Most of the deckhands you’ve seen on Bay ferries got their start at the Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific (IBU) hiring hall. It is here where, based on seniority, deckhands can submit for jobs available that day. Many go on to get full-time positions with a specific company. Others, such as Jerry Norton, stay in the hiring hall and keep their options open.
Jerry Norton refers to himself as a “casual deckhand” as he doesn’t work exclusively for any one company. On any given day, you might find him on a ship from any of the Bay’s ferry companies. Photo by Matt Larson
By Matt Larson
Published: April, 2014
Most of the deckhands you’ve seen on Bay ferries got their start at the Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific (IBU) hiring hall. It is here where, based on seniority, deckhands can submit for jobs available that day. Many go on to get full-time positions with a specific company. Others, such as Jerry Norton, stay in the hiring hall and keep their options open.
Norton refers to himself as a "casual deckhand" as he doesn’t work exclusively for any one company. On any day, at any time, you can find him working on Blue & Gold Fleet, Red & White Fleet or Golden Gate Ferry. "I have three different uniforms," he said. Over the past five years, "I’ve worked almost every shift with almost everybody—all the different captains, all the different crew on all the different runs—I enjoy that."
Working between three different companies, Norton has had a wide range of memorable experiences. One of the top highlights was getting to tour an aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, during Fleet Week. "I was shuttling sailors back and forth," he said. "One day I went to work early, got to tour the Carl Vinson and got to sit in the captain’s seat."
Anything else? "I went to all four World Series games at AT&T Park with Blue & Gold, I went to a Pink Floyd concert with Golden Gate. That’s why I stay a casual deckhand. But you can’t always go into those events," he said. "Sometimes you’re too busy—we have to dock, clean up the boat, and somebody always has to stay on the boat and watch it—but we can take a break, watch for a while and go back to the boat, do our jobs and make sure the boat’s ready. We never get to watch the whole thing."
It’s not all fun and games, however. "We take our jobs seriously," said Norton. "Generally it’s routine, like anything else, but things can happen and we have to be careful and alert. As a deckhand I’m watching the passengers, mostly—making sure they don’t sit on the railings or hold their kids up too high on their shoulders. A lot of my challenges are observing the passengers and making sure nobody gets hurt." Injuries are a rare occurrence, though landing the boat is one of the most dangerous parts of being a deckhand. "When we pull in to dock, you can get crushed, killed or lose your fingers, so you have to be careful when you tie up the boat."
Norton’s on-water activities are not limited to his deckhand work. "I am also in the Coast Guard Auxiliary," he said. "I’m a volunteer for the Coast Guard. We’re unpaid, we’re not active duty, we never do law enforcement, but we work with the Coast Guard and help them." Norton encourages everyone, especially retired people, to volunteer. "There’s a lot of different things you can do to help," he said. "People need to do something, everyone’s got a hobby. I just love to help them out."
Native to Marin County, having grown up in Strawberry between Mill Valley and Tiburon, Norton is now a Corte Madera resident. He golfs and skis in his free time, though there’s one thing on the Bay he’s yet to do. "One of my goals is to rent a Segway on Angel Island." He recommends taking the ferry to Angel Island and just enjoying the day.
"A lot of people don’t get out on the Bay that often," Norton said. "You might want to bring a date. Red & White has a sunset cruise where there’s food and music, Blue & Gold does that too sometimes. It could be a nice dinner date out on the Bay." Even the daily commutes are a nice trip with your mate. "Tiburon, Sausalito and Angel Island—I grew up in Marin County and sailed on Richardson Bay as a kid, so that’s my area—but I’ve always enjoyed those runs."
