For Mark Gustin, being a vessel master for Golden Gate Ferry is his third career.
Mark Gustin started out as a basketball player, then worked in the world of finance, then became a ferry boat captain. He speaks five languages and loves his job.
By Matt Larson
Published: September, 2016
For Mark Gustin, being a vessel master for Golden Gate Ferry is his third career. After graduating from Fresno State, Gustin left for Europe to play professional basketball for 13 years. While playing in Luxembourg he took a second job at a bank specializing in currency trading, which evolved to a second career by the time he made it back to the United States. In finance, he was wearing a suit and tie every day while working for a hedge fund in San Francisco—when the constant views of the beautiful Bay finally got to him.
“It started as just a hobby,” he said. “Just for fun I’d go work for a dinner cruise boat.” It didn’t take long for him to ask for a promotion, and before he knew it he was a deckhand on the San Francisco Bay. Although his life on the water began as a hobby and turned into serious work, Gustin makes a point to maintain that initial passion that brought him here.
“The work should be fun,” he said. “You want to enjoy what you’re doing, and if you can do it professionally and make an impression on somebody at the end of the day, you’ve really done your job.”
Gustin makes an effort to provide excellent customer service at all times, but especially on the Sausalito run as it’s often filled with tourists and their bicycles. “They’re gonna do this once,” Gustin said. “It’s like you or me taking the ferry across the Bosporus in Istanbul or something—it’s a bucket list check off. So let’s make it a good experience.”
Gustin’s also fluent in French, German, Italian and Danish, which provide him with even more opportunities to brighten a tourist’s day when coming aboard. “If you take just 10 or 15 seconds to say a little expression in their own language, you make them smile,” he said. “If you take that mindset about customer service, at the end of the day you’re getting high fives from kids who don’t speak English.”
Much of Gustin’s maritime experience before Golden Gate Ferry was working for Westar Marine Services for 12 years, a company he refers to as “the putty that keeps the Bay moving.” He started as a deckhand and worked his way up to safety and security officer, learning all the ins and outs of the Bay Area’s many waterways. “I got a good, broad base of the working waterfront,” said Gustin. Now, as a ferry captain, having this in-depth knowledge of the Bay only helps his instincts while manning the helm. “The tug and barges, pilot boats, cruise ships, other ferry boat companies—I know what all the other vessels are doing. It’s a community out there and we’re working together.”
He’s not always working, however. An active member of the Dolphin Club, he enjoys swimming at Aquatic Park and has participated in some of the open water swims on the Bay. Living three blocks from AT&T Park, he and his wife Tammy can often be found attending sporting events. He also helps his wife with her San Francisco-based business, Sips N Sews, whichs is a membership-based sewing company where people can come and design their own creations. Gustin also visits his European friends from time to time, having just gone to Amsterdam last year to help coach at a basketball camp.
One thing Gustin misses the most from his time in Europe is flexing his language muscle. At 6’9”, he’s pretty hard to miss, so if you notice a super-tall captain while you’re embarking or disembarking, Gusting encourages you to say hello—especially if it’s in French, German, Italian or Danish. People joke that Gustin’s too tall for the ferry boats, but a slight crook in his neck is a small price to pay. “There’s a lot more fresh air and a lot less road rage out on the water,” he says. “It appeases all my senses.”
