Is the Lifestyle of an Island B & B Lighthouse Keeper for You?
by There are some jobs that people dream about. A frequent fancy is being a lighthouse keeper where one can enjoy the peace and serenity of the ocean and sea life. We decided to find out just what is involved in being a lighthouse and innkeeper for a popular light station near San Francisco.
East Brother Island is situated near San Francisco in the middle of San Pablo Bay. The one-acre island has two vintage buildings in addition to an 1874 Victorian Lighthouse. The old work shed has been converted into a cozy innkeepers’ cottage, and the other building houses the machinery necessary to power the working foghorns.
The island has electric power supplied by an underwater cable from the mainland, and a self-contained water system that holds almost 90,000 gallons of rainwater stored in an underground cistern and an above-ground redwood water tank.
East Brother Light Station is managed by a Richmond nonprofit preservationist group, which in 1980 obtained permission from the Coast Guard to renovate and maintain the active light station. The organization has many volunteers to help with the constant maintenance, and pays most of the bills by renting out the island’s five bedrooms, four days per week. This is where our story begins.
After a series of email communications, we arranged to meet and interview the lighthouse innkeepers Ed and Anne Witts, on the East Brother Island. On Monday morning, we were waiting at the Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor when Ed pulled up to the dock in the light station’s aluminum tender.
Before we could board the boat, Ed had to disembark the Sunday night guests. He was both captain and stevedore, as he helped the people and then lifted their baggage onto the dock. The visitors must have enjoyed their island experience because they were all laughing and carrying on as if they were old friends.
After introducing ourselves and boarding the boat, Ed started the engines and headed out of the harbor for our short 15-minute ride to the island. He immediately gave us a briefing about what to expect when we arrived. We were required to strap on a small life preserver device and climb a stainless steel ladder that extended from the boat deck to the landing pier that is adjoined to the island.
Anne was waiting on the platform to greet us as we exited the ladder. As soon as she smiled, we knew we would like her.
After gathering our photo equipment and walking up the steep ramp between the pier and the island, Ed gave us a tour of the first building we encountered, which houses the machinery to operate the foghorns. For our benefit, he cranked up the diesel generator and gave us a live performance of the horns – which was deafening.
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