San Francisco Bar Pilots are experienced master mariners with specialized training and education that qualifies them to direct the navigation of vessels in San Francisco and Monterey Bays. We service over 200 docks and maritime facilities located throughout the Bay including the ports of San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond, Benicia, Redwood City, Stockton and Sacramento.
For 175 years, the San Francisco Bar Pilots have been safely navigating the world’s largest ships through some of North America’s most challenging waterways. These state and federally licensed master mariners are highly-specialized professionals who rely on navigational experience, ship-handling skills, and local knowledge to transport more than $40 billion in annual trade. Over 1,000 miles of fragile shoreline and 90% of the state’s marshlands are protected by our expert navigation.
Bar Pilots assist in moving goods through the Port of Oakland, the 8th busiest port in the nation, driving economic growth across the region, the state, and the nation.
of containerized goods moving through Northern California come through the port of Oakland
Bay Area jobs supported
In state and local taxes
Overall economic value of the Port of Oakland
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, San Francisco Bar Pilots meet all ships in the open ocean, 11 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge. Near this location is a navigational hazard known as a “sand bar,” from which the term “Bar Pilot” is derived. To board these massive ships, some of which are 1,300 feet long, the Bar Pilot scales a 30-foot rope ladder, often in rough seas or limited visibility. We are one of only a handful of pilot organizations nationally that conduct these dangerous open water boardings. Once aboard, the Bar Pilot takes control of the vessel and directs the navigation to its final destination.
Bar Pilots board vessels 11 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge on rough, open seas to navigate ships to the more than 200 docks and maritime facilities in the region.
The San Francisco Bay’s topography, strong currents, high traffic volumes, and rapidly changing weather make it one of the most challenging pilotage waters in the United States.
In one of the first meetings of the United States Congress in 1789, leaders established national guidelines for state pilotage.
In 1850, at one of the first meetings of the California State Legislature, state leaders established the first California state-sanctioned Bar Pilots.
Today, there are 60 state pilotage organizations across 25 states in the nation.
The San Francisco Bar Pilots are regulated and licensed by both federal and state governments, including the United States Coast Guard and BOPC. BOPC commissioners are appointed by the Governor and are responsible for overseeing the selection, training, licensing, continuing education, and physical examinations for all San Francisco Bar Pilots. A San Francisco Bar Pilot is often the United States’ first contact with a foreign ship, and as a result we work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to help ensure our nation’s domestic security.
The Bar Pilots protect 90% of the state’s marshland, keeping fragile shoreline undisturbed.
In an effort to educate the public about the critical work of the organization and to foster the next generation of pilots, members of the San Francisco Bar Pilots present at schools and youth organizations, as well as offering tours of the Pilot Station.
The San Francisco Bar Pilots partner with local organizations including San Francisco Baykeeper, the San Francisco Fire Department, Cal Poly Maritime, San Francisco Maritime National Park Association, and more. We are proud of our engagement and partnerships that provide opportunities and services in our local communities.