Christopher Mannion has seafaring in his blood—but it took a summer job with the Blue & Gold Fleet to realize it.
Captain Christopher Mannion in front of Blue & Gold Fleet’s Old Blue at PIER 39. Photo by Matt Larson
By Matt Larson
Published: October, 2012
Christopher Mannion has seafaring in his blood—but it took a summer job with the Blue & Gold Fleet to realize it.
"My great-grandfather was a fishing boat captain in Ireland. My grandfather was a merchant marine during World War II and later made a career out of it for 30-some-odd years. And, on top of that, my father practiced maritime law in San Francisco for 30 years," Mannion said. "So you could say that it was in my blood, I just didn’t realize it until I was a little bit older."
Mannion’s first day at Blue & Gold was the day after he graduated high school in 1994. "I started out with a summer job taking pictures," Mannion said. "Then it kind of morphed into a deckhand job during the summers when I went to college."
Mannion ended up liking the job—a lot. "Once I got enough sea time I got my captain’s license and I’ve been driving boats ever since, going on 11 years now," he said. As of this writing, Captain Mannion can be found on the Bay Cruises departing from Pier 39. Throughout the year he also helms the Angel Island, Sausalito, Tiburon and Oakland/Alameda commutes.
Mannion’s time as a deckhand has really helped sculpt the kind of captain he is today. "I appreciate the crew more than anything else," he said. "It sounds kind of lame, but a captain’s really only as good as his crew. So, if you have a group of deckhands who are willing to go the extra mile for you, it makes the job easy."
"One of the most challenging parts of the job is the elements, but they’re seasonal so you can kind of prepare for them," Mannion said. "One thing that you can never prepare yourself for are the sailboats—the weekend warriors. They can make your day a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Throw that on top of Fleet Week and Fourth of July—that’s when you really earn your check."
Many Blue & Gold employees can attest that one of the best parts of the job is having some pretty amazing co-workers, and Mannion is no different. "A lot of them, I’m very proud to say, are good friends of mine—lifelong friends of mine," he said. "The biggest joy of this job is knowing that I wouldn’t have gotten to know these people had I not worked for Blue & Gold as long as I have."
Mannion attended Dominican University of California in San Rafael, graduating with a degree in psychology, and actually credits Blue & Gold for finishing school. "It wasn’t until after I got my captain’s license that I figured I might as well go back to school," said Mannion, who had only attended junior college beforehand. "So basically, it took me getting my license to end up finishing my college career."
Having grown up in San Francisco and Marin, Mannion now lives in Petaluma with his wife and two kids. "It’s all about spending time with my family," he said. "My daughter is in first grade and my son is in kindergarten." He also makes time, when possible, for the 49ers. "I’m definitely fired up for this season," he said. "Last year was the first time in 15 years that I hadn’t been out to the ’Stick and they got a championship game, so I think I’ll stay away again this year."
While he’s driving the distance to San Francisco from Petaluma every morning, Mannion keeps in mind that "once I get to the ‘office’ it’s all worth it." He summarizes it like this: "It’s the crew and the view. Being able to say that you get to work with some of your best friends is a luxury. Some people don’t have that. And as far as offices go, you can’t ask for a better office than being out on the San Francisco Bay."
