Welcome

At Fog City Tugboat we are passionate about the waters and workboats of San Francisco. As fifth generation Californians, avid seagoing folks, we live the sights, sounds and smells of Fog City! Join us aboard tugboat Willie for a private tour as we continue to learn about and share the working waterfront of San Francisco Bay.

Workboats & San Francisco

Waterfront Tours

The Port of San Francisco encompasses the anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge, along the Marina district, all the way around the north and east shores of the city of San Francisco including Fisherman's Wharf and the Embarcadero, and southward to the city line just past Candlestick Point. The Port of San Francisco has been called one of the three great natural harbors of the world.

The Workboats of Fog City Tour - Past, Present and Future! Onboard Willie, we'll visit the Port of Oakland and San Francisco, watch the ships come an go, unload, and follow tugs and barges at work. We'll learn a little about them each along the way.

There may be no better way to communicate what we do than through images. As you browse our site, take a few moments, see if you can get a feel for our tours.

Tugboat Willie

Willie was purchased in Olympia, WA in 2023, and moved to Port Townsend, WA. She was hollowed down to bare hull before moving her to Napa Valley for the re-build. Willie is modeled after a 1920's tugboat, the ones we fell in love with as a kid. Willie has been fitted with new frames and decks, pilot house and v-berth. A new John Deere 4045TFM85 marine diesel (Tier III) has been installed, as has new internal systems (fuel, electronics, cooling, exhaust) and controls (throttle, hydraulic steering). We added a few old bronze bitts and pieces, no pun intended, collected over the years. Willie was inspired by an early cartoon, a lovable mouse. But heck, there are a few great Willie's in San Francisco lore. We hope the tug represents each well.