San Francisco’s Fleet Week has been recognized by the United States Department of Defense as the model for fleet weeks across the country. This October 6 through 14 marks the 38th anniversary of the modern version of Fleet Week in San Francisco, but the origins of this event are much older. San Francisco and Fleet […]
Hovercraft Study Gets OK: WETA directors this month approved a $475,000 contract to Los Angeles-headquartered AECOM to study the feasibility of using hovercraft for ferry service on the Bay. The giant engineering company has several Bay Area offices and employs more than 80,000 people worldwide. The study begins in October and is expected to last […]
On September 26, Tideline Marine Group launched its latest passenger craft, the 75-foot, 149-passenger Peregrine. The new ferry boat is Tideline’s fourth vessel and by far its largest. The Tiburon-based private operator, which has financial backing from investment banker Richard Blum, operates two 45-passenger craft, as well as a smaller 20-passenger catamaran called Kestrel. The […]
The Port of Redwood City, a “niche” cargo gateway, recently received a 2019 Homeland Security Port Security Grant. The $1.85 million grant is the largest in northern California and the fourth largest in the nation for a port entity. The grant will fund transportation security infrastructure, training and operations programs that boost port resilience and […]
Fall is just around the corner, the time when Treasure Island development authorities had been expected to clarify their expectations for a promised ferry service between the island and downtown San Francisco. At issue is how ferry operations will be financed and whether initial service will be provided by a public agency, the Water Emergency […]
When boating in the Bay, having a cell phone on board allows you to keep in touch with land-based contacts and businesses easily. They are very convenient but in some situations they shouldn’t be used in place of a very high frequency (VHF) radio. Here are some things to consider regarding cell phones: Cell phones […]
When Sustainable Contra Costa (SCoCo) was launched in 2007, there wasn’t really a way for those committed to the idea of an “ecologically sustainable, economically vibrant and socially just” Contra Costa County to put their heads together to share resources and ideas. SCoCo has changed that situation for the better, and the organization will host […]
The Water Emergency Transportation Authority’s board of directors has granted Tideline Marine Group a six-month extension of its agreement to use WETA’s Harbor Bay Terminal. Tideline had originally requested a one-year add-on to its current deal, which expires August 25. The full-year request was incorporated into a presentation at the August board meeting by WETA’s […]
It’s a self-described “imperfect solution,” but ferry operators and the Port of San Francisco have taken steps to ensure there will be ferry service when the new Chase Center Arena opens in Mission Bay this fall. By unanimous vote at their June board meeting, Water Emergency Transit Authority (WETA) directors approved plans to move ahead […]
Once-through cooling. For decades, power plants along the San Francisco, Pittsburg and Antioch shorelines used this technology. Powerful pumps sucked Bay water into local power plants, pulling in larvae and small fish that died by the force. Intake screens trapped larger fish in the water rushing in. Heated water dumped into the Bay killed fish […]