Pier by Pier: The Cranes of Crane Cove
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.
Image is from 1918 when Bethlehem Shipbuilding was active in Crane Cove
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.
Built for Big Work
These cranes worked the slipways and outfitting berths at what’s now Pier 70—swinging prefabricated steel plates and sub‑assemblies straight from the machine shops onto new hulls—an assembly‑line leap that super‑charged WWII output. By 1941 the yard had added new launchways (Slipways 5–8) to meet wartime demand, and the surrounding district—its powerhouse, vast machine shops, and the 1917 Bethlehem office—functioned as a tightly coupled production ecosystem now regarded as the best‑preserved 19th‑century industrial complex west of the Mississippi. After the war, the same heavy‑lift infrastructure helped the yard tackle signature projects like fabricating and launching the 57 sections of BART’s Transbay Tube.
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.
Aerial image of Crane Cove in 1943
Paddle It: A 60–90 min “Cranes & Slipway” Loop
Call in advance or staff will advise you in person if it is good conditions to paddle south, this route is reserved for advanced paddlers due to on water obstacles and tide conditions.
Launch at Crane Cove’s beach, idle along the crane bases, circle the mouth of the slipway (staying clear of any hazards), then meander the Pier 70 pilings before heading back. Early mornings give you the starkest crane silhouettes against calm water—the photo you’ll want to keep.
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.
