Golden Gate
Ferry High-Speed Catamaran Returns Home To Larkspur
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway
and Transportation District’s (District) high-speed catamaran,
M.V. Mendocino, will return to Golden Gate Ferry’s Larkspur
terminal from Washington State by the end of November. The
vessel is planned to return to service between Larkspur and San
Francisco sometime during the week of December 8, 2003.
The M.V. Mendocino will
replace the ferry crossings now provided by the District’s first
high-speed catamaran, M.V. Del Norte, which will be taken out
of service for routine U.S. Coast Guard inspections. There
will be no change to the Larkspur schedule during this time.
The dry docking of the M.V. Del Norte is expected to complete
in mid-January 2004 to early February 2004 and return to service.
The M.V. Mendocino was
taken out of service in December 2002 and returned to the original
builder Nichols Brothers, Washington to rebuild the twin hulls and
superstructure under warranty at no cost to the District. In spring
of 2002, routine inspections of the M.V. Mendocino by U.S.
Coast Guard and Golden Gate Ferry determined that substantial
warranty work was needed to ensure its long-term viability.
Specifically, it was determined that some of the aluminum plating
incorporated into the hulls and superstructure was manufactured
using a process that did not meet stringent marine engineering
requirements.
While the vessel was undergoing
reconstruction, the 42 daily ferry trips between Larkspur and San
Francisco were maintained by using one of the original three
Spaulding vessels for several morning commute trips causing those
trips to take 15 minutes longer.
While the M.V. Mendocino
was undergoing warranty repairs, the upper deck was modified to add
additional seats along with enhanced weather protection. The
M.V. Mendocino will have a seating capacity of 450 passengers,
up from the original 408. The M.V. Del Norte capacity
is 325.
The M.V. Mendocino was
originally placed into service in September 2001 and the M.V. Del
Norte was placed into service in September 1998.