Past, Present, & Future: The Spaulding Spirit
Kira Maixner, January 19th, 2025
This month’s storytelling series comes from former Spaulding Marine Center Program Manager, Kira.
Spaulding Marine Center came into my life at exactly the right moment: I was already deep in the marine world and looking for an opportunity to celebrate the industry. Spaulding Marine Center does just that. It reminds me that boating isn’t only about where you’re going next. It’s also about where you’ve been: the community that supports you, the knowledge that is shared, and the sense of belonging that keeps people coming back to the water. At Spaulding, boating is as much about what we’re protecting and maintaining as it is about the next destination.
Kira, sailing in the Pacific Ocean.
What makes this tiny boatyard on the Bay rare is Spaulding’s commitment to preserving maritime history. We live in a region that’s always moving forward, always building the next new thing; but there aren’t many places that pause long enough to protect what came before. Spaulding safeguards marine craftsmanship, vessels made of both wood and fiberglass, the knowledge needed to maintain them, and the stories that shaped this waterfront long before “innovation” became our favorite buzzword.
One of the Spaulding Center’s community music nights.
What I love most is that Spaulding doesn’t treat boating like a closed club. It’s intentional about welcoming underserved communities, creating opportunities for women, and making space for people who otherwise might not see themselves in the marine industry. There’s a sense that everyone belongs here, whether you’re dreaming of working in the trades, learning basic seamanship, or simply wanting to understand how boats fit into the bigger story of the Bay.
We all know that you don’t really understand boating culture until you’ve seen it up close. Spaulding gives that opportunity to everyone who walks through the door. The program that left the biggest impression on me was the apprenticeship program.This program is not just valuable; rather, it’s essential to the maritime industry in the Bay and beyond. It’s simple. Without people to fix boats, there simply won’t be any boating. Spaulding is actively keeping these skills alive by creating an entry point into a niche industry that can feel impossible to access.
Aerial shot, Spaulding Boatworks, yard, and dock.
The community at Spaulding is just as powerful as its programs. Individuals who got involved decades ago still show up every day and ask how they can help.
After my time working at Spaulding, I really learned that boating is as much about what we’re protecting and maintaining as it is about the next destination…so maybe it should be your next destination, too. Because without support from donors far and wide, Spaulding’s public programs, its museum, its curated library, and its apprenticeship program simply wouldn’t exist. You can be part of maritime history — please give today.
