THE FERRYBOAT BERKELEY: California's Gem

My first book was reviewed in Power Ships, Number 316, Winter, 2021, by critic William A. Fox. Here is the text of the review in full:

The FERRYBOAT BERKELEY is the story of the famous 122-year-old ferry that was built in 1898, survived the San Francisco fire of 1906, served until 1958 and then became a floating gift shop at Sausalito until 1973. She was then towed to San Diego to become the centerpiece of the San Diego Maritime Museum.

The author, a fourth-generation San Franciscan, first encountered her as the gift shop Trade Fair in 1962 and was captivated. Fifty years later she heard that the old Berkeley was being restored in San Diego, and was captivated again. Little wonder, since the old ferry was beautifully restored and has become "California's Gem."

This book is the product of Anderson's years of research using government and shipping records and publications for information on every San Francisco Bayside ferryboat. The Southern Pacific Company's new ferry was launched at Union Iron Works on October 19, 1898, amid great celebration. Dewey's flagship, the armored cruiser Olympia, had been built there in 1892. The 1,945-gt. double-ended Berkeley was 279 feet long and 64 feet wide and had a capacity f 1,700 passengers. She had a 1,450-IHP triple-expansion engine that drove here at 13.66 knots. She entered service son after her launching and served on the Oakland and Alameda runs from San Francisco until the end of the ferry service in 1958.

I visited the museum and the Berkeley a few year ago. She has been beautifully restored and is truly a gem. She was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1990 and a California State Landmark in 2000. In 2015 the Berkeley was renamed "Steamship of the Year" by the SSHSA.

This book not only tells the story of the ferry; it covers the history of Union Iron Works, steam propulsion and the Berkeley's power plant, the Southern Pacific connection and ferries in the San Francisco Bay area. There are six appendices, a bibliography and name and general indexes. I particularly liked the color photos of Berkeley's interiors and exterior and an 1898 portrait photo of her engine.

This is a book you will read and enjoy, and refer back to. I recommend it highly

William A. Fox