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Guardian Angels, San Francisco Bar Pilots
If you spend any time around San Francisco's waterfront you're bound to see some bar pilot ships. These vessels have been safely guiding vessels through San Francisco Bay fog and rocky dangers since the early 1800s. The crews of these ships are a hardy breed whose jobs are filled with strenuous work, anxiety, and risk.
The first bar pilot was Captain William Richardson who built his own pilot boat, Ayacucho in 1835. The huge number of arriving ships during the Gold Rush called for an increase in the number of pilot ships to safely shepherd those newcomers through the treacherous waters. In 1850 the California Senate established the San Francisco Bar Pilots as an official service. This organization of dedicated seamen still protects Golden Gate sailors today.
At least one bar pilot ship is always stationed 11 miles outside the Golden Gate, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year in all types of weather. Today they guide over 9,000 vessels a year through the narrow channels, shifting currents and tides, thick fog, high winds, and winter storms of the Bay.
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2 Comments:
I had no idea that the bar pilots wait that far out -- I thought they were just "on call" or something... I think I'll go Google the shipping lanes and see where they go...
It's fun to watch the tug boats, sometimes two or three standing by in the cove between Point Bonita and Black Sands Beach...
Thank you for featuring these unsung heroes of the San Francisco Bay. My brother-in-law's father was a San Francisco Bar Pilot. I'm told that this job is as stressful as an air traffic controller's.
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