Angel Island-Tiburon ferry goes electric in hopes of preserving San Francisco Bay
TIBURON -- Sitting just off the Tiburon shoreline, Angel Island welcomes tens of thousands of visitors every year. For generations, Captain Maggie McDonogh's family has been taking those visitors to the island every day.
"I got to raise my children on the boat. They're the 5th generation to operate a boat now" Captain McDonough said.
McDonogh takes pride in running a business that is passionate about preserving the bay and the environment.
"That's why I am excited to go electric," Captain McDonough said.
She goes on to say it's about doing the right thing.
"I feel like it's the right thing to do for this community, and also everything we do on this side of the bay," she explained. "Every time we drive a car, every time we drive a boat, all those emissions travel inland. We have a moral obligation to do the right thing. And that's kind of what it's all about: taking care of families and people."
This will be the first short run ferry in California that will be 100% zero emissions. The ferry service has teamed with Green Yachts. Graham Balch, the company's managing broker, says Maggie and her crew are the perfect partner.
"This is the perfect boat to go electric" Balch said. "The machinery space is beautiful. It's spacious. There's all the room for the equipment that we need."
Exposure to diesel exhaust can also lead to health problems. The exhaust is also linked to environmental issues and to causing haze, which can decrease visibility.
For Captain McDonogh, converting the vessel electric power has been no small feat.
"The boat itself is one piece. The infrastructure is another." she said. "I'll just give you an example: diesel to diesel is about $450,000 just for the boat. Diesel to electric is like $3-$4 million more just for the boat."
McDonogh says that there is a tremendous amount of details that are involved in the project, which includes extensive work on the dock where PG&E will step in to upgrade the terminal's infrastructure to accommodate the change.
They hope to launch the electric-powered ferry in early 2024. In the meantime, Captain McDonogh and her team will continue to ferry visitors to Angel Island while teaching them about the history and beauty of the bay.