Crossing the Bar: The Adventures of a San Francisco Bay Bar Pilot

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After 31 years as a California State and Federally licensed San Francisco Bar Pilot, Captain Paul Lobo has now written Crossing the Bar. With more than 6400 safe dockings of vessels of all sizes,  Captain Lobo has safely piloted thousands of ships in the confined, shallow and dangerous waters of San Francisco Bay and tributaries. Often working in zero visibility, he has conned ships weighting over 200,000 DWT to safe anchorage or to terminals with currents racing up to 6 knots. He has piloted yachts, oilrigs, submarines, aircraft carriers, supertankers, passenger ships, containerships  (up to 1085 feet long) and freighters.

There is nothing placid about San Francisco Bay.  Its raucous waters have hosted brutal storms, daring rescues, horrendous accidents, and countless hours of drama and tension.

Reading Crossing the Bar is like being on the rolling bridge with Captain Lobo.  Here are tragic deaths and lives saved, inspiring rescues, devastating storms, and the infamous and horrendous oil spill after the Cosco Busan rammed the Oakland Bay Bridge - which resulted in the first imprisonment of a maritime pilot for making an error.

Readers will also find a December sea rescue Lobo assisted with in hurricane strength winds and monstrous seas.  Without Captain Lobo's pilot boat and its crews' supreme effort, the ship they saved would have foundered on the rocky Marin County, California, coastline with the loss of all hands.

Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle

      
Captain Lobo bringing in a Chevron tanker under the Golden Gate

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