A Tiburon native and current Napa resident, Captain Burke Beardsley of Blue & Gold Fleet began voyaging the waterways of the San Francisco Bay with his father when he was just seven years old. Now you can find him at the helm of the San Francisco Bay Ferry’s Vallejo route on weekday afternoons.
Captain Beardsley after a perfect landing on the San Francisco Bay Ferrry’s Intintoli at the Historic San Francisco Ferry Building. Photo by Matt Larson
By Matt Larson
Published: August, 2012
A Tiburon native and current Napa resident, Captain Burke Beardsley of Blue & Gold Fleet began voyaging the waterways of the San Francisco Bay with his father when he was just seven years old. Now you can find him at the helm of the San Francisco Bay Ferry’s Vallejo route on weekday afternoons.
"I’ve always been drawn to the water and I just love being out here," said Beardsley. "I love the views, sunsets, sunrises. We also deal with different current situations, winds and commercial vessels on the Bay—it’s never quite the same from day to day."
Something else that’s changed is the new and improved ferry Intintoli. "We have brand new main engines and brand new generators. I think we’re getting close to 3 knots more speed out of her than we used to," said Beardsley. "The passengers are loving it. We get them home a little earlier so they’re all smiles when we pull into the dock."
Pulling into the dock, technically called a landing, is one of the most challenging moments for the captain at the helm. "The landings are where you earn your money I think," Beardsley said. "When you’re maneuvering these boats it’s almost sort of a zen thing—you have to feel the wind, feel the water, feel the movement of the boat—there’s a lot to it. You really have to work hard to make smooth landings." Especially with so much to focus on, it’s pretty impressive how smooth a ride the ferry can be.
"We keep pretty busy," said Beardsley. "We’re focused on AIS [automatic identification system] over here, we have the radars, we’re talking on the radio to other vessels, dealing with commercial traffic." And the wind and fog add a whole new dimension. "That’s when you have to kind of laser-focus on what you’re doing. It’s our job to keep it smooth and get them there safely. That’s what it’s all about."
Even though the captains are very well-trained and the boats can handle the temperaments of the Bay, not all people are at a total ease when they look out the window to see a whiteout of fog. "We had one lady years ago who was just terrified whenever we were in the fog," Beardsley said. "So one day I brought her up and I showed her how all the radars work and how we navigate in the fog. After that she was fine. It was a huge sigh of relief," he laughed. "She was pretty happy after that."
Beardsley was a member of the Coast Guard for five years and frequents the Caribbean every chance he gets. He’s actually made a business career for himself on the water as well. In 2000 he began a company called Bay Adventures and later sold it in 2006. He now owns and operates Marine Filmworks, working as the marine coordinator on film projects that come to the Bay Area. "When they get on the water I coordinate all the boats and the crews and the divers and the medics, whatever else they might need." He’s worked on Twisted, Hidalgo and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, to name a few.
Over the past 24 years of cruising the local waterways as a ferry captain, Beardsley knows what a special thing the ferry service is and looks forward to its possible expansion. The latest new run is Oyster Point. "I think it’s great," he said. "It’s a really nice way to bypass the Bay Bridge!" He’s hoping for a couple other areas in the Bay to pick up ferry services as well. "I think Berkeley would be a really logical choice, and Richmond too. I hope the ferries thrive," he said. "I don’t think they can widen the roads any more!"
Beardsley highlighted the revamped Intintoli ferry, with four bathrooms, a full snack bar, indoor and outdoor seating. "This particular commute [Vallejo] is the longest commute in the Bay," said Beardsley. "So it tends to be more social than some of the others." Beardsley discussed how the Intintoli was designed with this in mind, having a blend of both airline-style and booth seating. "People spend more time here, so they like to sit together on Friday nights and have a little party on the way back to Vallejo." Not bad after a long day’s work.
