Sam Moore has been a vessel master—in other words, a captain—for Golden Gate Ferry since 1997. Currently you can find him at the helm of his favorite boat, Mendocino, departing from Larkspur to San Francisco as early as 5:45 a.m.
Captain Sam Moore at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal that he bikes to on workdays. Photo by Curtis Brown
By Matt Larson
Published: July, 2014
Sam Moore has been a vessel master—in other words, a captain—for Golden Gate Ferry since 1997. Currently you can find him at the helm of his favorite boat, Mendocino, departing from Larkspur to San Francisco as early as 5:45 a.m. He also mans the helm of the San Francisco Fire Department’s boat on occasion—a position he’s held for one shift a month over the past seven years.
On the fire boat, Moore’s position is called “pilot,” rather than captain or vessel master, as there is already fire captain on board. “It’s so they don’t confuse us,” he said. “I’m not a fireman, I’m a marine employee, so the captain tells me what to do and I do it.” Moore has assisted the fire department with numerous fires over the years, including the one on Yerba Buena Island in 2013 as well as a restaurant fire on Pier 39.
The fire boat may seem a bit more exciting than the commuter ferries, but from a captain’s perspective, there are no two days alike on San Francisco Bay. “It’s always changing,” Moore said. “Just like they say about San Francisco, you’ll experience three seasons in a day. The currents are different for every landing; you have to keep on top of your game and on your toes.”
A San Rafael native and resident, Moore grew up around boats thanks to his father’s marine engine repair business. “My family always had boats,” said Moore. “I grew up playing around boats from the time I was a baby in diapers. Out of high school I took a job as a tugboat deckhand, then went to the California Maritime Academy and got a degree in marine transportation.” Moore has certainly found his niche, and he enjoys his commute to work almost as much as the job itself.
“I ride my bicycle to get to work,” he said. “I’ve got about a six-mile bike ride that I do.” Biking to work in order to operate a mode of public transportation? “Can’t get much greener than that!” For the past five years, Moore has been biking to work year-round, rain or shine. “Storms and everything.” He does have a secret to his motivation: “I didn’t register my truck with the DMV for a few years, so, that helped.”
When he’s not working on boats, “I’m thinking about boats,” Moore said with a laugh. One epic journey he’s always wanted to take is circumnavigating the east coast. “Going up the Mississippi River, Erie Canal, up to New York, down on to Florida. I think that’d be fun voyage to do someday.” Moore also spends his time off with his wife and daughter.
Moore and his team are prepared for anything out on the water, or even on the boat. In fact, Moore’s current crew is about to be honored as a result of their response to a recent incident. “My crew was recognized as employees of the month,” he said. Upon landing at the S.F. Ferry Building, the crew was notified that a passenger had passed out and stopped breathing, with no pulse. Thanks to an AED [automated external defibrillator] on board, as well as some expert training, they helped save the man’s life. “All the training we’ve done all these years kicked in,” he said. “The team did a fantastic job and we’re all being recognized for it.”
With a crew that’s ready for anything, as well as the ease of the water and general nature of the Bay, Moore believes that the ferry is the best way to travel. “I look around at the passengers that are riding my ferry when I get out from the wheelhouse and there’s little social groups that sit there and socialize during the trip,” he said. “People sit with the same group every day, either socializing, drinking coffee, sleeping, doing work—all that stuff you can’t really do in a car.”
So enjoy your time on the water, and make sure to congratulate Moore and his crew on a job well done the next time you board the early-morning Larkspur ferry.
