Job postings attract the attention of adventure seekers.
A working lighthouse bed and breakfast has room for two skilled innkeepers who can cook, clean, and operate the ferry boat. Problem: My job is on a one-acre island in the San Francisco Bay, separated from the city by a choppy ocean about ten miles.
It may sound daunting, but in the past, applicants have come from all over the world, including Russia, China, and Italy. We are still accepting applications.
As part of the job, the innkeeper is given a medical plan and two weeks of vacation, which includes room and board. .
According to the job posting at East Brother Light Station in Richmond, California, one applicant must have a valid U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license and commit to at least two years of service.
A captain’s license is usually the biggest hurdle for applicants, said Richmond Mayor Tom Butt, founder of the nonprofit that manages bed and breakfast operations.
The innkeeper entertains guests four days a week, conducts tours, changes sheets, and most importantly prepares delicious meals.
“It’s an important part of the experience,” Batt said. “People who aren’t ready to do hard work for at least a few years shouldn’t apply for the job.”
Applicants must submit jointly if they wish to throw their hats into the ring. The one-acre island has a working lighthouse built in 1873. The lighthouse was intended to help sailors navigate the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays, but by 1969 the site fell into disrepair as light and fog signals were automated. About a decade later, conservationists tried to save and restore the site, Batt said.
Over the years, hundreds of volunteer conservationists have worked to restore the site. Bhatt said the site needed to generate income to keep it from falling into disrepair again. So the idea of a working bed and breakfast was born.
Depending on economic conditions, it draws a steady flow of visitors who can enjoy beautiful views of the San Francisco skyline from a unique vantage point. A stay on the island is $475-525 a night in his quaint two-story Victorian home. The maintenance of the island is done by a non-profit organization, but the innkeeper is expected to maintain the bed and breakfast and everything that goes with it.
Innkeepers are expected to fill multiple roles, which may sound like a daunting role, but around 2019, job listings went viral. Applicants gathered from all over the world. The nonprofit eventually won about 60 qualified candidates, Batt said.
The surgery was closed for about a year and a half during the pandemic. The nonprofit hoped to see a flood of innkeeper candidates once the hiring window reopened, but instead the group received no viable candidates. I was forced to hire a seasoned innkeeper to staff the post.
Butt hopes that a pair of tenacious and talented young applicants will take over the job this spring.
“It’s a great opportunity for young people especially to make and save money,” Batt said.
