No impact on commute for ferry riders following dock collision, officials say

LARKSPUR, Calif. - It was the first Sunday evening with clear skies across the Bay Area in weeks, so Brian Sechrest ventured outside and ended up not so coincidentally at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.

“Just walking by to enjoy some of the nice weather inside,” he told us. “I’ve got my family in town so we’re just kind of checking out the area.”

He also wanted to survey the damage to the San Francisco Ferry, which crashed into a dock at the Ferry Building on Friday afternoon.

"I’ve probably been on this boat. I take it ten times a week to and from work down to the ferry building," Sechrest said.

Video posted on social media shows witnesses scrambling as the vessel slammed into a dock at Gate B.

“You see it coming in and you’re just like why doesn't’t someone grab that wheel or push a brake pedal. Is anybody on that thing,” Sechrest said in jest when describing his thoughts while watching video of the impact.

By Saturday, the scene around where it all went down was less chaotic, but no less busy.

Work had already begun where Port of San Francisco officials say a fence will replaced a guardrail that was damaged on impact. 

Back at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal, the 7:15P.M. Marin ferry arrived from San Francisco where it easily slid up to the landing before dozens of passengers disembarked.

“I thought about the passengers,” said passenger, Christopher Prieto, who told us that he often uses the ferry that was involved in the collision. “I’ve been riding these boats for ten years or more and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like that happen.

The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District said they have other ferries to pick up the slack while the damaged vessel is out of commission.

It was welcome news for riders who use the ferry to avoid rush hour gridlock traffic crossing the Golden 
Gate Bridge or Bay Bridge to travel between Marin Co & San Francisco.