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Crossing the Bar: The Adventures of a San Francisco Bay Bar Pilot (Paul Lobo)

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Crossing the Bar: The Adventures of a San Francisco Bay Bar Pilot (Paul Lobo)
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. Captain Paul Lobo knows that better than most people. As a federally and state licensed ship pilot of unlimited tonnage for those treacherous waters, Captain Lobo piloted nearly 6,500 ships in a thirty-one year career--everything from mega-yachts, to the USS Enterprise, to TV's Love Boat. Each trip tells its own story, and the Cap'n shares many sea stories,all true. Readers will find gripping, tense adventure stories, all well told.

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--resulting in the first known imprisonment of a maritime pilot for making an error.

Readers will also find a December sea rescue Captain Lobo was involved during a winter storm with hurricane strength winds and monstrous seas.Without Captain Lobo, two other pilots and the pilot boat crew and their supreme effort, the ship they saved would have foundered on California's Marin County rocky coast line with the loss of all hands. A must read for mariners and armchair mariners alike.
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Article What is a Maritime Pilot? From "Crossing the Bar, The Adventures of a San Francisco Bay Bar Pilot" by Captain Paul Lobo

by Capt. Paul Lobo - published on 22 September 2020

Chapter 3 from the book "Crossing the Bar, The Adventures of a San Francisco Bay Bar Pilot" by Captain Paul Lobo, available on Amazon (link below)

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Opinion The valet parker for ships

by Bianca Reineke - published on 14 November 2020

Review of Capt. Paul Lobo's book "Crossing the bar". The valet parker for ships: More than 30 years of being a Pilot. Book Review by Bianca Reineke, Germany

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Opinion Book review: Practical Ship Handling, Fourth Edition, by Malcolm C. Armstrong

by Kevin Vallance deep sea pilot and author - published on 5 June 2020

Some ship handlers today use electronic instruments from start to finish and these ships usually have powerful engines and thrusters and an almost unlimited number of personnel on the bridge.

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Video First portion of Golden Ray taken away

published on 1 December 2020

After more than three weeks of cutting, the first chunk of the capsized Golden Ray has been lifted and set on a barge to be recycled. News4JAX reporter Zac Lashway is speaks with a Saint Simons resident about what the process is like for those living on the water.

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Article Unique electric pilot boat to the Swedish Maritime Administration

published on 17 October 2024

The Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) has ordered an EF-12 Pilot boat from Artemis Technologies. The foiling and fully electric pilot boat will be one of the first of its kind.

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Video Interceptor 60 Pilot alongside ship handling sea trials

published on 26 August 2025

Here’s a cool little video of the 2nd Interceptor 60 ‘Rubban’ built for DP World undergoing alongside ship handling sea trials, with some lovely drone footage of the container ship ‘BG Ireland’ as well.

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Video PLA Pilot Boat & Tug Svitzer Bootle 4K Drone Flight

published on 9 February 2021

Port of London Authority pilot boat (PIlot) & Tug Boat Svitzer Bootle, filmed with the Dji Inspire 2, X5s and 15mm Lens. Fully insured CAA OA & A2CofC Edited with Davinci Resolve 15. Drone Gear: DJI Inspire 2, Phantom 4 Pro & Advanced Drone Visit me here: https://www.skysharkmedia.com For use message me: info@skysharkmedia.co.uk

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Video Documentation: How New York Harbor Pilots Master Treacherous Waters

published on 10 September 2020

What does it mean to be a harbor pilot? More info here: http://gothamist.com/2016/05/26/video_ny_harbor_pilot.php Starring Robert J. Blake, Jr. Video by Jessica Leibowitz Produced by Jessica Leibowitz and Shayla Love MORE GOTHAMIST FILMS Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/Gothamist Dailymotion: http://www.dailymotion.com/Gothamist GOTHAMIST ACROSS THE WEB Gothamist.com: http://gothamist.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gothamist/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gothamist Instagram: https:/...

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Video Tales from a Great Lakes Pilot

published on 9 February 2026

Great Lakes Pilot Eric Treece joined us in the Virtual Visitor Center for an interview about his career as a fleet captain and his experiences now as a pilot working aboard a variety of ships. In the course of the conversation, he shares some spectacular photos he has taken over the years. TECHNICAL NOTE: there are a few audio glitches we could not correct but it only impacts a few spots.

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