On the Sausalito waterfront, one boatyard still works much as it did 75 years ago. The Spaulding Marine Center, formerly the Spaulding Wooden Boat Center, describes itself as a community education hub and historic boatyard that preserves maritime heritage through hands-on craftsmanship.
Myron Spaulding's yard
Myron Spaulding built Spaulding Boatworks in 1951, according to Wikipedia. He was a concert violinist, a well-known sailor and a yacht designer and builder. In 2002 his widow, Gladys, left the boatworks in a charitable trust and asked the trustees to form a nonprofit and living museum. Wikipedia calls it the oldest marina and boatyard on the historic Sausalito waterfront and one of the last wooden boatyards in the Bay Area. It says the yard has stayed largely unchanged and in continuous use. The center recently released a film about Spaulding's legacy called Old Skills, New Hands.
What happens there
- Classes: adult and youth programs in sailing, woodworking and marine trades. A galley cutting board woodworking class is set for Dec. 2–3
- Boatworks 101: a paid, 12-month apprenticeship for young adults that teaches boat maintenance and repair and then places graduates in the industry
- Events: open houses, lectures, live music and a monthly storytelling series. An upcoming speaker series features the San Francisco Bar Pilots
- Sails: charters aboard Freda
Wikipedia notes that since 2007 the center has also hosted the Arques School of Traditional Boatbuilding. Check the center's site for dates and registration.