Miss Adventure II: A Yellow Submarine-Inspired Monterey Fishing Boat at Umbrella Alley
Something new just pulled into Umbrella Alley — and she has a name.
Meet Miss Adventure II, our newest art installation and a colorful tribute
to the historic Monterey fishing boats of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf.
Inspired by the small working boats that once filled the harbor, Miss Adventure II takes that familiar maritime shape and gives it a very Umbrella Alley twist: instead of traditional fishing-boat colors, she goes full Yellow Submarine.
Bright yellow, playful, and impossible to miss, Miss Adventure II is part neighborhood history, part public art, and part photo stop.
The installation was designed by Skye Schuchman
and fabricated and painted by artist Brian Huber
.
A Tribute to Fisherman’s Wharf
Miss Adventure II is more than a fun yellow boat. She is a nod to the neighborhood around us.
Fisherman’s Wharf grew around generations of fishermen who worked San Francisco Bay and the
waters outside the Golden Gate. Italian immigrant fishermen, many with roots in Liguria and
Sicily, became an especially important part of the Wharf’s fishing culture during the late
1800s and early 1900s.
Their small fishing boats became one of the most recognizable sights along the waterfront and
helped shape the identity of Fisherman’s Wharf long before it became one of San Francisco’s
best-known visitor destinations.
Umbrella Alley’s home at 366 Jefferson Street sits right in the middle of that
maritime neighborhood, so creating a piece inspired by the Wharf’s fishing fleet felt like a
natural addition to the Alley.
It connects the artwork to the place.
And because this is Umbrella Alley, we couldn’t resist making it a little unexpected.
What Is a Monterey Fishing Boat?
The Monterey fishing boat — often called a Monterey Clipper or Monterey hull boat —
became one of the signature working vessels of San Francisco’s fishing fleet.
Before gasoline engines became common, fishermen at the Wharf used small lateen-rigged sailboats
based on boats they knew from Italy. These boats were compact, practical, and well suited to the
waters around San Francisco.
As gasoline engines became available in the early 20th century, fishermen began adapting their
boats. The resulting Monterey boats were small wooden craft powered by simple gasoline engines,
allowing fishermen to travel farther, fish on more days of the year, and use engine power to help
haul nets and fishing lines.
One engine closely associated with these boats was the locally manufactured
Hicks marine engine, which became common in Monterey fishing boats working from
Fisherman’s Wharf during the first half of the 20th century.
Hundreds Once Worked the Waterfront
The boats may look charming today, but these were serious working vessels.
By the 1920s, hundreds of Monterey Clippers were working from Fisherman’s Wharf. Today, only a
small number of historic examples remain, making the surviving boats valuable reminders of the
neighborhood’s maritime past.
That history is one reason the silhouette of a Monterey fishing boat still feels so connected
to Fisherman’s Wharf.
From Italian Fishing Boats to a San Francisco Icon
The Wharf’s earliest Italian fishing boats were often modeled after Mediterranean craft.
Traditional colors varied, and boats sometimes carried the name of a patron saint or other
identifying details connected to the fishing families who worked them.
Over time, the little wooden boats became part of the visual identity of Fisherman’s Wharf:
small hulls bobbing in the harbor, fishermen repairing nets, crab pots along the waterfront,
and seafood arriving directly from the boats.
Miss Adventure II borrows from that history without trying to recreate a museum piece.
Why a Yellow Submarine?
Once the basic Monterey fishing boat concept was established, there was one obvious Umbrella
Alley question:
What if we made it yellow?
Rather than paint Miss Adventure II in traditional fishing-boat colors, the design took a
playful turn toward the instantly recognizable visual world of a yellow submarine.
The result is part maritime history and part colorful pop-art wink.
You can recognize the Monterey fishing boat shape and its connection to Fisherman’s Wharf,
but the bright yellow treatment makes Miss Adventure II feel completely at home inside
Umbrella Alley.
It is exactly the kind of combination we love here:
San Francisco history + local art + something unexpected.
About the Design — Skye Schuchman
Miss Adventure II was designed by Skye Schuchman
Skye works across design, branding, experience design, hospitality design, fine art, and large-scale creative projects. His work combines storytelling and visual design, making him a natural fit for a piece that needed to feel connected to Fisherman’s Wharf history without becoming a literal historical replica.
The finished concept keeps the recognizable shape and personality of a Monterey fishing boat while giving it a bold, playful identity that fits perfectly inside Umbrella Alley.
Design: Skye Schuchman Studio
Instagram: @skyebot
Fabrication & Painting — Brian Huber
Miss Adventure II was fabricated and painted by artist
Brian Huber
Brian’s background spans art, architecture, design, fabrication, and large-scale creative production. His studio practice includes abstract painting and mixed-media work, while his broader creative experience has included architectural and fabrication-heavy projects.
For Miss Adventure II, that combination of art, design, construction, and hands-on making helped turn the original concept into a finished three-dimensional installation ready for life at Umbrella Alley.
Fabrication & painting: Brian Huber Art
Instagram: @brianhuberart
Another Piece of Umbrella Alley 2.0
Miss Adventure II joins the growing collection of murals and interactive artwork at
Umbrella Alley 2.0.
Since moving to our new Jefferson Street location, we have been steadily adding new murals, installations, overhead art, and unexpected little surprises designed to make the space feel different every time you visit.
Some pieces celebrate San Francisco landmarks.
Some highlight local artists.
And some — like Miss Adventure II — take a piece of neighborhood history and send it in a completely different direction.
That evolving mix is really the point.
Umbrella Alley isn’t supposed to feel finished. There should always be another wall to paint, another installation to build, and another reason to come back.
Come See Miss Adventure II at Umbrella Alley
You can see Miss Adventure II in person at:
Umbrella Alley San Francisco
366 Jefferson Street
Fisherman’s Wharf
San Francisco, CA 94133
Look for the little yellow boat, grab a photo, and then explore the murals and installations throughout the Alley.
And if the song gets stuck in your head afterward, we accept absolutely no responsibility.
Help Us Add More Art
Umbrella Alley is a growing, community-supported art project.
Donations help us commission artists, buy materials, build installations, refresh existing
artwork, and keep adding new surprises throughout the space.
Donate to Support More Artists & Murals →
Every contribution helps turn the next blank space into something a little more colorful.