spaulding Marine Center
The Spalding Marine Center is a community-centered education center and historic boatyard dedicated to preserving our maritime heritage through hands-on craftsmanship and education.
Located on the Sausalito waterfront, it serves as a living link between the region’s rich local boatbuilding traditions and the next generation of makers and mariners. Through restoration, training, and community programs, the marine center honors historic vessels while fostering a shared sense of place, purpose, and stewardship rooted in the working waterfront.
About Us
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Full-Service Boatyard
Spaulding Marine Center operates as a full-service boatyard where traditional craftsmanship meets the latest marine technology, offering hull repairs, rigging, and maintenance alongside a commitment to preserving historic vessels like Freda and promoting hands-on experiences for owners, apprentices, and volunteers alike.
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Boatworks 101™ Marine Apprenticeship Program
The Boatworks 101™ Marine Apprenticeship Program immerses emerging craftspeople in the full breadth of marine trade skills — from woodworking and rigging to marine electrical systems — cultivating modern technical expertise while passing forward a legacy of craftsmanship on the historic Sausalito waterfront.
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Adult & Youth Education
Spaulding’s adult and youth education offerings span semester-long homeschool programs, seasonal youth camps in sailing, woodworking, and marine science, and adult workshops in boatbuilding and maritime skills, all designed to inspire curiosity, build practical abilities, and strengthen stewardship of the Bay.
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Community Events
Through public offerings like the monthly Storytelling Series — which shares personal narratives and maritime heritage themes — lectures, live music events, and history talks, Spaulding Marine Center brings people together [from Sausalito and around the world] to connect over shared experiences, celebrate tradition, and heighten appreciation for local history and life on the water.
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Myron Spaulding and Our History
The story of Spaulding Marine Center begins with Myron Spaulding — a concert violinist, legendary sailor, and self-taught boat designer and builder whose influence shaped the Sausalito waterfront and Bay Area maritime culture. In 1951, Myron purchased the property at the foot of Gate Five Road and established Spaulding Boatworks, where he designed and built iconic wooden vessels and fostered a community of craftspeople; after his passing, his wife Gladys entrusted the boatyard to become the nonprofit Spaulding Marine Center, ensuring that his legacy of craftsmanship, seamanship, and stewardship lives on in every restoration, workshop, and education program.
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Storytelling Series
The Storytelling Series is a monthly lineup of personal and maritime-themed narratives shared by community members and maritime professionals, with a range of topics offering insight into heritage, craftsmanship, education, and life around the water.