The Balboa Island Car Ferry is a ferry service in Newport Beach, California. The ferry boats travel under 1,000 feet from Balboa Island to the

Balboa Peninsula The Balboa Peninsula (also referred to as "Balboa" or "the Peninsula") is a neighborhood of the city of Newport Beach, Orange County, California. It is named after Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the first European to sight the Pacific ...

(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 Allan Beek obtained the rights from the city of

Newport Beach Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island draws ...

to provide a ferry service across the Newport Harbor 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 5 cents per person. Three years after commencing operation, Beek built the ''Fat Ferry''. This vessel held 20 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 remain in service and have transported over two million persons. Each ferry holds three cars and 75 people. , the Beek family charges $1.25 per adult, $2.25 per vehicle, $.50 for children ages 5–11, $1.50 for adults on bikes, $.75 for children on bikes, and $1.75 for motorcycles. Children under the age of 5 are free. The ferry boats need constant maintenance but this does not usually interrupt 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. In January 2022 another partial outage for construction caused the ferry to accept only foot traffic, but not vehicles. Currently, Beek’s three sons run the business and it has been in the family for nearly 100 years.

Appearances in popular culture

The ferry was featured in the 1949 movie ''

The Reckless Moment ''The Reckless Moment'' is a 1949 American film noir melodrama directed by Max Ophüls, produced by Walter Wanger, and released by Columbia Pictures with Burnett Guffey as cinematographer. It starred James Mason and Joan Bennett. The film is based ...

'' starring James Mason and

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She came from a show-business family, one of three acting sisters. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more t ...

. The ferry was also featured by

Huell Howser Huell Burnley Howser (October 18, 1945 – January 7, 2013) was an American television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, and voice artist, best known for hosting, producing, and writing ''California's Gold'' and his human interest sh ...

in ''

California's Gold ''California's Gold'' is a public television human interest program that explores the natural, cultural, and historical features of California. The series ran for 24 seasons beginning in 1991, and was produced and hosted by Huell Howser in colla ...

'' Episode 10009.

Gallery

File:Balboa Island Ferry At Night photo D Ramey Logan.jpg, Balboa Island Ferry At Night File:Balboa_Island_Ferry_Terminal_01.jpg, View of the Balboa Island Ferry Terminal on Balboa Island File:Balboa_Peninsula_Ferry_Terminal_01.jpg, View of the Balboa Island Ferry Terminal on Balboa Peninsula File:Balboa_Peninsula_Ferry_Terminal_02.jpg, View of the Balboa Island Ferry Terminal on Balboa Peninsula File:Balboa Island Ferry station at night photo D Ramey Logan.jpg File:Balboa Island Ferry Boat.jpg

Other Nearby Historic Sights

* Balboa Fun Zone (Est. 1936). Rides, food, shops, merry-go-round, and Ferris wheel. *

Balboa Pavilion The Balboa Pavilion in Newport Beach, Orange County, California, is a California Historical Landmark and a National Historic Place. Established on July 1, 1906, the Balboa Pavilion played a prominent role in the development of Newport Beach by a ...

(Est. 1906). Newport Beach's most famous landmark. *

Balboa Pier The Balboa Pier is one of two piers in the city of Newport Beach, Orange County, California. The other ocean pier on the Balboa Peninsula is the Newport Pier. The Balboa Pier was constructed in 1906 as a sister project of the Balboa Pavilion. The ...

(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.

References

External links

*http://balboaislandferry.com/ {{Coord, 33.6042, -117.8995, region:US_type:landmark, display=title

External Images

*https://web.archive.org/web/20050914065801/http://www.talesofbalboa.com/prints/balboaferrylanding.htm *https://web.archive.org/web/20061007083049/http://www.balboapavilion.com/pavilion_bird_Brown_pelican_03s.jpg *https://web.archive.org/web/20050221154838/http://talesofbalboa.com/prints/welcometobalboa.htm *http://www.transit-rider.com/ca.orangecounty/balboaislandferry.cfm *https://web.archive.org/web/20101230025057/http://www.balboaisland.com/balboa-ferry/

Historical External Images

*http://www.talesofbalboa.com/arc1999/cards120.gif

Ferries of California Transportation in Orange County, California Newport Beach, California