If you've been enjoying your daily commute on a Golden Gate Ferry-a calming environment with majestic views of the Bay Area-it might not surprise you that Bay Area ferry companies tend to hold on to their employees for a long time.
Eric Friberg’s maritime career includes 10 years with Golden Gate Ferry, stints with Blue & Gold Fleet, Red & White Fleet and about 10 years working in several boatyards.
By Matt Larson
Published: December, 2016
If you’ve been enjoying your daily commute on a Golden Gate Ferry—a calming environment with majestic views of the Bay Area—it might not surprise you that Bay Area ferry companies tend to hold on to their employees for a long time. Eric Friberg has been a vessel master (in other words, a captain) for Golden Gate Ferry since 2006, and is still enjoying the job a decade later.
“Boats are something that I was interested in as a little kid, and it carried over into my adult life,” said Friberg. “The simple practice of driving a boat still intrigues me, I almost liken it to golf—I don’t really feel it’s something you could ever master. There’s just always new things you can learn about it.” And that’s coming from someone who has pretty much spent his entire life around boats.
Growing up on the Larkspur Creek in Larkspur, Friberg recalls boarding the ferry boats back when he was a kid in the seventies, going in and out of the channel he currently works in forty years later. And he’s actually following in the footsteps of his father, who was also a captain in the Bay Area. “My dad was in the Coast Guard and sailed in the Merchant Marines as an unlimited AB, but most of his career he ran private yachts,” said Friberg. “Because of that I got to do a lot of traveling with him up and down the coast.” They also had a family tugboat and Friberg would do small jobs while growing up. Friberg has also fished all over the Bay Area throughout his life, so he has gotten to know these waterways more than most of us.
And his professional life has been no different. Even while he was earning his degree in history from San Francisco State, Friberg was working for Bayside Boatworks in Sausalito learning all about boats. He remained with the company after college and ended up working a total of about 10 years in different boatyards. “I think that time was very valuable for my maritime career,” he said. “Operating a boat is one thing, working and repairing vessels is another. What I’ve retained has always helped me.” To complete Friberg’s well-rounded maritime career, he’s also worked for Blue & Gold Fleet, Red & White Fleet and Marine Express before coming to Golden Gate Ferry.
Remarkably given his full maritime resume, Friberg also spent about 10 years of his life playing football as an offensive lineman. He began in high school and ended up playing for New Mexico State University on a scholarship. He played his last year at Humboldt State University, but the Bay Area was a huge attraction to him, so he came back to start working and finished up his degree in San Francisco.
He now lives in Petaluma with wife Cindy, son Nolan and daughters Kylie and Michelle, enjoying the outdoors with the family when he can. He and his wife ride bikes through the backroads of Petaluma in the Chileno Valley area, they take the kids camping once or twice a year up to Lake Pillsbury and they head to Tahoe as much as possible—anything that gets them outside. That’s probably one of the things that keeps Friberg so happy at his job, as he gets to work outside and take in breathtaking views every day from up in the helm.
“I just enjoy it. Being on the water, driving the boats, having that office view,” he said. “It’s a view people pay to see, so I think we’re all pretty fortunate to have that.” And Friberg recommends the ferry for everyone. “It’s a great way to get off the road for a little while,” said Friberg. “I understand you might still have to drive to the ferry terminal and back home, but it gives you a half hour to take a break. Just relax, reduce stress and hopefully enjoy a good beer on your way!”
