Investigation continues into boat crash at SF Ferry Building pier

Officials with the Coast Guard and the Port of San Francisco surveyed damage Saturday to a Larkspur boat that crashed into a San Francisco Ferry Terminal dock.

The blue-and-white-striped ferry squeaked as it bobbed alongside the dock’s outer berth Saturday afternoon while officials wearing bright orange vests used a boat to get nearby, snapping photos of gashes on the ferry’s prow. Visitors to the Ferry Building lingered near the dock to watch officials check the damage.

Priya Clemens, a spokeswoman with the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, said the boat was towed to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal on Saturday.

“It will be evaluated there for repair,” Clemens said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Coast Guard officials will release findings of the investigation when it is completed.

Gashes can be seen on a ferry (center left) as officials with the U.S. Coast Guard inspect damage to a pier at the San Francisco Ferry Terminal after the Larkspur boat crashed into a dock. Gashes can be seen on a ferry (center left) as officials with the U.S. Coast Guard inspect damage to a pier at the San Francisco Ferry Terminal after the Larkspur boat crashed into a dock. Photo: Lauren Hernández / The Chronicle Photo: Lauren Hernández / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Investigation continues into boat crash at SF Ferry Building pier 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Workers along the waterfront pier were serving bustling crowds Friday afternoon when they saw the ferry barrel toward the dock around 2:30 p.m., said Cheryl McKeon, the manager of Book Passage.

McKeon was standing behind the counter when she saw the ferry rapidly approaching the dock in the heavy rain. She ordinarily loves watching the ferries pass by the picturesque Bay Bridge, but she said something was different this time.

“I saw it coming this way, and then it was running parallel to the building, which seemed odd,” McKeon said Saturday, pointing out the window. “I said, ‘This isn’t right,’ and we rushed to the window, then we heard the crash.”

She said it sounded similar to the scraping and crunching sound of a car crash. By the time McKeon ran outside, the ferry had knocked down posts and a fence at the edge of the dock and boat passengers were walking around on the deck.

Michael Wilson, 63, was serving vegan doughnuts at a kiosk inside the Ferry Building when he saw the boat approach the dock, moving faster than he had seen in his six years working in the building.

He quickly ran down the hallway and out onto the pier.

“I wanted to see if anyone was hurt,” Wilson said. “The boat was pushed up on the dock. It was just crumpled.”

One worker on the boat had a bruised hip and a passenger had a sore back, but no major injuries were reported.

Lauren Hernández is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor