Welcome to the first blog of a new series we’ve named Pier by Pier which will highlight the history that is often overlooked when paddling the bay from our shop at Crane Cove. It seemed fitting for the first one to be about the two cranes, Nick and Nora, that the park was notably named after.
A Waterfront Built by Iron and Imagination
Long before Crane Cove Park opened in 2020, this shoreline was one of the West Coast’s industrial hearts, Union Iron Works in the late 1800s and later Bethlehem Shipbuilding built and repaired vessels here for more than a century. Today’s park sits beside the old slipway where ships slid into the Bay and where a segment of the BART Transbay Tube was once fabricated and launched.
Who Are Nick & Nora?
Look up from your kayak and you’ll see the silhouettes of two giant shipyard cranes, Crane 14 and Crane 30, nicknamed “Nick and Nora” after the witty duo from the classic Thin Man films. They’re the icons that inspired the park’s name and anchor the story of work once done on this shore.
Restoration and What You’re Seeing Today
During the park’s build‑out, the Port preserved the crane structures as historic artifacts and added interpretation to tell their story. If you notice the cranes’ missing booms: that’s intentional, engineers removed and did not reinstall the tops during rehabilitation. Even as partly deconstructed monuments, they frame the slipway like goalposts, marking where ships once entered the Bay.
Read the Shore Like a Story
Don’t just read about it, get up close and personal with the history from the water. Start at the beach and drift towards the slipway just to your right: the long concrete ramp under your bow is where boats once launched. The cribbing blocks to either side supported ship keels; the forest of old pilings nearby fed cranes and gantries. Follow the shoreline south, and you’re tracing the edge of a district often called the best‑preserved 19th‑century industrial complex west of the Mississippi.
Paddle It: A 60–90 min “Cranes & Slipway” Loop
Ready to see Nick & Nora from the water? Reserve a rental from our Crane Cove location. We’ll help you pick a calm window and point out the best angles for photos.
