When I immigrated here from the Philippines never in my wildest dreams had I thought of working on a ferry in San Francisco, California. But I do and often think of Jack London’s book “Sea Wolf.”

“I felt quite amused at the unwarranted choler, and while he stumped indignantly up and down, I fell to dwelling upon the romance of the fog. And romantic it certainly was the fog, like the gray shadow of infinite mystery, brooding over the whirling speck of earth; and men, mere motes of light and sparkle, cursed with an insane relish for work, riding their steeds of wood and steel through the heart of the mystery, groping their way blindly through the Unseen, and clamoring and clanging in confident speech the while their hearts are heavy with incertitude and fear.” Jack London

This is from the first chapter of novel.  I did a book report on it over 40 years ago while in English class in the Philippines.

It is a psychological novel about Humphrey Van Weyden, a literary critic and survivor of an ocean collision.  Wolf Larsen, the powerful and amoral sea captain rescues him, and he is forced to work as a cabin boy on the Ghost, a seal-hunting schooner. Here he experiences the complexities of life and nature. 

It is these complexities of life and nature that I feel I am experiencing right now working on San Francisco Bay.

There is beauty when the fog engulfs the bay but also mixed in is a sense of fear of the unseen when working on a vessel.

With all the new technologies and advanced radars, a collision seldom happens. If ever it happens, a dozen other vessels will be ready to help.

My life is not as exciting and adventurous as Weyden’s, but I find similarities in that we are both stuck working in a vessel by circumstances. Both seeking out new adventures and experiences. 

From doing police reports and reporting on goings on in the Philippine capital’s international airport, I find myself in a different space. It has been over 25 years now and I still enjoy life on the water.

I started out as a photojournalist in the Philippines. Beginning in a small city newspaper in Baguio City in the northern portion of the main Island of Luzon. I subsequently found jobs in a couple of major newspapers in the Philippines capital of Manila.  Grabbed an opportunity to travel to the US and eventually stayed and married.

My first job in the US was a boxer. A totally different job if you are thinking of sports. The job was for Bill Graham productions and involved putting silk screened concert and commercial t-shirts into boxes. It was mostly South American and Asian workers with white managers. 

A friend in San Francisco helped me get a job on the ferries.  I started out as a bartender. My new vocation involved riding the ferry for several hours serving snacks and drinks to commuters and tourists. Later I made my way as a deckhand. 

I have never had an office job. All the jobs I had involved being outside and traveling. 

This job involves boat handling, safety, and cleaning. The crew, like the characters in Jack London’s “Ghost”, consist of a wide sampling of humanity who caught sea fever or are in trapped circumstances.

It is a great union job which attracts a lot of retirees, burned out office workers, artists, rebels, sea lovers and lost souls. One worker coined the group “broken dolls” because of their quirkiness and individualism. 

One crew member comes to work every day with a huge camping backpack. Rumor is he started doing it after the last big earthquake when crew members were stuck in boats for weeks because of damaged bridges. They ferried emergency supplies and people.

The mix and match of personalities makes or breaks a crew, each crew of three works together for 2 months or more. Tales of crews clashing is always juicy bay-work gossip. These usually result in firings, suspensions or moving those concerned to a different group. 

A lot has in changed since the era of steamers and schooners.

Ferry crews do not need to be “shanghaied” these days. The union has a long list of applicants who are waiting to work the boats.

It’s not mind-numbing work. Your senses are on high alert with the constant movement of the vessel and the ever-changing elements of nature.

As a photographer the job is an inspiration to capture moments of grandeur nature presents, the rolling fog, the play of light and the creatures on the bay. I am constantly searching for these, and every day presents a new image.

Being surrounded by the constant changing elements in a great scenic setting makes the day always interesting. Add to that the different commuters and tourists who ride the ferry.

It’s the best job in the bay. 

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You can see more of Vincent Atos’s images from the bay on Instagram: @vincefoto. If you are looking for a calendar, email Vincent Atos at vincefoto@gmail.com. 

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