Routes & Operators
Golden Gate Ferry has four of its seven vessels out of service
The Marin Independent Journal reported that Golden Gate Ferry has four vessels out of service, and that the fleet has seven vessels. The M.V. Napa, which can carry up to 450 passengers, was removed on 18 October after an engine failure, and disruptions began the next day. The M.V. Del Norte, the Golden Gate and the M.S. San Francisco were already drydocked.
Source: Marin Independent Journal (opens in a new tab)
The Marin Independent Journal reported on 27 October 2026 that Golden Gate Ferry has four vessels out of service, disrupting the schedules in Marin County and San Francisco. The fleet has seven vessels: four high-speed catamarans constructed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and three Spaulding-class boats built in the 1970s.
Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz, spokesperson for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, said three of the vessels were already drydocked for regular inspections and maintenance when the engine broke down on the M.V. Napa. The vessel, which can carry up to 450 passengers, was removed from service on 18 October, the day of the failure. Service disruptions began the next day. The three other vessels drydocked are the M.V. Del Norte, the Golden Gate and the M.S. San Francisco, a Spaulding-class boat.
On Friday the district released a temporary weekday schedule for ferries serving Larkspur, Angel Island, Tiburon and Sausalito that will continue until further notice. Saturday and Sunday service is unchanged. Canceled runs include two evening trips serving Larkspur, one morning trip serving Tiburon, and four trips serving Angel Island. Eleven trips serving Larkspur, five departing and six arriving, have been reassigned to buses. Nine trips serving Tiburon are also substituted with buses. Bus trips take about 55 minutes, whereas ferry trips are about 35 minutes. No trips in Sausalito are canceled this week or replaced with bus transit, but departure and arrival times have been adjusted.
The M.V. Napa was scheduled for a replacement of its four engines next year. With the recent failure, the district decided to do the full $3.5 million engine overhaul while it is out of the water. The vessel is expected to return to service in the spring. Ferries are required to be drydocked every 24 months, Cosulich-Schwartz said. He said the Golden Gate is expected to be back in service next week, and the M.V. Del Norte the week after, and that regular schedules should resume when the Golden Gate is back in service.