Want To Run A Lighthouse? Now’s Your Opportunity!

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to manage an uber-cozy lighthouse in a fog-prone bay? There is a job opening at East Brother Light Station located in the heart of San Francisco Bay ^[1]. In winter, there will be snuggles by the fireplace on the rocky atoll when the fog rolls in. All expenses paid.

Past residents have said they wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. However, holding the station has tested them too. They also said they would not do it again.

Job Description

Tom Butt, who manages the lighthouse now, described the job details as ferrying guests to and from the island, slinging hors d’oeuvres, changing sheets, and showing the historic lighthouse to guests. Butt is now accepting applications from innkeeper hopefuls.

Qualifications

There are two key qualifications for this position. One manager has to have a U.S. Coast Guard commercial boat operation license. The second qualification is people with some culinary experience. The job of innkeeper at East Brother Light Station may sound lonely, but Butt says it’s just the opposite. It is imperative to cater to the needs of visitors. The successful applicant will operate both a bed and breakfast and a logistical operation. Volunteers handle island maintenance and upkeep.

Standard Week

The work week starts at 4 p.m. Thursday. Boat skipper licenses allow you to ferry guests from mainland Richmond to the lighthouse. In addition to providing refreshments, champagne, and delicious dinners, your experience in the hospitality industry will help them relax in their comfortable, well-maintained rooms at the end of each day. A lighthouse dream come true awaits visitors. It costs about $535 for the best room, which includes dinner and everything else. You’ll fix breakfast and give the tour in the morning. The tour includes the foghorn demonstration, view of the light tower, and exploration of the rest of the rock in the misty morning. Butt described it as an enjoyable experience. After returning them ashore, you’ll have from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. to prepare for the next round of visitors! In the middle of reprovisioning for another week, you’ll still find rest time during “off-days” from Monday through Thursday morning.

Wages

Innkeepers who possess the requisite licensure, skills, and stamina are paid $140,000, plus health insurance and benefits. Free food and rent are notable perks, which are not insignificant since local rent can reach two or three grand per month. Because you’re so busy, managers do not end up spending a lot of their own money. Couples have traditionally held the post; large families have occupied the lighthouse for decades. With no expenses, people can save quite a sum of money in a relatively short period of time.

In 2018, East Brother Light Station received thousands of applications from across the globe, including from Mongolia, China, and Russia. The final number of qualified candidates was 60 after they sorted through them all.

However, as a result of COVID’s closure, the lighthouse received zero applications after reopening.  California’s Property Tax Reform Act cut the lighthouse’s funding in 1977. It was saved in 1979 by activists, and the East Brother Light Station corporation, headed by Tom Butt, was established to manage it.

Butt went on to say,

It’s only an hour away from 10 million people. And yet, once you’re there, not only does it seem you’re a world away geographically, but it’s a world away chronologically ^[2].

For more information or to apply for this position, you can go to the website here. You can also email any questions to eastbrotherlightstationjobs@gmail.com.