For nearly 100 years, the most reliable transportation to and from Coronado was by boat. Before construction even began on the Hotel del Coronado, the first ferry boat, The Della, transported workers across San Diego Bay in 1886. Starting in the early 1890s, bay traffic was dominated by two companies: the Coronado Ferry Company and the Star & Crescent Boat Company. The Coronado Ferry Co. operated the civilian car ferries that were a central part of life in Coronado. Mentioning the ferry often stirs nostalgia to those locals who remember riding it as part of their daily routine. The Star & Crescent Boat Co. operated the military commuter ferries, famously known in Coronado as the “nickel snatchers” due to the 5-cent fare in the 1940s.