A Note from President Capt. John Carlier
Welcome back to another edition of the San Francisco Bar Pilots newsletter! Spring has just about sprung in the San Francisco Bay Area after months of rain and cold temperatures, and the Bar Pilots are looking forward to clearer skies in the coming months.
With the 2023 legislative session now in full swing, I would like to give a warm welcome to those in both the Assembly and State Senate who are serving their first term, and to our veteran legislators, it’s great to have you back. We hope to connect with you in the near future – particularly if we did not already see you during our visit to Sacramento in February.
For those who are not familiar with the Bar Pilots, the State of California has entrusted the Pilots to safely and efficiently navigate the world’s largest ships through 160 miles of North America’s most challenging waterways since 1850. Today, the Bar Pilots are an integral component of the region’s supply chain and help grow the economy by safely bringing in all large ships through the Golden Gate and transporting more than $40 billion in annual trade.
The San Francisco Bar Pilots look forward to continuing to work with our elected leaders and our industry partners to help keep California’s economy growing.
Sincerely,
Capt. John Carlier
Bar Pilots
Over 1,000 miles of fragile shoreline and 90% of the state’s marshlands are protected by the Bar Pilots, highly-specialized professionals who rely on navigational experience, ship-handling skills, and local knowledge. Learn more about the Pilots:
New Pilot Vessels on the Horizon
Our pilot vessels are integral to the safe transport of Bar Pilots throughout our pilotage grounds. Coming in May, the PV Golden Gate will be replaced with a state-of-the-art pilot vessel under the same name. The new vessel will advance our sustainability goals with a cutting-edge CARB-compliant engine that will allow Pilots to transfer to and from ships safely and efficiently with added maneuverability and speed.
Further down the road, the Bar Pilots will be contracting for three additional vessels. The vessels are currently being designed by Glosten, an engineering firm based in Washington, with the builder yet to be selected. The cost of the build program is anticipated to be $55 million and is necessary to meet the compliance standards of CARB’s new Commercial Harbor Craft Regulations. Scheduled to arrive in 2024 and 2025, these new vessels will make the San Francisco Bar Pilots the first pilot association in California to procure vessels that meet such compliance.
SFBP has engaged with CARB in this multiyear rulemaking process and will continue to work with stakeholders and regulators on the technological feasibility of the CHC regulation and its impact on California’s harbor craft operators. Due to the challenges of implementing the CHC rule within the compliance timeline established by CARB, we believe that the standards and accompanying enforcement procedures are not consistent with section 209 of the Clean Air Act. We look forward to further discussions on alleviating implementation challenges as well as exploring opportunities for a sustainable funding stream to achieve the state’s environmental goals.
Legislative Day in Sacramento
Earlier this year, a delegation from the Bar Pilots traveled to the State Capitol to meet with legislators to discuss several important topics including ongoing supply chain challenges. The Bar Pilots look forward to returning to Sacramento to partner with legislators on the future of the maritime industry in California.
Pictured at right are Bar Pilots Business Director Capt. Anne McIntyre, Senator John Laird (D- 17), and Bar Pilot Capt. Zack Kellerman.
Port of Stockton Reception
In February, members of the Bar Pilots joined the Port of Stockton Board of Commissioners and Port Director for their annual Pilot Appreciation Reception. This was a great opportunity to interact with Port stakeholders off the water and acknowledge our important partnership. As traffic increases at the Port of Stockton, the Bar Pilots look forward to continuing to support economic growth in the Central Valley region.
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