“The Voice of the Waterfront” May 2017 Vol.18, No.5 VIEWS FROM THE WATER Blue Collar Green Water Blue & Gold Crew Photo Show New Tall Ship Launches Once Around the Bay Unique Maritime Teaching Vessel Planning a Great Bay Daysail COMPLETE FERRY SCHEDULES FOR ALL SF LINES NEW YEAR, NEW WINES AT ROSENBLUM CELLARS JACK LONDON SQUARE 10 CLAY STREET « OAKLAND, CA « 1.877.GR8.ZINS DAYS OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK PATIO OPEN TILL 9PM ON FRIDAY & SATURDAY! TASTE WINES WHILE ENJOYING OUR BAY VIEWS! 2 FOR 1 WINE JUST A FERRY TASTINGS! RIDE FROM SF GET 2 TASTINGS RIGHT BY THE JACK FOR THE PRICE LONDON SQUARE OF 1 WITH THIS AD FERRY TERMINAL ©2017 ROSENBLUM CELLARS. OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA | WWW.ROSENBLUMCELLARS.COM 2 bay-crossing-rosenblum-mag-10x5.inddMay 2017 1 www.baycrossings.com 1/13/17 3:01 PM Great food to celebrate life in the City! Enjoy a ten minute walk from the Ferry Building or a short hop on the F-Line Crab House at Pier 39 Voted “Best Crab in San Francisco” Sizzling Skillet-roasted Mussels, Shrimp & Crab Romantic Cozy Fireplace Stunning Golden Gate Bridge View Open Daily 11:30 am - 10 pm 2nd Floor, West Side of Pier 39 Validated Parking crabhouse39.com 415.434.2722 DO YOU KNOW WHO CAUGHT YOUR FISH? ... SCOMA’S DOES! Franciscan Crab Restaurant Local shermen help Scoma’s to achieve our goal of providing the freshest sh possible to our guests; from our PIER to your PLATE Scoma’s is the only restaurant Open Daily 11:30 am - 11 pm Pier 43 1/2 Validated Parking in San Francisco where sherman pull up to our pier to sell us sh! Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab Breathtaking Views 415.362.7733 Whenever our own boat cannot keep up with customer demand, Scoma’s has Bay Side of Historic Fisherman’s Wharf franciscancrabrestaurant.com always believed in supporting the local shing community. On any given day, Scoma’s knows which boat and what captain caught not only our salmon, but any other species of sh we serve as well. SCOMA’S RESTAURANT 1965 AL SCOMA WAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133 415 771 4383 SCOMAS.COM WE OFFER COMPLIMENTARY VALET PARKING ScomasSF BIGBUSTOURS.COM 415-433-1657 [email protected] THE ORIGINAL SAN FRANCISCO BAY CRUISE PIER 43 1/2 FISHERMAN’S WHARF REDANDWHITE.COM (415) 673-2900 7647 Big Bus San Francisco Bay Crossing Advert_AW.indd 1 29/01/2015 09:20 www.baycrossings.com May 2017 3 columns features 08 WHO’S AT THE HELM? 14 COVER STORY 16 Captain Lawrence Groth Blue Collar Green Water by Matt Larson Exhibit Showcases Life on the Working Waterfront guides by BC Staff 10 BAYKEEPER WATERFRONT ACTIVITIES Stopping Industrial 22 Our recreational resource guide Pollution in the Bay GREEN PAGES 20 BAY AREA FERRY SCHEDULES by Sejal Choksi-Chugh Port of Oakland HQ Gets 24 Be on time for last call Energy Star Certification AROUND THE BAY SAILING ADVENTURES by Bill Picture 12 26 To see, be, do, know Once Around the Bay by Captain Ray news 06 WATERFRONT NEWS ON OUR COVER Changes Come to Cargo May 2017 Volume 18, Number 5 Carriers’ Itineraries Bobby Winston, Proprietor Joyce Aldana, President by Patrick Burnson Joel Williams, Publisher Patrick Runkle, Editor SS Jeremiah O’Brien Needs ADVERTISING & MARKETING 07 Joel Williams, Advertising & Marketing Director Your Help to Ensure Its GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION Francisco Arreola, Designer / Web Producer Legacy is Preserved ART DIRECTION by BC Staff Francisco Arreola; Patrick Runkle; Joel Williams COLUMNISTS Construction on Golden Paul Duclos; Patrick Burnson; 11 Sejal Choksi-Chugh; Matt Larson; Gate Suicide Barrier Begins Captain Ray Wichmann WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Bill Picture; Joel Williams; Tall Ship Matthew Turner ACCOUNTING 16 Cindy Henderson Launches From Sausalito Advertising Inquiries: Blue Collar Green Water and the Port of San Francisco are (707) 556-3323, [email protected] Public Input Will Help presenting the experience of San Francisco Bay through a display Bay Crossings SF Ferry Building Store 18 of exquisite photography taken by Blue & Gold Fleet’s blue-collar (415) 362-0717 Shape Clipper’s Future Clipper customer service center workers. The exhibition, on display from May 5 to 31 at Pier 1, (877) 878-8883 offers views of life on San Francisco Bay by the people who earn For Transit Information – Dial 511 CULTURAL CURRENTS their living from it. Photo by Keith Martin Bay Crossings 19 Ferry Building, #22 “We Dig Those Threads” San Francisco, CA 94111 Corrections & Letters www.baycrossings.com by Paul Duclos A Division of Nematode Media, LLC We appreciate the opportunity to publish our readers’ comments, letters or requests for corrections, which can be sent to [email protected]. 4 May 2017 www.baycrossings.com FREE AUDIO TOUR AVAILABLE IN NINE LANGUAGES BRING YOUR SMARTPHONE, TABLET OR OTHER WI-FI ENABLED DEVICE ENGLISH | DEUTSCH | ESPAÑOL | FRANÇAIS | ITALIANO | 日本 | 한국 | 中国大陆 | 台灣 Get your tickets at PIER 39 415.773.1188 • blueandgoldfleet.com www.baycrossings.com May 2017 5 WATERFRONT NEWS Ports Welcome Cargo Carriers and Warriors BY PATRICK BURNSON carriers plan to deploy larger vessels in their alliances, carrying more containers to the West Coast. That may enable Port of Oakland executive is them to reduce the number of voyages eager for changes in the way while maintaining cargo volume levels. container shipping lines operate. But despite Driscoll’s optimism, AMaritime Director John Driscoll stated some in the industry see challenges. in an interview late last month that For Tom Perdue, chief commercial Photo by Joel Williams newly formed ocean carrier alliances will officer of Ports America, this season may The Port of Oakland expects to see larger vessels coming to the port soon due to newly formed benefit his port. bring a perfect storm, as carriers try to ocean carrier alliances. “We’ll see larger vessels coming to synchronize calls to various terminals the port, which is a good thing,” Driscoll that may not be prepared for sudden said. “We’ll get more container moves surges in volume. per vessel, which increases the efficiency “We are entering new territory financially—we all benefit,” he said. the new sports arena means more work of operations.” here,” Perdue said, “and many terminal Driscoll said new alliance for our local Bayview residents and a Driscoll’s comments are in reaction operators are concerned about the configurations should have little impact lower emissions alternative that protects to a major realignment—which took critical mass of boxes being staged at one on Oakland operations. Some vessels our environment.” effect on April 1—whereby 11 of the port or another.” will change which of Oakland’s three Using San Francisco’s own freight world’s largest shipping lines formed Donna Lemm, executive vice international marine terminals they call, rail system to ship the additional soil three new alliances. president of transportation services firm but the terminals are prepared, he said. will eliminate up to 7,500 trucks from Driscoll also said the port will IMC Companies, echoed that concern, Bay Area bridges and roadways during receive a new weekly vessel service as noting that her customers are fairly San Francisco Bay Railroad the next several months of the project. a consequence of carrier realignment. frantic about securing enough container Begins Soil Transport for New Moving the soil by rail is 90 percent Taiwan-based Wan Hai Lines plans to chassis as the new alliances get their Warriors Arena more fuel efficient than trucking, and it launch a new route connecting Oakland acts together. “We have been given few also reduces associated emissions by up and Asia, he said. That will bring the assurances about how many chassis will The San Francisco Bay Railroad (SFBR), to 90 percent. number of regularly scheduled vessel be available, and who will be charged a Port of San Francisco tenant located “Using rail for construction services calling Oakland to 29. “It’s a with providing them,” she said. “Cargo on Pier 96 and India Basin, has begun materials will keep 16,000 trucks off our good sign when new players come to owners are also worried about finding the transportation of excess soil from the streets and the Bay Bridge this year,” said Oakland,” Driscoll said. enough containers for outbound moves new Golden State Warriors arena in San San Francisco Bay Railroad President In a perfect world, alliances will when they are most needed.” Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. David Gavrich. “We are proud to be a permit carriers to pool ships on ocean Driscoll, nonetheless, remains The first shipment of construction port tenant and to work with the Golden routes to cut costs while expanding bullish. “When shipping lines can debris left San Francisco last month State Warriors during this important market reach at the same time. The be more efficient—and healthiervia train. The freight rail yard, part of milestone for the arena, just two miles the Port of San Francisco’s Southern from our facility.” Waterfront Industrial Complex, is less San Francisco Bay Railroad provides than two miles from the new arena site. this type of service to many large That the Warriors were able to rely on construction projects in San Francisco. freight rail to remove construction debris The rail operator recently completed a highlights the benefits that the freight $1.3 million project to expand the rail rail system brings to San Francisco— yard track in order to accommodate future including hiring local residents and growth, including mammoth projects like reducing traffic congestion as well as air the Golden State Warriors arena. emissions, said port spokespeople. In support of freight rail, the Port of “Protecting our environment, San Francisco renewed the San Francisco promoting skilled industrial jobs and Bay Railroad lease for an additional five maintaining freight rail reflects the port’s years.