For S.F. Bay bar pilots it’s not just depth of knowledge, but knowledge of depths

Navigating the strong currents and foggy horizon of the San Francisco Bay is no easy task, especially when maneuvering a ship larger than the size of the Salesforce Tower. And as international commerce dependency expands, giant cargo ships are only getting bigger.

A team of 54 master mariners called the San Francisco Bar Pilots acts as the experts of the region’s waterways 24 hours a day, often clearing bridges within a few feet and surpassing language barriers with limited shared vocabulary between international crews.