Harbor Cruises / Ferry / Other Tours - San Francisco Travel Guide

A different kind of bay cruise is available in Martinez, in the East Bay region of San Francisco, that is well suited for those with historic or maritime interests. This is tour of the Mothball Fleet that is anchored in Suisun Bay off of nearby Benicia. The Mothball Fleet is officially known as The National Defense Reserve Fleet. It consists of retired ships in varying states of readiness that could be reactivated in times of a national emergency. However it contains some historic gems.

Most of the ships in the fleet are support vessels like cargo ships. However some specialty ships are among the collection like a submarine recovery ship, refuelers, a Coast Guard ice breaker, amphibious invasion landing ships, and ships that deploy large floating containers.

The flagship of the Mothball Fleet is the U.S.S. Iowa. This battleship, designated as BB-61, was commissioned in 1943 during World War Two and served in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Theaters. Its main armament is nine 16 inch guns. The Iowa carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Tehran Conference to meet with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. It is the only U.S. Navy Ship to be equipped with a bathtub. The bathtub was installed to accommodate the president who had a disability.

The ship was present for the Japanese surrender and played a role as a communications center during that event. After WWII the ship was briefly retired, but was soon reactivated for the Korean War. It was again reactivated in the 1980s. Unfortunately an accidental explosion in turret 2 killed 47 crewmembers in 1989. It was finally deactivated in 1990.

The Iowa is the center piece of the tour. The tour is run by an organization that will eventually turn the ship into a museum and relocate it to nearby Mare Island. The tour does not board any ships, but just cruises about the fleet while knowledgeable guides provide narration on the Iowa and other ships in the fleet.

The Mothball Fleet contains several World War II Victory Ships. These were rapidly constructed and inexpensive cargo ships that were the next generation after the Liberty Ships. Among the ships in the Mothball Fleet is the U.S.S. Hoga. The Hoga is an ocean going tug boat used in rescue efforts after the attack at Pearl Harbor. It later served the City of Oakland as a fire boat.

Another interesting ship in the fleet is the Hughes Mining Barge HMB-1. The HMB-1 was used in a Cold War scheme involving the CIA and millionaire Howard Hughes in a covert attempt to raise a sunken Soviet nuclear submarine in order to recover intelligence on its design and components.

The tour is open to the public on the last Saturday and Sunday of each month. Reservations are recommended. The tour lasts about an hour and a half. Lunch is provided. The lunch consists of hotdogs, chips, cookies, and soda served buffet style.

The cost is $29 ($25 for seniors and children).

The tour boards at the Martinez Marina located at 7 North Court Street in Martinez.

Harbor Cruises / Ferry / Other Tours, San Francisco

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Harbor Cruises / Ferry / Other Tours, San Francisco

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