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Allen Garfinkle — The Making of a Bay Pilot | 8/7/2019

published on 4 August 2020 - 155 -

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Found on YouTube. Created by "St. Francis Yacht Club".

The Making of a Bay Pilot

Allen Garfinkle, Executive Director, Board of Pilot Commissioners, San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun Bays

Professional mariner Captain Allen Garfinkle, will highlight the role of maritime pilots in waterborne commerce on San Francisco Bay, including how one becomes a maritime pilot, dangers of the job and common myths about piloting on the Bay. Captain Garfinkle is the Executive Director of the state level authority that trains, licenses and regulates those pilots. Prior to his role at the Pilot Commission, Captain Garfinkle was a deep-sea mariner for 30 years, including 22 years at Matson Navigation Company, where he was master on nine of their ships. Allen holds a Bachelor’s degree from California Maritime Academy and a J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

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Opinion The Secret Life of Pilots

by Allen Garfinkle - published on 8 March 2022

The article was written by Allen Garfinkle, Executive Director – Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun

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.

Video Women Pilots at the Port of Houston with Howard Middleton and the First Woman Pilot Holly Cooper

published on 17 December 2025

By 2001, the Houston Pilots led the way in hiring minorities and women, and a few years later it formed a nonprofit called Anchor Watch, to offer scholarships to maritime students in need and boost opportunities for minority and women candidates. Captain Holly Cooper joined the Houston Pilots in 1994 as the group’s 151st pilot and the first woman to begin training as a deputy.

Opinion Harbor Pilots, the Boeing 737 MAX and Automation

by Capt. Jim Wright , Southwest Alaska Pilots Association (retired) - published on 5 March 2020

The debate is whether highly skilled pilots could have successfully overcome the recent Boeing 737 MAX computer deficiencies. Will this question eventually be relevant to harbor pilot skills?

Video The Pilot Of Belfast Harbour - N Irish Coastal Scenery

published on 20 June 2022

What a great pleasure to meet these guys at the harbour - they could not have been more helpful and forthright about their work. At first glance, the glide of these orange powerboats up and down Belfast Lough seems an almost effortless task, but close up this is a very skilled trade and constant management of risk 24/7 in high and low seas, jumping from ship to boat to land taking safe control of the great volume of steel vessel coming in and out of this busy port. Though a hub of...

Article Interview with Marine Pilot Esil Abibula: Crossing the Northwest Passage

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 18 December 2019

The Northwest Passage is the approximately 5780 km long sea route that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean north of the American continent. It crosses the Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas as well as the associated sea lanes through the Canadian-Arctic archipel ago.

Roald Amundsen made his first complete successfully crossing in 1903-1906 via the route discovered by John Rae through the James Ross Strait, Rae Strait and Simpson Strait on the small ship Gjøa.

Article #dangerousladders - Using social media to improve pilot transfer safety.

by Kevin Vallance deep sea pilot and author - published on 12 December 2019

It remains a sad fact that accidents and near misses continue to occur during pilot transfers with frightening regularity. Most of these fortunately do not result in injury, and a surprisingly high number of them are not even recognised for what they are.

Surveys into pilot ladder safety consistently reveal that unacceptably high numbers of pilot transfer arrangements are not compliant with the regulations.