, the name was the Grand Island Inn and in the 1970s it was a Rock "n" Roll Mecca.  In 1998, new owners resumed the hotel’s original name and did major renovating, where 1927 Art Deco feeling is everywhere.  

There are also rumors the hotel is haunted. Although we didn't see any ghosts, I think they were up to their tricks on Saturday night. When we all awoke on Sunday morning, no one was able to shower; the water was ice cold. They said something blew out the pilot light to the water heater.  

Hmmmm, very interesting!
 

Kathie's April Article

It was so nice to see so many people at our March meeting and especially new associates. I wouldn't be surprised if the number of recent new associates might be making history of its own. I know that since 1980, when we began coming to Sportsmen YC, there has never been this many people wanting to join.

At our Crab Feed in February, I had over thirty-five people come through our museum. These visitors were mostly new people and their guests. I love the enthusiasm they have for the museum and the Ferry.   

With so many new people, I think it is time to repeat some of our beginning history. So for the next couple of months, it is going to be "Back to the Beginning."   

We have so much to be proud of and, if we know some of the history of the Sausalito and know how and when the Club was formed, it will give our members, new and old, even more appreciation of our beloved Sausalito Ferry.

Kathie's March Article

On January 22, 2005, Phil Frank came to our Ferry. Phil has belonged to the Sausalito Historical Society since 1975. He contacted me through our Club’s website and asked if I would help him make a documentary film about the collision of the Ferry Sausalito and the Ferry San Rafael which occurred on November 30, 1901. On this very foggy evening, our Sausalito hit and sunk a smaller ferry, the San Rafael, at 6 o'clock in the evening off of Alcatraz. 

Phil gave me copies of the article as it appeared in the San Francisco Call Newspaper on the following day. I have always said five lives were lost and Old Dick, the cart horse, went down with the San Rafael because he wouldn't cross the plank they had put between the two vessels. Phil told me that a rumor has gone around that Old Dick did survive by swimming to shore at Fort Baker. 

Phil and his cameraman toured the ferry appreciating every inch of her. He asked me several times if the membership appreciate what they have; I assured him we do. 

They filmed parts of the museum, the halls of the ferry and the Pilot House on the Sausalito end, thanks to the Dawson's. 

Phil is going to show his film with other points of the city of Sausalito's history to the Sausalito Historical Society and to the Sausalito Women's Club. He said he will send us a copy.

Kathie's February Article

At our January meeting, I mentioned visiting the San Francisco Ferry Building that opened last year after renovation.  

The Ferry building originally opened in 1898. In that century, it witnessed an era of history from horse and buggies, parades, victory celebrations, earthquakes, plus the daily coming and goings of thousands of people.
 
The renovated building is worth a visit and remember, it is back to the way it looked in 1898. There are many shops and restaurants. If you have time you can board a ferry to Sausalito, Tiburon or Larkspur. 

Consider a visit to the San Francisco Ferry Building.  Take a step back in time and feel what it was like over a hundred years ago.  

Kathie's January Article

Our Sportsmen Christmas Party with Santa is now history and what wonderful memories we will always have for many years to come.  When I called the children to the stage to sing, they all seemed happy to participate with beautiful voices and smiles on their faces. The bells seemed to be a favorite.  A very special thank you to everyone who donated toward the children's stockings and helped to fill them. I hope most of you were there to see the bright smiles on the faces of the children when the very helpful elves handed them their gifts and stockings.   

Even though it was hard to wait, the children waited their turn to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.  When every child had their turn to talk to Santa, he waved good-bye and the children followed him outside to see him sail away. We know he was headed for West Island to get his reindeer and head back to the North Pole.