San Francisco Bay Ferry names new battery-powered vessels after public vote

Sea-Wolf, Doubtfire and Say Hey will soon ride the sides of San Francisco Bay Ferry’s next generation of boats, after more than 26,000 people weighed in on a naming contest that became a surprisingly personal vote on Bay Area identity.

The ferry board unanimously approved the five names on May 14, clearing the way for vessels that San Francisco Bay Ferry says will be the nation’s first high-speed, battery-powered, zero-emission ferries. The names chosen were Doubtfire, Rosie, Say Hey, Sea-Wolf and Farallon, each one rooted in a different corner of regional memory. Doubtfire nods to the San Francisco-set Robin Williams film. Rosie invokes Rosie the Riveter. Say Hey honors Willie Mays. Sea-Wolf reaches back to Jack London. Farallon points to the islands off the San Francisco coast.

Sea-Wolf drew the most votes, a sign that riders and readers favored a name with maritime and literary weight as much as celebrity recognition. The contest started with about 1,500 nominations, which were narrowed to 27 finalists before the public vote. The Chronicle-backed ballot ran from March 19 through March 31, and the rules barred corporations, products, real people, trademarked names and major vessels already operating consistently in the Bay.

The names are more than branding for boats that will serve Treasure Island, Mission Bay and Alameda. San Francisco Bay Ferry says the new vessels can seat up to 400 passengers, depending on design, and that the first 150-passenger battery-electric ferry, Sea-Wolf, is scheduled to begin service in mid-2027. Winning nominators will get a year of free rides and invitations to commissioning ceremonies when the boats enter service.

The vote also lands at a moment when ferry service is trying to define its next chapter. In December 2024, the board authorized a $46 million contract with All American Marine for the first three battery-electric, zero-emission high-speed passenger ferries, part of the agency’s Rapid Electric Emission Free Ferry Program, known as REEF. The boats are being built in Washington State with engineering help from Aurora Marine Design, Wärtsilä and Teknicraft.

That long horizon matters because San Francisco Bay Ferry says these vessels can remain in service for more than 30 years. The agency’s history shows why the public still responds to water transit: ferries carried 50 million to 60 million passengers a year in the early 1930s, then faded after the Bay Bridge opened. Interest revived after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, when the Bay Bridge was closed for more than a month and ferries again proved their value as a backup route across the Bay.