From The Captain’s Chair

Captain Joe Wubbold

Now retired as Chief of Operations for the Coast Guard, Captain Joe Wubbold is an enthusiastic educator, whose passions range from the Antarctic to Cambridge University.

After graduating from high school in Washington, D.C., Wubbold received an appointment to the Coast Guard Academy, where he found a home and his life’s work.

He commanded a series of six ships, the last one an icebreaker. He served as Chief of Operations for the 13th Coast Guard District — the Pacific Northwest — which included oversight of all aids to navigation. His last assignment was Chief of Ice Operations, which gave him oversight over the Arctic, Antarctic and the American Great Lakes.

Wubbold’s adventurous life prepared him well for his current role as the president of the board of the Keepers of Point Robinson Light House on Vashon Island. Visiting the lighthouse with Captain Joe is an education as he loves showing visitors the lighthouse and its rare Fresnel lens.