If you’re riding the afternoon ferry on San Francisco Bay Ferry’s Oakland/Alameda route, you very well may be listening to Captain Andy Miller’s voice. Bay Crossings joined him on a recent trip.
Captain Andy Miller in the wheelhouse of San Francisco Bay Ferry’s Peralta, operating on the Alameda/Oakland route to and from San Francisco. Photo by Matt Larson
By Matt Larson
Published: February, 2012
If you’re riding the afternoon ferry on San Francisco Bay Ferry’s Oakland/Alameda route, you very well may be listening to Captain Andy Miller’s voice. Bay Crossings joined him on a recent trip.
"Good afternoon, welcome aboard the ferry Peralta," Captain Miller announced over the loudspeaker. "There are two stops today: first stop is the ferry building, downtown San Francisco, the second stop is Pier 41 at Fisherman’s Wharf."
Miller has been a ferry captain for the past 23 years. The best year of all? "Right now," he said. "In the moment, man—it’s the kind of job that keeps me in the moment all of the time."
Public safety is the primary concern of a ferryboat captain. "You can’t think about tomorrow or yesterday, you’ve got to be at what’s in front of you right now," Miller said. "I’m driving a boat, we’re going 28 knots, heading out of the estuary—I have to be focused on what I’m doing."
Though, at this writing, the weather in the Bay Area was still unusually calm and peaceful for the time of year, it wasn’t the same case last season. "Last winter we got our ass kicked every week out here," Miller said. "It’s challenging to run the boat when there’s a storm coming across. It can get really rough. You’ve got to alter your course or try to zigzag through, find a good way so that the boat’s going to ride comfortably."
In the stormy winter there doesn’t tend to be much boat traffic on the water. When there is, Miller must take other precautions. "When there are a lot of boats you just have to go slow and have an extra lookout up here with you," said Miller. "If a boat is anchored, you don’t see its anchor line until you get up on top of it. You could have a problem thinking it’s underway when it’s not really underway. You just have to slow it down and really observe."
Aside from safety, Miller’s other priority when manning the ship is timeliness for his passengers. "I’m really motivated to take people home safely and on time," he said. "Sometimes it’s challenging with the slow bells and the evening rush hour for the ships, sometimes we’ve go to go slow for them. It’s frustrating for me because I know people want to get home, I’m up here chomping at the bit, but I like to get people home safely."
Miller grew up in the Bay Area, attended Cal State Maritime and now lives in Sausalito. As a fan of the seas and a mariner himself, he’s very excited about the America’s Cup races that are coming to town. "It’s way bigger than what people think," he said. "I saw the America’s Cup in New Zealand in 2000, it was amazing. Like a Super Bowl, just thousands and thousands of people watching the races."
Out on the water on a beautiful day on the Bay, Miller observed the scenery. "The America’s Cup people got it right when they chose this place," he said. "They’re going to have sailboat racing right up here in front of Alcatraz. It’s a great venue."
When not at the helm, Miller maintains an active lifestyle by means of surfing in Southern California and hiking in the Himalayas. "I’ve hiked in Tibet and Nepal. In Tibet I got up to 18,600 feet trekking." Even if it comes down to doing pushups at opportune moments on the ferryboat—averaging at least 100 a day—Miller sustains a physical regime. "I always try to maintain a good peace of mind and a good perspective about life in general." Such achievements can easily be made when floating across the Bay everyday.
"I encourage everybody in the Bay Area to take the ferry," said Miller. "Fresh air, views, personal service, if you’ve got a question—ask us." It’s a unique experience, and, being the oldest form of transportation in the Bay Area, the ferry is very reliable. "Before the bridges, before the roads, the planes, the trains—boats were here," said Miller. "Every day it’s different, every day it’s new. It’s a great way to get across the Bay."
