Richmond Ferry Takes Off

It’s official. Richmond now has ferry service. Again. A previous ferry, run by the private company Red and White, proved economically unfeasible. It fizzled out during the Great Recession. It didn’t help that the boat was slow. San Francisco Bay Ferry, aka WETA, a public agency, runs the new service. A catamaran, Cetus will cover the route to the San Francisco Ferry Building in about 35 minutes. In 2017, Tideline Water Taxi offered a Richmond run; they currently serve Berkeley. Set the Wayback Machine to 1924-1956 and you’ll find a ferry running from Point Richmond to San Rafael before the bridge replaced it.

“The ferry will be a significant driver of development in a city that has largely been passed up by the Bay Area’s real estate boom,” said Richmond mayor Tom Butt. Development along the Richmond shoreline is already progressing. While the new homes will help with the Bay Area housing crunch, the size and scope of development could impact the quality of sailing in the region, not to mention traffic.

A plus side for sailors is the location of the ferry terminal at the Craneway Pavilion, the site of the Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show, to be held this year on April 4-7. The terminal is also a short walk to Marina Bay Yacht Harbor and an easy bike ride to Brickyard Cove Marina and Richmond Yacht Club. At this time, the schedule does not include weekend or nighttime service.

The boat’s name, Cetus, refers to a sea monster or whale in Greek mythology. The constellation Cetus occupies a region of the sky that contains other water-related constellations such as Aquarius, Pisces and Eridanus.