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MASTER OF THE VESSEL RIGHT: Captain Alan Cull on the display excellent situational awareness while on the water. tours. For safety reasons, this task has long since shifted away
steps leading up to the wheelhouse
of the Enhydra on the day of its Yacht races, the America’s Cup regatta, and even kitesurfers from the helm, thus ensuring the captains can keep their full
and whales can clog the waterways on the Bay, creating
attention on piloting the boat.
maiden voyage.
collision courses where none usually exist. Experienced While everyone hopes for a smooth sail, situations can
he Red and White Fleet currently employs about ten the hawsepipe, which is the pipe in the ship’s bow section that LEFT: Officers of the US Lifeboat FOLLOWING PAGE: The captains come to learn the racers’ behavior, making it easier come up that require an emergency response. “We have drills
captains, depending on the season. The captains are the anchor chain passes through, hawsepipers climb up the Station in San Francisco pose in one responsibilities of captains include to steer a safe course. At one point in Red and White Fleet’s all the time concerning rescuing people. It’s your responsibility
Tresponsible for piloting the vessels safely and often ship’s ranks and attain their license by learning on the job— of their rescue boats around the turn not only safely guiding the vessel history, captains were also responsible for narrating the to respond if there’s someone in trouble,” said retired Captain
come to their jobs with decades of maritime experience. While even working their way up from deckhand. Regardless, they of the twentieth century. Even then, along its route, but also leading the Jack Goldthorp, who worked for the Fleet from 1987 to 2007.
it was the responsibility of Crowley
boat’s crew and providing guidance to
there are many different paths to take toward becoming a all must take the written Coast Guard exam and earn their 360 and his boat operators to work in those who wish to work their way up The Red and White Fleet is also part of the San Francisco Vessel
captain, some candidates gain experience through the armed days of sea-time in order to become a licensed captain. coordination with the rescue teams to captaincy themselves. Mutual Assistance Program (SF-VMAP), a system that assists
services or by attending a maritime academy, while others Responsible for potential rescues and always standing to ensure safety on the Bay. And search and rescue parties by providing information on the
“come up through the hawsepipe,” an apt maritime metaphor ready for a call from the Coast Guard in case of a wider thankfully, emergency crews have whereabouts of nearby ships that may be able to help.
for those whose gumption propels their success. Named after maritime emergency, captains must be calm, proactive, and upgraded to much more efficient Maritime rescues are not the only dangers faced on the
vessels since that time.
Bay. While the weather in this part of California is generally
mild, winds can occasionally gust up to 65 knots (75 mph)
across the water, creating hazardous conditions for all aboard.
Thankfully, modern radar and weather reporting mean that
cruises can almost always be canceled ahead of time to keep
crew and passengers safe. In his twenty-seven years with the
company, Captain Rod Phillips remembers only one day when
heavy winds came up suddenly and interfered with a cruise
already underway. “By the time we got back, it was so wild we
couldn’t really land successfully, so we went around the corner
[to Pier 45] and Tom Escher arranged for a forklift and a pallet
to offload people from the second deck.” This quick thinking
got everyone ashore safely and demonstrated the commitment
to innovation and ingenuity that has been present since the
company’s beginning.
Even though passenger tours can usually be canceled
in advance of bad weather, that doesn’t mean the boats
110 • Red and White Fleet Evolution • 111
