San Francisco: Fisherman's Warf
4 Video Views·Jul 30, 2014
From the days of the Gold Rush until the turn of the Century, the San Francisco fishing fleet was composed of lateen-rigged sailboats, called feluccas. They were built in the same style as the boats the local Italian fishermen knew in their native land. Green was the prevailing color of the tiny boats, and the name of a patron saint usually appeared on the hull. The fishermen themselves were as colorful as their craft. Their natural talent for song was to be heard in renditions of arias from Verdi, lusty if not always true to the ear. In the fog-shrouded waters outside the Golden Gate, singing was a means of communication. You could not see a nearby boat in the fog, but from the song of its captain, you knew it was there.
Fishing boats, seafood stalls and restaurants, steaming crab cauldrons and sourdough French
bread bakeries. These sights and smells let visitors know they are in the world-famous
Fisherman's Wharf. Fisherman's Wharf gets its name and characteristic features from the city's
early days during the gold rush when Italian immigrant fishermen settled in the area and
fished for dungeons crab. From then until the present day it has been the home base of San
Francisco's fishing fleet. Despite its redevelopment into a tourist attraction during the 1970s and
80s, the area is still home to many active fishermen and their fleets. The promenade along
Pier 39 on the marina offers a great view of the bay. Once home to a fleet of over 400 boats,
nowadays Fisherman's Wharf supplies only a tiny fraction of the fish served in San Francisco
restaurants, though a few vintage fishing boats and modern diesel boats still call it home.
Hyde Street Pier was built in 1922 for automobile ferries between San Francisco and Sausalito.
Today the pier and a number of historic vessels moored here are open to visitors.
Some of the vessels moored here are designated National Historic Landmarks.
The pier also has a variety of maritime structures and exhibits.
The Beauclutha Square Rigger Boat was built in Scotland to haul California wheat to Europe.
Its crew lived on board for months at a time during the treacherous voyage around Cape Horn.
The Epperton Hall is a sturdy little tugboat that recalls the earliest days of English
steam navigation. Built in 1914, she's the only remaining intact example of a river-tying paddle
tug.