Good Jibes: Captain Anne McIntyre — The Life of a Bar Pilot

Welcome to Latitude 38‘s weekly podcast, Good Jibes. This week’s host, Moe Roddy, is joined by Capt. Anne McIntyre, who chats about being a bar pilot pioneer, navigating dangerous waters, and boating challenges. Anne is the business director of the San Francisco Bar Pilots, and was the first woman bar pilot on the Columbia River, which contains some of the most difficult passages you’ll find.

Hear how to work smartly and safely in a dangerous environment, become a bar pilot, and learn to lead from behind; the hardest part of navigating megaships; and what’s going on at the navigation bridge when you hear the danger signal.

This episode covers everything from bar pilots to life lessons. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear:

• Did Anne have any childhood experiences that prepared her for life in the maritime industry?
• What does a deck officer do?
• How did Anne learn the Columbia River?
• Did she ever have any experiences that scared or unsettled her?
• What major injury did she have?
• Why did she go back to graduate school?
• Is she responsible for taking care of the boats as well?
• Short Tacks: What’s the most important lesson Anne has learned in her professional career?

Anne commented, “Maritime careers are great careers. It’s something I just fell into and I would encourage anyone who even has a little inkling, to get involved. There are just so many opportunities out there on commercial ships, on tugboats, on research vessels — there are all kinds of vessels out there. And it’s a great industry with good-paying jobs.” If you’re looking for a maritime career you could follow Anne’s course with Cal Maritime in Vallejo, or start in the Latitude 38 Job opportunities section. There are great jobs around the world or right here on the California waterfront.

Learn more about Anne on LinkedIn and SFBarPilots.com.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast spots – follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!