San Francisco has plenty of unusual office setups, but few come with a smokestack. The century-old Klamath ferryboat, now a floating headquarters and event venue on the Embarcadero, is suddenly up for sale after a multimillion-dollar makeover.
The San Francisco Business Times reports that the Klamath is on the market nearly five years after returning to the Bay. The boat underwent a $17 million restoration before becoming the Bay Area Council’s headquarters.
From Bay Ferry To San Francisco Landmark
According to the Port of San Francisco, the Klamath was built locally in 1924 for Southern Pacific routes and could carry up to 1,000 passengers and 78 cars. It later served the San Francisco-Sausalito route and ran between Point Molate in Richmond and San Quentin before making its final ferry run in 1956, just before the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge opened.
The vessel got a second life as a floating workplace long before the Bay Area Council moved aboard. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that design firm Landor Associates used the Klamath as its San Francisco headquarters, while Duraflame later moved the boat to Stockton for use as its corporate home.
A $17 Million Makeover On The Waterfront
The Bay Area Council ultimately brought the Klamath back to San Francisco and transformed it into a hybrid headquarters, conference center and public waterfront destination. The Bay Area Council describes the finished vessel as featuring leasable office space, event areas, public spaces and an open-air top deck with views across the Bay.
The boat’s current identity is part office building, part historic attraction and part event venue. The Historic Klamath site advertises a 2,400-square-foot conference center, meeting space, receptions and other private events aboard the restored ferry.
The Boat Comes With A Waterfront Lease
The sale is also tied to more than a change in ownership. Port Commission documents approved a 15-year maritime lease for the Klamath at Pier 9, with two five-year extension options, along with requirements covering public access, maintenance, events and the vessel’s seaworthiness.
That makes the Klamath an unusually complicated piece of San Francisco real estate: a historic ship, a working office, an event business and a tenant on public waterfront land. For now, the century-old ferry remains moored north of the Ferry Building, but its next chapter is officially looking for a new owner.
