By Mary Swift-Swan

Blue & Gold Fleet is the largest ferry and passenger excursion vessel operator on San Francisco Bay. They have grown slowly and worked hard to provide dependable and environmentally sensitive service to the greater Bay Area. The Blue & Gold Fleet transports more than 4 million commuters, residents, and visitors annually. The company employs 200 people and operates 14 passenger and tour vessels that vary in capacity from 400 to 700 passengers. With the completion of their well-received bid for Bay Farm Island this year, they will be adding two more commute vessels and a few new staff members.

To tell the story of the 25-year rise of Blue & Gold Fleet is to tell the story of the return of ferry service to San Francisco Bay. In the mid-’30s thru the early ’50s, a gas company, a car company, and a tire company worked very hard as a team to ban ferry service near or under any of the new and proposed bridges. They forced commuters and visitors to use the new bridges. Their plan was endorsed as the fastest way to pay for the bridge construction debt and continual maintenance costs. Bridge fares were set low and costs were managed with subsidies to encourage people to drive. Gradually, the Bay’s Southern Pacific ferry and electric rail system was dismantled and effectively outlawed.

In 1967, Tiburon was the first “renegade” community to win the fight with their own checkbooks to restart commute ferries on the Bay. At the request of Ed Zelinsky and Tiburon community leaders, Crowley Maritime, who operated tour boats on the Bay and was under contract to provide passage to Alcatraz, leased the Zelinsky property where the ferry dock stands for nearly nothing. Crowley’s Red and White tour boat, Harbor King, provided transport for Tiburon riders to and from San Francisco, without subsidy. That was the only way to restart the service. (The Tiburon ferry is still unsubsidized; the only one not subsidized on the West Coast.) Following their lead, a group of Sausalito businessmen worked with the Golden Gate Transit, which had halted its ferry service to Marin with the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge by 1941. Together, they refurbished a boat appropriately named the “Golden Gate,” and in 1970, restarted ferry service for commuters in Sausalito.
During the same time period, J. Phillip Murphy, the president of Murphy-Pacific Co., oversaw the building of the Richmond-San Rafael, Martinez-Benicia, and San Mateo-Hayward bridges as well as the arched Coronado Bridge in San Diego. After the completion of these major bridges, Murphy explored other maritime interests, and decided to place tugs and barges on the Bay. The powerful presence of Crowley Maritime’s international tug business on the Bay crowded out the new company. Roger Murphy, J. Phillip’s son, chose another avenue of competition with Crowley Maritime.

In 1978, Blue & Gold tours started with financial backing from Warren Simmons, who spearheaded the privately owned and newly completed PIER 39. With Roger Murphy as vice president and general manager, the competition with Crowley began with one tour boat selling tickets from PIER 39. In 1979, they added a second, and in 1980, a third, creating a fleet and a sustainable presence to give friendly competition to Crowley’s Red and White tour fleet plying the waters of the Bay.

The next big step toward ferry service came in 1986 when Crowley Maritime began the Vallejo Ferry run with a refurbished vessel from Southern California. At that time, the operator had to own the boat. It was a high-speed cat. It worked so well that the City of Vallejo built a second boat and put it under the operating management of Crowley.

Vallejo’s enthusiastic step created sweeping changes. Oakland/Alameda had two boats and docks built and put operation contracts out to bid. In 1991, Blue & Gold won that bid for the Oakland/Alameda route taking on operations of the two new boats.

Then, in 1994, Crowley Maritime sold their ferry and tour business to Blue & Gold. In that deal, Blue & Gold acquired the Crowley headquarter offices at Pier 41, six of the nine tour boats, the exclusive contract for Alcatraz, and the commute to Tiburon and Vallejo, adding to their Oakland/Alameda route. The “Red and White” name and three boats, including the Harbor King, were purchased by another company, which continues to provide Bay tours.

Roger F. Murphy left the company in 1995, leaving behind a legacy of excellence. During his tenure, he encouraged interested deckhands to reach for their Captain’s license. Most importantly, he worked to build the Bay’s best operation team.

In 1997, Blue & Gold Fleet extended their tradition of excellence by renewing their concession contract with the National Park Service to be the exclusive provider of passenger transportation to Alcatraz Island. And more recently, their superb service record with the parks since 1994 won them the Angel Island/San Francisco contract.

2003 was not just the year the Blue & Gold Fleet and PIER 39 celebrated their 25th birthdays. Blue and Gold received the prestigious WRAP Award (Waste Reduction Awards Program). The WRAP Award is given to ten California firms for outstanding achievement in environmental protection and waste reduction by the California Integrated Waste Management Board. “It is a joy to present this prestigious WRAP of the Year award to the Blue & Gold Fleet,” said Board Chair Linda Moulton-Patterson. “A commitment to excellence is the hallmark of this company, and that commitment extends to their customers and the environment, too. This is exactly the kind of leadership that will move California toward a zero waste society, and we applaud the Blue & Gold Fleet for its efforts.” Blue & Gold saved 100,000 gallons of diesel by repowering its older boats.

Today, the Blue & Gold Fleet is a friend to all who want to see San Francisco Bay by ferry. In addition to commute routes, they offer frequent non-commute-hour service to Tiburon and Sausalito with its many restaurants, shops, and more, all within walking distance. Try wine tasting in Alameda at Rosenblum’s Winery or go to Oakland’s Amtrak station and visit Jack London Square. The Vallejo route takes visitors to the gateway of the wine country or Six Flags Marine World. Catch a ferry to the San Francisco Giants’ home baseball games from all around the Bay. Blue & Gold started with and still provides one of the best one-hour San Francisco Bay tours. Now this trusted company can take you to Angel Island, too. Blue & Gold is the only way to visit the “dark park” with its prison ruins and sparkling views, or see Alcatraz at night, if you dare.

Blue & Gold transports passengers to the Ferry Building from all over the Bay. If you’re heading into the City for the day, don’t get off at the Ferry Building. Stay aboard and then get off at PIER 39, in the heart of San Francisco’s fun and festive waterfront shopping and dining area.