The Car Deck

A walk on the Kalakala's car deck today will literally place you on two vessels at once. The hull on which you stand is the Peralta's, still rippled from the heat of the fire that destroyed her. Everything attached to the hull and walls around you are the Kalakala, a unique melding of two vessels into one streamlined "flying bird." If you look closely at the construction of the bulkheads, you can witness the abandonment of rivets and the revolutionary introduction of electro-welding - a process pioneered in the Kalakala's construction.

  
The KALAKALA's car deck, looking aft. Yes - that outside lane was for cars!

The Kalakala had lanes for six rows of cars. Yes, those outer lanes were wide enough for cars in 1935, but try picturing parking a 1959 Cadillac in that space! It is easy to see why the ferry's original 110 capacity had dropped to around 65 by the time the vessel was retired.

  
The larger automobiles of the 1960's made for a crowded experience. C. Novotny Photo

The Kalakala's narrow car deck was in fact a feature of her streamlined design. The Peralta's main deck was 13 feet wider, but the sides were "trimmed off" to create the Kalakala's unique train-like footprint. It was a triumph of form over function that ultimately contributed to her retirement as a ferry. Today, the empty car deck's approximately 10,000 square feet represents a unique setting for development.


C. Novotny Photo