When we first spoke with Damon Brewer a few months ago, he had been the director of engineering and maintenance for Golden Gate Ferry for about four days, but he was no stranger to the working waterfront.
Damon Brewer is a dedicated ferry rider that makes the reverse commute from San Francisco to Larkspur where he works as the director of engineering and maintenance for Golden Gate Ferry.
By Matt Larson
Published: February, 2017
When we first spoke with Damon Brewer a few months ago, he had been the director of engineering and maintenance for Golden Gate Ferry for about four days, but he was no stranger to the working waterfront.
In fact, he’s been working in the marine industry ever since graduating from Cal Maritime in Vallejo, where he studied marine engineering. He’s worked offshore with ConocoPhillips, transported North Slope crude from Valdez, Alaska down to the West Coast, and most recently spent a year at Matson in Oakland. Now after three months with Golden Gate Ferry, he thinks he’ll stay here awhile.
“When I was younger one of the biggest things was travel,” he said. “Sailing across the Atlantic, across the Pacific, going to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, through the Baltic and through the Mediterranean—that’s really what you signed up for, to sail around the world and see all these places.”
So he’s had plenty of experience, but now looks forward to traveling for leisure rather than for work. “There certainly are people who enjoy doing that their entire lives. It was fantastic for me! But right now, I’m looking forward to being able to work locally.”
And there’s plenty of work to be done. Since the day he arrived, Golden Gate Ferry has kept him occupied. “It’s been a busy few months,” said Brewer. “We’ve had two drydockings in addition to other projects, but they’ve all been local. It’s been great!” A job like this suits Brewer’s work ethic well, and he’s looking forward to the challenges ahead. “This really is a 24/7 operation,” he said. “I’m fortunate we have a great team here to support it. With upcoming vessel improvements, we’ll be very busy for the foreseeable future.”
Brewer’s father was also a mariner, now retired after 30 years of service, so he’s always been interested in pursuing the field. He highly recommends Cal Maritime to anyone considering a similar path, as he believes his education there set him up for success. “Before you even graduate you’re going to have several months of experience out on a ship,” he said.
He also told me about the Golden Bear training ship, which can often be spotted from the Carquinez Bridge. “It’s more than an ornament! Students actually get to take that thing out and learn and refine their skills in real time while they’re going through the academy. It certainly helped condition me for success in my career.”
He decided to come to Golden Gate Ferry because he aligns with what they’re doing for the Bay Area community as a whole. “With the congestion the way it is and how much the Bay is growing, I see more and more people looking to ferry transportation,” said Brewer. “It’s a great service. When you see people lining up outside, and you see them smiling, and you know they’re going to have a hassle-free commute—that’s something I want to be a part of.”
Living in San Francisco and working in Larkspur, this Palo Alto native will be commuting by ferry himself, so he gets to enjoy the fruits of his labor right alongside the passengers. “I finally feel like this is home,” he said. “It’s a good place to settle for a while after moving around quite a bit.”
He’s currently the president-elect of the Cal Maritime Alumni Association, and enjoys exploring his community on either his American-made titanium cross bike from Mosaic Cycles in Boulder, Colorado, or on his other bicycle from Bound Cycles in Australia. In other words, Brewer is an avid cyclist. “It’s my number one hobby,” he said. “And the best bike shop in the world—Above Category in Sausalito—is right in our backyard! With some of the most amazing terrain you could ask for, the Bay Area is just a really enjoyable place to be”
Brewer is home, indeed. You might see him riding up Mount Tam or working at the Larkspur Terminal, but that’s probably it. He said, “If I’m not in the news, it probably means I’m doing a good job.”
