# How to get across the San Francisco Bay in a rowboat **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-across-the-san-francisco-bay-in-a-rowboat/548344 "2010-07-28T18:47:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-across-the-san-francisco-bay-in-a-rowboat/548344/41 "2010-07-30T16:39:31Z")
Based on what I saw after the 1989 quake in San Francisco, I’m keeping more than 3 days of provisions. It will (not would, will) be a mess. Among other things, the very old and dilapidated docks will likely collapse, rendering ferry service limited at best. Highways will be blocked with debris from overpasses, and as **silenus** pointed out, without the bridges or ferries there’s only one way to get supplies in. Okay, choppers landing in Golden Gate Park - they’ll be taking out injured people I would imagine. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-across-the-san-francisco-bay-in-a-rowboat/548344/42 "2010-07-30T20:27:06Z")
> [@Dr.Woo](#): > > without the bridges or ferries there’s only one way to get supplies in. Railways, or in the case of San Francisco, railway. The Caltrain line along the peninsula into the heart of the city can be (and IIRC is occasionally still) used to carry freight trains. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-across-the-san-francisco-bay-in-a-rowboat/548344/43 "2010-07-30T20:34:51Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > > [@Dr.Woo](#): > > > > without the bridges or ferries there’s only one way to get supplies in. > > Railways, or in the case of San Francisco, railway. The Caltrain line along the peninsula into the heart of the city can be (and IIRC is occasionally still) used to carry freight trains. There’s also BART between SF and the East Bay: would that tunnel be made unusable in an earthquake? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-across-the-san-francisco-bay-in-a-rowboat/548344/44 "2010-07-30T20:42:51Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > There’s also BART between SF and the East Bay: would that tunnel be made unusable in an earthquake? It survived Loma Prieta undamaged. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-across-the-san-francisco-bay-in-a-rowboat/548344/45 "2010-07-30T22:06:23Z")
I thought about including BART in my answer, but **Dr. Woo** referred to supplies, and BART can’t carry freight trains because it’s not standard gauge and the tunnels are too small. BART could be used to evacuate residents and to move in troops, rescue and medical workers, etc. **Some** supplies could be piled up on the seats and floors of BART cars, but that would be a desperation move if Caltrain was blocked but BART wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-across-the-san-francisco-bay-in-a-rowboat/548344/46 "2010-07-31T03:36:20Z")
> [@Dr.Woo](#): > > Based on what I saw after the 1989 quake in San Francisco, I’m keeping more than 3 days of provisions.. More than 3 days, sure, why not? And even a gun (assuming you know how to use it), but let us not get all bunker mentality here. Some docks may collapse, but not all of them, they didn’t in Loma Preita or the 1906 “big one”. No major “survival” problems in either quake, nothing more than a 72 hour kit would cover. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-across-the-san-francisco-bay-in-a-rowboat/548344.md?page=2)