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February 19, 2026 / 5:42 PM PST / CBS LA
Balboa Island's ferries are one step closer to going green after receiving more funding to convert their fleet to an all-electric design.
"We can't live in the past forever," Seymour Beek, president of the Balboa Island Ferry.
The Balboa Island Ferry has been a fixture in Orange County for more than 100 years, since it was founded in 1919. Beek's father, Joe, received the first contract to operate the first vessel, which would take one car between the island and the peninsula in Newport Beach. A couple of years later, he expanded to a larger boat that could hold two cars. A century later, the old wooden ferries bring three cars across the bay.
In order to comply with air quality regulations, the Balboa Island fleet must spend more than $10 million to convert the ferries. A grant from state and local agencies will pay for a good chunk of the bills.
"They're allowing us to continue to operate with our diesel-powered ferries as long as we're making a good faith effort to electrify," Beek said.
Each and every ferry rider passes by the Balboa Island Market, which is just a few steps from the dock.
"Sometimes the line will be all the way down the street," market owner Christina Strangio said. "It's filled with people trying to cross because it only takes three cars at a time. They'll have a couple of ferries running back and forth. They come in and get their stuff while they're waiting."
Beek said designers in San Diego are starting to create an all-electric boat to replace the diesel-powered vessels. He added that the service will not be interrupted for the millions who ride each year.
"It's going to be a continuous operation whether it's diesel-powered or electric," Beck said. "Most people, they aren't going to know the difference."
While they don't yet have a completion date, the new ferries will remain true to the original design. They will be able to carry three cars at once, have benches for passengers, and even a smokestack.
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