BY MATT LARSON
After working as a newspaper reporter for about a decade, Daniel DeBolt needed a change. He packed his bags, sublet his apartment and hiked the Pacific Crest Trail—a famous hiking expedition that stretches 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada. It took him six months and five days to complete; the experience was so remarkable that he almost didn’t want to return, but eventually did and started looking for work.
Based on a friend’s recommendation, DeBolt decided to join the Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific to become a deckhand for ferry boats on the Bay. He began in March 2017 and is enjoying it so much he’s already expecting that he’ll want to keep going until retirement.
DeBolt’s years as a reporter have given him a great appreciation for where he’s working now. “When you work in the news business you see how some people have no job stability, benefits can be pretty bad, companies are downsizing constantly—but the ferry business is quite the opposite!”
“It’s a really wonderful place to work,” he continued. “We have a good union, they’re expanding, we get paid well, we have good benefits, and the people that work here make for a very rich environment. There’s some days where I’m just laughing all day long with the people I work with.”
No stranger to a good view, having hiked one of the most picturesque trails in the world, DeBolt still appreciates the majesty of the San Francisco Bay. “The sunrises and the sunsets never get old.”
DeBolt dabbled in photography a bit as a reporter and those skills are apparent with his photos of the Bay. Some of his photos have been published in a photo calendar called Blue Collar Green Water, a publication that a group of deckhands puts out every year. “We submit photography from working on the ferry and the best photos get into the calendar,” he explained. “I’ve had my photos in the calendar a few times now.”
This calendar is produced by the Blue Collar Green Water Art & Culture Collective, a 501(c)(3) consortium organized by employees of Blue & Gold Fleet. Out of everyone working and living throughout the entire Bay Area, DeBolt and his fellow mariners get to experience some of the greatest views in town on a daily basis, and they want to share the wealth. For more information, you can head to bluecollargreenwater.org, and follow DeBolt on Instagram @original_dan_.
When he’s not working on the ferries or hiking across countries, DeBolt spends time with his son and his girlfriend. He enjoys backpacking in the high Sierras, Mount Tamalpais and in the East Bay. He’s also a self-proclaimed gearhead, currently transforming a Toyota T100 truck into an off-road vehicle, and every week since March he’s worked on a 1966 Chevy Nova that’s been in his family for 22 years.
After just two and a half years as a deckhand, DeBolt has taken to the job quite a bit. He loves the ever-changing nature of it all; even though it is a daily routine, the water and the weather always make for a new experience. Plus, the camaraderie with his coworkers keeps him excited to come to work every day.
We asked DeBolt his opinion on why the ferry is the best way to travel in the bay, to which he responded: “Is this a trick question? If you can take the ferry, you should take the ferry,” he said. “A lot of people say it’s their favorite part of the day—when they’re commuting to work!” How often do you hear of people loving their commutes? Pretty often, apparently, if you work on the ferries.
If you see DeBolt on board, talk hiking, talk cars, talk photography! Don’t forget to follow him and check out his work, and if you want to take a sabbatical and hike from Mexico to Canada, maybe ask him for some tips on that as well.
