Balboa Island Ferry
Encyclopedia
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service in Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
.
The ferry boats travel under 1,000 feet from Balboa Island
Balboa Island, Newport Beach, California
Balboa Island is an area of Newport Beach, California, actually comprising three modified or artificial islands in Newport Harbor: Balboa Island , the largest; the smaller Little Balboa Island to the east of Balboa Island, joined by a two-lane bridge; and the smallest Collins Island to the...
to the Balboa Peninsula
Balboa Peninsula, Newport Beach, California
The Balboa Peninsula is a neighborhood of the city of Newport Beach, Orange County, California. It is named for the famous Spanish explorer, Vasco Núñez de Balboa....
(Fun Zone area) and vice versa, reaching a top speed of four miles per hour. The speed limit in the harbor is 5 miles per hour, and the ferry docks about every 5 minutes. A full time captain will dock the ferry at least 22,500 times every year, traveling at least 3,200 miles every year.
History
In 1919 Joseph Alen BeekJoseph Beek
Joseph Allan Beek was the longest-serving Secretary of the Senate in California history . The Secretary of the California State Senate is a nonpartisan officer of the Senate who advises the presiding officer and Senators on parliamentary procedures and is the chief recordkeeper of the Senate...
obtained the rights from the city of Newport Beach to provide a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service across the Newport Harbor
Newport Harbor
- Geography :* Newport Beach, California* Newport Harbor High School, in Newport Beach, Orange County, California* Newport Harbor Light, in Newport, Rhode Island* Newport, Rhode Island* Newport, Pembrokeshire...
between Balboa Island and the Balboa Peninsula. Before starting the ferry service Beek owned "The Ark". The Ark consisted of a giant rowboat with a small engine which Beek used as his first ferry vessel. The Ark carried oars in the event of engine failure. There was no regularly scheduled service and customers telephoned Beek when they needed a ride across the harbor.
In 1919 Beek charged a nickel (5 cents) per person. Three years after commencing operation, Beek built the "Fat Ferry". This vessel held twenty passengers. Beek later built a small one car barge which the Fat Ferry pushed across in front of it.
In the 1950s Beek built three double-ended wooden boats for his ferry service: the Admiral, the Commodore, and the Captain. These three boats are still presently in service and have transported over two million persons. Each ferry holds three cars and 75 people. the Beek family charges $1 per adult, $2 per vehicle, $.50 for children ages 5–11, $1.25 for adults on bikes, $.75 for children on bikes, $1.50 for motorcycles and children under the age of 5 are free.
The ferry boats need constant maintenance but this does not usually interrupt the ferry service. For two weeks in 2008 the ferry service shut down for an extended period, for the first time in 50 years, to rebuild the automobile ramp leading to the boats.
Currently, Beek’s three sons run the business and it has been in the family for close to 100 years.
Other Nearby Historic Sights
- Balboa Fun ZoneBalboa Fun ZoneThe Balboa Fun Zone is a small amusement park located on the Balboa Peninsula in the city of Newport Beach, Orange County, California. However, little is left of the original park....
(Est. 1936). Rides, food, shops, merry-go-round, and Ferris wheel. - Balboa PavilionBalboa PavilionThe Balboa Pavilion in Newport Beach, Orange County, California, is a state landmark. Established on July 1, 1906, the Balboa Pavilion played a prominent role in the development of Newport Beach by attracting real estate buyers to an area formerly designated as “swamp and overflow” land.The Balboa...
(Est. 1906). Newport Beach's most famous landmark. - Balboa PierBalboa PierThe Balboa Pier is one of two piers located in the city of Newport Beach, Orange County, California. It is located in a part of Newport Beach called the Balboa Peninsula....
(Est. 1906). Built as a sister project with the Balboa Pavilion to attract landbuyers to the Balboa Peninsula. - Rendezvous Ballroom (Est. 1928, destroyed by fire 1966). A plaque marks the former site.
See also
- Catalina FlyerCatalina Flyerthumb|right|300px|The Catalina Flyer, with the [[Catalina Casino]] in the background.The Catalina Flyer is a 500 passenger catamaran ferry operated by Catalina Passenger Service....
, a larger passenger-only ferry service from the Balboa Peninsula to Catalina IslandSanta Catalina Island, CaliforniaSanta Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is long and across at its greatest width. The island is located about south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is...
External links
- http://balboaislandferry.com/
External Images
- http://www.talesofbalboa.com/prints/balboaferrylanding.htm
- http://www.balboapavilion.com/pavilion_bird_Brown_pelican_03s.jpg
- http://www.talesofbalboa.com/prints/welcometobalboa.htm
- http://www.transit-rider.com/ca.orangecounty/balboaislandferry.cfm
- http://www.balboaisland.com/balboa-ferry/
Historical External Images
- http://www.talesofbalboa.com/arc1999/cards120.gif
- History postcards showing the Balboa Island Ferry