Captain Jeremiah Brazil of Blue & Gold Fleet recently helmed a Bay Cruise for visitors to the San Francisco Bay. "It’s beautiful today, a little overcast but calm waters and clear skies," he said.
Blue & Gold’s Captain Jeremiah Brazil, here at the helm of the RocketBoat this summer. During the winter months, he captains Bay Cruises. He encourages locals to come join him and “play tourist.” Photo by Matt Larson
By Matt Larson
Published: November, 2012
Captain Jeremiah Brazil of Blue & Gold Fleet recently helmed a Bay Cruise for visitors to the San Francisco Bay. "It’s beautiful today, a little overcast but calm waters and clear skies," he said. Calmness on the Bay Cruises he’s currently working is a stark contrast to what he did this summer, when he spent much of his time giving tourists a wild ride on the RocketBoat.
"It’s probably the most fun boat to drive in the San Francisco Bay," said Brazil. "You’ve got the stereo going so everyone’s in a good mood, singing along, then I go out there and do a couple spins in a 3,000-horsepower 70-foot jet ski." Just being one of about 120 passengers is thrilling enough; driving the RocketBoat never gets old.
Brazil grew up in the Bay Area, spending much of his childhood and adolescence in San Francisco, where he currently resides. "I was raised on this Bay. My father was a boat captain, and my grandfather before him." And Brazil’s maritime family story goes on: "My parents met on Pier 39. My mom worked at a little Alcatraz shop and my dad worked on the waterfront." Right next door at the RocketBoat dock on Pier 41, Brazil is constantly reminded of his legacy on the SF waterways.
"My dad ran a sea scout program that taught young mariners how to become sailors," Brazil said. "I grew up doing that." He has certainly made the most of his skills, and continues to share them with kids to this day. "I volunteer in a sea scout program now," he said. "I teach young mariners skills that I hope will make them better mariners down the road."
It’s the Boy Scouts of America’s Sea Scout Program in Petaluma, and Brazil’s unit is called the Compass Rose. "It’s a good program; teaching kids off the streets, working around boats, and they have their own 65-foot vessel that used to be a torpedo retriever."
When he’s not at the helm on the waterways, Brazil is always driving or riding around in something. "I’m kind of a hot-rod guy," he said. "I have a ’55 Chevy, a ’57 Chevy, and a ’64 Cadillac, along with others sitting in various states of dilapidation." He doesn’t hesitate to take the Harley out for a spin when he gets the chance either. Certainly he’s keeping his thrill-seeking skills up to par to give his RocketBoat riders the best possible experience on the Bay.
No matter the thrill, Brazil can handle the stresses of the job. "Something that people probably don’t realize, on any given day I can have 400 people that are entrusting their lives to me to navigate the San Francisco Bay," he explained. "Weather conditions—fog, high seas, currents, tides—all that could really stress somebody out. It’s a lot." But he keeps his composure.
Brazil highly recommends that locals come out on the Bay Cruises or RocketBoat. "It’s kind of fun to play tourist," he said. "I think every once in a while people should realize why so many tourists come to San Francisco. Working 9 to 5 everyday, people can forget how enchanting the city can be." And even commuting on the ferry can contribute to that. "It’s almost like going home and taking your shoes off," Brazil said. "As soon as you get on the ferry you can relax on your way home. You can get a beer from the bar, just decompress from your day and enjoy the sea. It’s a pretty place."
For up-and-coming sea captains, Brazil has one bit of advice: "Go to a maritime college. Come try it for a summer working on deck down here. If it’s something you really want to pursue—definitely go to college."
