Blue & Gold Fleet’s Mare Island facility opened its doors in 1997 with a crew of just three. Earl Brown is one of the original few and is still a Blue & Gold engineer today.
Blue & Gold Fleet Engineer Earl Brown was one of the original crew that opened up the Mare Island maintenance facility in 1997. Photo by Matt Larson
By Matt Larson
Published: May, 2013
Blue & Gold Fleet’s Mare Island facility opened its doors in 1997 with a crew of just three. Earl Brown is one of the original few and is still a Blue & Gold engineer today. His 16th anniversary on the job comes this June 2013, which will also mark his retirement. "I told myself that when I hit 65 I’d retire," said Brown. "I’ve got a lot of other things I want to do."
It’s the variety of the job that has kept him around so long. "You never know what you’re going to work on next," Brown said. "It can be cleaning a bilge one day, fixing a computer the next and everything in between: welding, hydraulics, electronics—everything on the boat." And, most importantly, he enjoys it. "I like the type of work," Brown said.
During the Vietnam War, Brown was an in-flight radar repairman and staff sergeant for the Air Force. "There are a lot of similarities to boat and plane repair, especially when the boat is moving," he said. On a ferry boat, however, "You’re not getting shot at." After the war he worked for himself, repairing smaller boats for 18 years. He’s had the opportunity to take numerous vessels on some pretty epic trips. "I’ve taken boats to Hawaii and back, multiple trips up to Washington and down to Southern California."
Brown also got the chance to experience an Alaskan expedition on the Klondike Express. Some commuters may remember the Klondike Express, a boat that Blue & Gold leased for a year as repairs were being done on the Vallejo. "We took that boat all the way down the coast from Alaska," said Brown. "There were three of us from Blue & Gold—Chuck Elles, Hugo Knef and myself. It was quite a trip, let me tell you."
Along the way, they trolled through glacier bays with mini icebergs all around, they stocked up on some fresh ice and they actually made history. "We evidently broke the record for the fastest transit through Canada—from the border of Canada and Alaska down the inside passage to the continental U.S. border. I forget how many hours it took but we pretty much traveled anywhere from 18 to 35 knots all the way down."
In addition to being a Blue & Gold engineer, Brown is also a certified firefighter and works with the Crockett/Carquinez Fire Department. "I’m an engineer for them, which means I get to drive and pump water. I’m also on the rescue team. I do high-angle rescue and confined-space rescue, I’m an EMT and I fight fires." Brown’s list of accomplishments goes on and on.
Brown explained the experience of driving the fire truck through town. "It’s pretty exciting; a high-adrenaline job. But there’s a lot of lives at stake when you’re going that fast in something that big," he said. "You’ve got to be careful going through red lights and things like that. We pretty much come to a complete stop unless we have really good visibility at an intersection."
And if all this wasn’t enough, Brown is also a range officer at Richmond Rod & Gun Club. "I make sure everyone’s doing things safely," he said. "And I like to shoot target practice for competitions." In his spare time, if he ever has it, Brown enjoys sailing. He owns his own international folkboat, a popular Scandinavian design. "I like sailing all over the Bay," he said. "It’s got some of the best winds in the world."
Brown was born in San Francisco and grew up in Daly City. He currently resides in Crockett with his wife, Sue, and looks forward to the next chapter of his life. He will be truly missed by his Blue & Gold comrades, and the feeling is mutual. "I’ll miss the technical challenges that keep me on my toes," he said. "And I’ll miss the people I work with."
