Ferryboat Sausalito History 2008 Articles

Kathie's December 2008 Article

At our November meeting, we had a visitor. His name was Kenneth Krohncke and his father was the captain of the Sausalito in 1914. Mr. Krohncke is 90 years old and was just thrilled to be part of our meeting. He got tired so he wasn't able to stay for the whole meeting, but he sure had some stories to tell. He told me his father was kidnapped and taken to sea at 14 years old. This was the beginning of his sailing adventures. He made copies of his father’s pilot license and pictures of his father and family to share with us. It was wonderful to meet someone who had such memories of our Sausalito's past. 

With Christmas coming fast, I would like to repeat a poem I wrote in 2004. 

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 stories of a long ago preacher. 

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

The children all smile and look up at Santa, as he hands them a gift in a very nice style. They say they were good, but many of us know, some had trouble as they started to grow. 

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

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

As we look toward the sky we hear him exclaim, Merry Christmas to Sportsmen and to all a goodnight.

Kathie's November 2008 Article

Sometime you can live in an area for years and not take advantage of sites that are very close.

Recently I read an article in our local paper about the San Francisco Cable Car Museum. I knew that it existed and had always wanted to visit it, but never took the time.  Last Sunday we took our grandchildren and visited this fascinating city attraction.

When you enter the building it is not quiet like most museums, there is a constant humming of large machinery. You look down and can see four rows of wheels winding miles and miles of large cable that take care of four cable car lines in the city. The cable is moving at 9.5 miles an hour constantly and the cars just grab on to the cable to move and then let go and use their brakes to stop.

The rest of the museum has wonderful pictures of the 1906 earthquake and the damage it did to the cable car lines and explains how they were almost eliminated in 1947 and that in the 1980's they were completely rebuilt. They also have moving pictures of the San Francisco Ferries taking refugees to Oakland after the earthquake.

I learned what the bells mean, one means stop, two means all clear, three means an emergency stop, four means back up. 

I hope you take the time to visit this great and very interesting Museum.

Kathie's October 2008 Article

We are so fortunate to live in the Bay Area; it is so rich in history.  I have written about several places in the past and felt the one we visited recently has to be on top.

Several weeks ago we took our three grandchildren to Angel Island. One of the most enjoyable parts is boarding the ferry in Tiburon for the ride to Angel Island.

When you arrive, you can hike the island, ride your bike or take the tram. We took the tram and found the historical information we learned from our driver very valuable.

The Coastal Miwok were the island’s first inhabitants 2000 years ago.  They used the island as a fishing and hunting ground. 

In 1775 Lt. Juan Manuel de Ayala sailed his ship, the "San Carlos", into the San Francisco Bay and anchored in Ayala Cove, which is on the north side of Angel Island.

In 1863, during the Civil War, the U.S. Army established Camp Reynolds on Angel Island to protect the San Francisco Bay. Later it was used as a discharge depot for soldiers returning from the Spanish American War. Then, for soldiers returning from World War I, it was an embarkation site for troops headed to the Pacific during World War II.

In 1891 a Quarantine Station was opened at Ayala Cove, where ships from foreign ports went to be fumigated.  

From 1910-1940, approximately 175,000 Chinese immigrants were detained on Angel Island from two weeks to six months, until their applications to enter the U.S. were approved.

Deer and raccoons are the only large mammals living on the island; there are no poisonous snakes and many birds.

Plan a trip to visit this beautiful island that is so full of history. The fall is the best weather on The Bay.  

Kathie's September 2008 Article

LIFE ABOARD THE DELTA KING AND QUEEN

The crew members on the Delta Queen and King sometimes liked to play tricks on the passengers; harmless of course. They found it fun to act worried that the smokestack was going to hit the railroad bridge at Benicia. If you stood aft, topside, and watched as the King approached the bridge, you'd swear the funnel was too tall to go under. Actually even at high tide, the clearance was at least eight feet, but it sure didn't appear that way. Everyone would hold their breath as the boat went under. The passengers, especially the ladies, would scream.

Even though the crew liked to have occasional fun, they worked very hard and often had to work long hours as well. On their nightly runs between San Francisco and Sacramento, piloting was divided into two six hour shifts, one pilot from 6 p.m. to midnight, the other from midnight on. But as a safety factor, two men were in the pilothouse at all times: a pilot and the captain or a pilot and the first mate.

Kathie's July-August 2008 Article

It has been 55 years since four yacht clubs (Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stockton, and Sportsmen) got together for the first time, at Sportsmen YC, to have an over-the-bottom race and lunch.

In those 55 years, this event has grown into a three or four day party with games, food, and entertainment.  It is called the 4S.  This year, the 55th 4S will be hosted by Stockton YC on July 18, 19 and 20. 

The weekend starts with a Friday night dinner to welcome everyone. On Saturday morning breakfast is served, then the opening ceremony. After that "The Games Begin," and each club competes with the others in the 4S games picked by the club hosting the event. Lunch is served and the games continue until dinner. After dinner, awards are presented to the winners.  

In 1986, Sportsmen donated a perpetual trophy and, with minor repairs since then, it is still used today.  

In 1994, Sportsmen started the tradition of presenting medals to the game winners.  This tradition has held; before that just the perpetual trophy was awarded to the winning club. 

The 4S is a wonderful event where old friendships are renewed from year to year. It is an event you don't want to miss. Hope to see everyone there!  

Kathie's June 2008 Article

From the mid 1930's on, as the Delta King and Queen steamed the Bay, passengers and crew witnessed the construction of two of the largest bridges in the world, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge.  

Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began in 1933 and six months later construction started on the Oakland Bay Bridge. There was talk for years about a link between San Francisco and Oakland and finally the long awaited bridge was built and opened on November 12, 1936. "According to the Oakland Tribune, the opening of the Bay Bridge was the greatest civic event in the Bay Area since the end of the World War. There were fireworks and school holidays, radio broadcast, football games, chain cuttings, ribbon snipping, and day and night parades. The newspaper coverage was never ending." 

When the bridges were finished, there was a negative effect on the Delta boats as well as the San Francisco Bay ferryboats. Eventually the steamboats would lose passengers and freight.  

Kathie's May 2008 Article

The Chrysopolis was one of California's most loved riverboats. When she was built in 1860, only the finest materials and workmanship went into building a vessel that was referred to as the Sacramento River's luxury liner. She was an example of Victorian elegance and set a record for steamboats that still holds today. She traveled from Sacramento to San Francisco in 5 hours and 19 minutes. That is almost 23 miles an hour. To compare with the King and Queen that were built much later, it took them 11 hours for the same trip, traveling 10 to 11 miles an hour. 

In 1875 the Chrysopolis was converted into a double ended ferryboat and renamed the Oakland. The Oakland went on to provide service until 1940.

Kathie's April 2008 Article

The legendary Delta King and Delta Queen ran from San Francisco to Sacramento from 1927 to 1940. Both of these marvelous ships can still be boarded. It is still possible to take a cruise on the Delta Queen on the Mississippi River or you can stay on the Delta King, which is a floating hotel in Sacramento. 

In the early days overnight steamers were an important part of the American transportation system. They ran between the two cities with dinnertime departures and early morning arrivals. The trip would start with a relaxing dinner while watching the scenery pass by. People preferred a berth on the night boat over a train car because of train delays and the noise levels. 

The Delta King was brought back from derelict status and the Delta Queen has survived because of her wooden superstructure. It would be hasty to think that these old steamers will last forever. It is costly to maintain these vessels and, as many ships of any sort, they cannot go on forever. 

If you have a chance, try to experience one or both of these magnificent ships while we can.   

Kathie's March 2008 Article

We have a national treasure practically in our backyard.  The USS Hornet museum is moored at historic Alameda Point on San Francisco Bay.  The aircraft carrier participated in two of the greatest events of the 20th century, World War II and the Apollo 11 manned space mission. 

The goal of the USS Hornet is to educate old and young on the past.  The docents on the ship are all past Navy and they are very proud of their ship.  The supporters of the ship are trying to get more visitors to board the ship; it is not bringing the revenue they expected. 

It would be a shame to lose this important part of history. 

This could be a wonderful day trip.  When you board this giant aircraft carrier, it is very exciting! 

I would like to recommend you take the time to visit this historic relic and to see first hand the Apollo space capsule and walk the decks where so many men served.  

Kathie's February 2008 Article

Before the San Francisco Ferry Building was built, square riggers and ferryboats came into Meiggs Wharf that was north from what is now Powell and San Francisco Streets. Today it is filled in and the site of Fisherman's Wharf. 

During the 1920's and 1930's the San Francisco Ferry Building was the center for ferryboats, connecting four steam railroads with 29 city streetcar and cable car lines. Over 55 million passengers came through the Ferry building each year.  

Kathie's January 2008 Article

*How to Simulate the Life of a Sailor*

~ Buy a steel dumpster, paint it gray inside and out, and live in it for six months.

~ Run all the pipes and wires in your house exposed on the walls.
~ Repaint your entire house every month.

~ Renovate your bathroom. Build a wall across the middle of the bathtub and move the showerhead to chest level. When you take showers, make sure you turn off the water while you soap down.

~ Raise the thresholds and lower the headers of your front and back doors so that you either trip or bang your head every time you pass through them.

~ Disassemble and inspect your lawnmower every week.

~ On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, turn your water heater temperature up to 200 degrees. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, turn the water heater off. On Saturdays and Sundays tell your family they use too much water during the week, so no bathing will be allowed.

~ Raise your bed to within 6 inches of the ceiling, so you can't turn over without getting out and then getting back in.

~ Sleep on the shelf in your closet. Replace the closet door with a curtain. Have your spouse whip open the curtain about 3 hours after you go to sleep, shine a flashlight in your eyes, and say "Sorry, wrong rack."

~ Make your family qualify to operate each appliance in your house - dishwasher operator, blender technician, etc.

~ Have your neighbor come over each day at 5 am, blow a whistle loudly, and shout "Reveille, reveille, all hands heave out and trice up."

~ Have your mother-in-law write down everything she's going to do the following day, then have her make you stand in your back yard at 6 am while she reads it to you.

~ Submit a request chit to your father-in-law requesting permission to leave your house before 3 pm.

~ Empty all the garbage bins in your house and sweep the driveway three times a day, whether it needs it or not.

~ Have your neighbor collect all your mail for a month, read your magazines, and randomly lose every 5th item before delivering it to you.

~ Watch no TV except for movies played in the middle of the night. Have your family vote on which movie to watch, then show a different one.

~ Make your family menu a week ahead of time without consulting the pantry or refrigerator.

~ Post a menu on the kitchen door informing your family that they are having steak for dinner. Then make them wait in line for an hour. When they finally get to the kitchen, tell them you are out of steak, but they can have dried ham or hot dogs. Repeat daily until they ignore the menu and just ask for hot dogs.

~ Bake a cake. Prop up one side of the pan so the cake bakes unevenly. Spread icing real thick to level it off.

~ Get up every night around midnight and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on stale bread. (midrats)

~ Set your alarm clock to go off at random times during the night. At the alarm, jump up and dress as fast as you can, making sure to button your top shirt button and tuck your pants into your socks. Run out into the backyard and uncoil the garden hose.

~ Every week or so, throw your dog in the pool and shout, "Man overboard port side!" Rate your family members on how fast they respond.

~ Put the headphones from your stereo on your head, but don't plug them in. Hang a paper cup around your neck on a string. Stand in front of the stove, and speak into the paper cup "Stove manned and ready." After an hour or so, speak into the cup again "Stove secured." Roll up the headphones and paper cup and stow them in a shoebox.

~ Place a podium at the end of your driveway. Have your family stand watches at the podium, rotating at 4 hour intervals. This is best done when the weather is worst. January is a good time.

~ When there is a thunderstorm in your area, get a wobbly rocking chair, sit in it and rock as hard as you can until you become nauseous. Make sure to have a supply of stale crackers in your shirt pocket.

~ Make coffee using eighteen scoops of budget priced coffee grounds per pot, and allow the pot to simmer for 5 hours before drinking.

~ Have someone under the age of ten give you a haircut with sheep shears.

~ Sew the back pockets of your jeans on the front.

~ Lock yourself and your family in the house for six weeks. Tell them that at the end of the 6th week you are going to take them to Disney World for "liberty." At the end of the 6th week, inform them the trip to Disney World has been canceled because they need to get ready for an inspection, and it will be another week before they can leave the house.

If you should happen to have old newspaper articles, photos, other artifacts, or personal knowledge relevant to the history of The Ferryboat Sausalito, please contact Historian Kathie (please see "Contact SYC Staff" on Home Page).
Thank you.