Unfortunately, there won't be a maintenance facility in Novato - unless GGT someday runs a track through the back of the bus yard for suitable compensation. The dumps will all be at the shops near Fulton.

The club buses were "private" charters (with a 10% or so subsidy from GGT for covering commute areas that their own bus lines didn't, and GGT assistance setting up the route and with administrative details). No federal money involved. There was a similar setup into SF from Fairfield using Really Old Buses (and yes, they did carry F.A.R.T. markings and a suitable slogan) though probably without any subsidies. Yes, I've always understood no booze on public transit (not that some passengers don't bring their own from time to time). GG Ferries of course have bars, but then you're on the boat for an hour or more depending on route.

The club buses had a cooler with the Bus Captain, in the back seat, on Fridays afternoons only (at least for the group I rode with). I could have one, finish by about San Rafael (roughly the first hour out), take a nap, and be ready to drive home when we arrived at Rohnert Park 2 hours later (yes, it did normally take 3+ hours to get home from SF on Fridays in the mid-late 1980s; ~2 hours most other days absent major freeway follies; if current timings are similar the ferry+SMART might actually be competitive; of course there weren't as many HOV lanes then). Some passengers who lived in RP might get front-door delivery with assistance getting off and pointing up the driveway. Things could get noisy in back but I usually sat toward the front and wasn't bothered.