Ebook: Crossing the bar: the adventures of a San Francisco Bay bar pilot

"There is nothing placid about San Francisco Bay. Its raucous waters have hosted brutal storms, daring rescues, horrendous accidents, and countless hours of drama and tension. Captain Paul Lobo knows that better than most people. As a licensed sea and harbor pilot in those treacherous waters, Lobo piloted nearly 6,500 vessels in a thirty-one year career--everything from mega-yachts to the USS Enterprise to the Love Boat. Each trip tells its own story, and Lobo shares many. Here readers will find gripping, tense adventure stories, all well told."--;Stand by engines -- Aground with Captain Sever -- What is a maritime pilot? -- History of San Francisco bar pilots -- California pilotage -- The difference between lightning and a lightning bug -- My last ships -- Don't have an accident on a slow news day -- Why did the Cosco Busan ram the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge? -- Ship happens -- The port of Oakland -- Changes -- Daydreams to nightmares -- Other tales of the Union Pacific Bridge and Sam Davies -- Great escapes of others -- My great escapes -- Man, it's dangerous out there -- A tough way to get to work -- "The sea is ... fast at sinking the unfit" -- The calm after the storm? -- Crazy Horse on the war path -- Anchors aweigh: piloting for the U.S. Navy -- Some pilots of note -- Ride-alongs, or want to see something really different? -- The Golden Gate Bridge -- Illegitimi non carborundum, or why I'm glad I retired -- Would I do it over again?