AYAY ROSSINGSROSSINGS “The VoiceBB of the Waterfront” CC October 2007 Vol.8, No.10 Halloween Happenings Spooky Fun Around the Bay Big Boat Regatta Thrills Racing Fans Boffo on the Bridge Successful Labor Day Operation Autumn Arrivals Complete Ferry Schedules for all SF Lines Voted Best Restaurant 4 Years Running Zinfandel, Syrah and more. Rich, ripe, fruit-forward Zins, Syrahs–and more– that get top scores from critics and Wine Spectator. Visit us to taste your way through the best of California. WINERY & TASTING ROOM Lunch & Dinner Daily 2900 Main Street, Alameda, CA 94501 Banquets Corporate Events Complimentary Wine Tasting Accessible by San Francisco Bay ferry, we’re just feet from the Alameda Terminal! Open Daily 11–6 www.scomas.com (415)771-4383 510-865-7007 www.RosenblumCellars.com Fisherman’s Wharf on Pier 47 Foot of Jones on Jefferson Street REDEFINE YOUR DRIVE TIME MARE ISLAND VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA New Homes by John Laing Homes starting in the mid-$400,000s* and by Lennar Homes starting in the high $500,000s* 866-463-4009 DISCOVERMAREISLAND.COM DIRECTIONS: From I-80 in Vallejo, take I-780 west, which becomes Curtola Parkway, and then Mare Island Way. Turn left onto Mare Island Causeway. Cross the bridge and follow the signs to the Welcome Center, which is open Thursday–Sunday from 10AM to 6PM. Call 866-463-4009 for model homes hours. *All special offers, incentives and seller contributions are subject to certain terms, conditions and restrictions. Lennar Homes and John Laing Homes reserve the right to change or withdraw any offer at any time. All prices are subject to change without notice. All information should be verified by a New Home Consultant. 2 October 2007 BAYCROSSINGS www.baycrossings.com columns feature 10 15 SAILING ADVENTURES 12 SMOOTH MOVE Skill, Intelligence, and Bay Bridge Operation guides A Smashing Success Training WATERFRONT ACTIVITIES by Scott Alumbaugh by Brenda Kahn 07 Our recreational resource guide 16 BREW REVIEW 18 WTA FERRY SCHEDULES When You’re Hot, news Be on-time for last call You’re Hot WATERFRONT NEWS AROUND THE BAY by Joel Williams 05 22 To see, be, do, know Hornblower Dispute Goes to Washington sponsored stories 06 AGENCY NEWS METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION Emergency Planning 04 COMMISSION (MTC) BAYCROSSINGS TransLink Offers New Payment Option October 2007 Volume 8, Number 10 Needs Bring Changes PORT OF OAKLAND - Bobby Winston, Proprietor GREEN PAGE Joel Williams, Publisher 09 17 JACK LONDON SQUARE Patrick Runkle, Editor Marin Homeowners Haunted Harbor Team Up To Go Green ADVERTISING & MARKETING Joel Williams, Advertising & Marketing Director 20 CITY OF RICHMOND GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION SAILING NEWS Richmond’s Maritime Industry; Francisco Arreola, Designer / Web Producer 10 Rolex Big Boat Regatta Classic Steam Ship Sails Again ART DIRECTION Francisco Arreola; Patrick Runkle; Joel Williams Thrills Race Fans COLUMNISTS Corrections & Letters Joel Williams; by Bill Picture We appreciate the opportunity to publish our readers' comments, letters or Scott Alumbaugh requests for corrections, which can be sent to [email protected]. WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Bill Picture; Camper English; Dan Sankey; Dennis Anderson; JB Powell; Kristen Bole; Loren Earle-Cruikshanks; Scott Hargis ON OUR COVER Veteran Bay Area aerial photographer Barrie Rokeach took to ACCOUNTING Cindy Henderson the skies several times over Labor Day weekend to capture the various stages of the operation to replace a massive chunk of the Subscribe: By mail: $45 / year (12 monthly issues) Bay Bridge deck (see our story on pages 12 and 13). Based in Online: www.baycrossings.com/subscribe.asp Berkeley, Rokeach is both a pilot and a photographer, shooting Advertising Inquiries: for major commercial clients, book publishers, magazines and (707) 556-3323, [email protected] the like. He has worked on several international book projects in the “day-in-the-life” genre, and is the author/photographer Bay Crossings of two books: Timescapes: California Aerial Images (a coffee- Ferry Building, #22 San Francisco, CA 94111 table book celebrating the state’s natural features) as well as the www.baycrossings.com Kodak Guide to Aerial Photography. You can see more of his A Division of Nematode Media, LLC work at www.rokeachphoto.com, and reach him at barrie@ rokeachphoto.com, tel. 510.527.5376. www.baycrossings.com BAYCROSSINGS October 2007 3 Metropolitan Transportation Commission TransLink® Offers More Convenience for Golden Gate Transit and Ferry and AC Transit Riders BY LYSA HALE out on a limited basis on AC Transit, account or credit card to load e-cash or Golden Gate Transit and Ferry, and a monthly pass to the TransLink card the Dumbarton Express in November whenever it gets low on value. t’s been nearly a year since 2006. Now all riders on those transit • Card and value replacement — If your TransLink® cards were distributed services will be able to get a card. card is lost or stolen, the card and the value to loyal Golden Gate Transit and BART, Muni and Caltrain will begin on it can be replaced for a small fee. Ferry and AC Transit riders for accepting TransLink in spring 2008, • Speed of boarding — Passengers using the card’s “pre-launch” break-in followed by SamTrans and Santa Clara TransLink get on board much faster than Iphase. The goal was to have a limited Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) with cash or magnetic payment. group of riders help work out any kinks in 2009. Eventually all Bay Area transit “TransLink takes the uncertainty out in the system. But word spread and agencies will accept TransLink. of calculating fares,” said Jacob Avidon, others started requesting the card: By project manager for TransLink. “Whether July 2007, 5,500 commuters were paying you’re using just one transit system fares with TransLink, taking 4,700 trips or transferring between systems, and a week with the cards. whether your card is storing cash value, These numbers will surge now passes or both, TransLink automatically that TransLink — the reloadable smart calculates the correct fare. It gives riders card that’s more convenient than cash, one less thing to worry about.” tickets or passes — is widely available to San Anselmo resident Ellin A. Purdom Golden Gate and AC Transit riders, and is director of client services for a San MTC and its partners are launching a Francisco investment advisory fi rm. She marketing campaign. discovered TransLink when she rode the TransLink is simple to use. When Golden Gate Ferry on a Spare the Air Day boarding a bus or ferry, simply “tag” the last year. “I noticed this machine that TransLink card to the logo on the card passengers were tapping their cards to reader and hold it until you hear a beep. as they entered to board,” she explains. Golden Gate bus riders also need to tag Now Purdom is a self-confessed off when they deboard to ensure they are “TransLink fan/devotee.” Her favorite charged the correct fare. TransLink always TransLink feature is Autoload, which checks fi rst to see if a card has a valid pass allows her to reload her card automatically or transfer before deducting the fare. You from her credit card when her balance falls can get a card or add fare value online, on below $10. “I don’t have to add funds the phone, at retail locations or at transit Regionwide implementation of manually, or go to a local TransLink offi ce,” stations — or even have value added TransLink means passengers will no she says. “It works just like FasTrak.” automatically. longer have to carry exact change or TransLink is a joint effort of the And users can save money, too. Golden operator-specifi c tickets or passes. Because Metropolitan Transportation Commission Gate Transit and Ferry always gives bus TransLink is a smart card designed to (MTC), AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, riders 20 percent and ferry riders 37 to store multiple fares, passengers who use Golden Gate Transit, Muni, SamTrans, 46 percent off cash fares with TransLink. more than one transit system will be able Santa Clara VTA and all other Bay Area And through January 31, 2008, AC Transit either to use electronic cash (e-cash) or transit agencies. is offering introductory discounts for to load multiple passes or stored rides on TransLink users: 25 cents off adult cash a single card. To order a TransLink card, fares, $5 off a local adult 31-day pass and visit the TransLink website at $10 off a transbay adult 31-day pass. Some of the card’s other benefi ts include: www.translink.org, or call the The card was tested with six transit • Automatic reloading through Autoload TransLink Customer Service agencies in a pilot program beginning — A card holder pre-authorizes a secure Center at 1-877-878-8883. in February 2002 and then was rolled transfer of electronic funds from a bank 4 October 2007 BAYCROSSINGS www.baycrossings.com WORKING WATERFRONT supported in the company’s bid proposal. Following the testimony, Speaker Ferry Saga Slogs On If the promise of cleaner ferries gave Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Alcatraz Cruises a winning edge over which included the following: Latest Hornblower Dustup at Congressional Hearing other bidders, then the NPS had a serious obligation to thoroughly examine whether While Hornblower has sought fare increases this company could deliver in a timely from ferry riders, it has unjustly replaced ontroversy continues to commencement of operations. Despite manner on its environmental promises. a unionized workforce with nonunion simmer around the National repeated requests to comply with local Alcatraz Cruises also appears to be workers. The Department of Labor has Park Service’s decision to and state rules and regulations, in falling further and further behind on its ruled that the ferry workers should receive award the lucrative Alcatraz September 2006 the NPS launched commitment to build a new hybrid solar- the same pay and benefi ts as they did under ferry contract to proudly interim Alcatraz Island ferry operations and-wind powered vessel within two years the previous contractor, but Hornblower Cnon-union ferryboat operator Hornblower from Pier 31½ under the contract of taking over the service… the proposed has appealed the decision.