The M/V ''Mendocino'' is a passenger-only fast ferry operated by

Golden Gate Ferries Golden Gate Ferry is a commuter ferry service operated by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District in San Francisco Bay, part of the Bay Area of Northern California, United States. Regular service is run to the Ferry Buildi ...

. The vessel is named after

Mendocino County Mendocino County (; ''Mendocino'', Spanish language, Spanish for "of Antonio de Mendoza, Mendoza) is a County (United States), county located on the North Coast (California), North Coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United Sta ...

, one of the member counties of the

Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District is a special-purpose district that owns and operates three regional transportation assets in the San Francisco Bay Area: the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the Golden Gate Ferry system and ...

. The ''Mendocino'' was designed by In-Cat and built by Nichols Bros. It was the second catamaran placed into service by Golden Gate Ferry. On July 20, 2001, on its way to Larkspur from the shipbuilder in Washington, Golden Gate Ferry's second high-speed catamaran, M.V. ''Mendocino'', made a stop to be christened in her home county at Noyo Harbor near Fort Bragg. On September 10, 2001, the M.V. ''Mendocino'' was placed into service between Larkspur and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. From December 2002 to December 2003, to ensure its long-term viability as substantial warranty work was required on the M.V. ''Mendocino'', the vessel was taken out of service and sent back to the original builder who made the necessary repairs at no cost to the District. It had been determined that the aluminum used for the hull was constructed using a process that did not meet stringent marine engineering and U.S. Coast Guard regulations.History of Golden Gate Ferry
Golden Gate Transportation District

References

Ferries of California {{California-transport-stub