If you have been travelling by ferry over the last month, chances are you've seen some recent dredging and maintenance activities being performed at the ferry terminals in Vallejo, Larkspur and San Francisco.
The passenger float was removed from the end of the gangway at the Vallejo ferry terminal to allow better access for dredging, which was last performed in 2011. Photo by Joel Williams
BC Staff Report
Published: November, 2015
If you have been travelling by ferry over the last month, chances are you’ve seen some recent dredging and maintenance activities being performed at the ferry terminals in Vallejo, Larkspur and San Francisco.
In Vallejo, the passenger float at the end of the gangway was removed to allow for periodic maintenance dredging, which occurs every four years and ensures that ferry service between Vallejo and San Francisco continues uninterrupted. The passenger float structure was then sent to Alameda’s Bay Ship & Yacht for routine maintenance and upkeep.
At Bay Ship & Yacht, the passenger float structure was drydocked in order to perform several important procedures: renewing the slip resistant (non-skid) paint on the decks to ensure traveler safety; replacing the sacrificial anodes to prolong the life of the vessel; and completing underwater/freeboard paint renewal. Bay Ship & Yacht performed routine maintenance and replacement of the hydraulic cylinders that adjust the gangway height, and also replaced some of the rubber fendering that became damaged over time as vessels docked against the structure. The project also included replacing gangway lights at the Vallejo Ferry Terminal with high efficiency LED fixtures.
Dredging is also underway at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. However, due to environmental restrictions, dredging within a 250-foot buffer of the marshlands near the berths and turning basin was not allowed to begin until September 1. After that window had opened, the contractor, San Rafael-based Dutra Group, mobilized a second dredging crew in this area. The work within the berths and turning basin is also restricted to between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to minimize effects on ferry operations. Dutra is continuing work in the channel around the clock, and the dredging work is expected to be complete by November 30. Golden Gate Ferry does not anticipate that the work will affect operations, but passengers may see more equipment and work in the area.
Elsewhere, work started several months ago on Golden Gate’s San Francisco Terminal outer berth to retrofit and replace the boarding ramp cylinders. This work is part of a larger overhaul of the terminal that includes replacing the roofs, replacing the water and sewer lines, and repairing and repainting the walls.
Clockwise from top left: San-Rafael based Dutra Group performs maintenance dredging in the channel leading to the Larkspur ferry terminal. Work continues at the San Francisco ferry terminal to retrofit and replace the boarding ramp cylinders. The passenger float for the Vallejo ferry terminal heads back from Alameda’s Bay Ship & Yacht after routine maintenance and upkeep procedures. All photos by Joel Williams
