Welcome to the Spaulding Center

The Great San Francisco Schooner RaceVisit Media Gallery for a longer slide show

The Spaulding Wooden Boat Center is one of the last remaining wooden boat yards on the West Coast. Entering this “cathedral of wooden boats” is like stepping back in time. The filtered light, the sawdust and wood chips on the floor, the smell of paint and varnish and the rows of hand tools tell you that this is where boats are still being built the traditional way, with skilled shipwrights using natural materials.

Learn about Freda
1885 gaff sloop “Freda” currently being restored at the Spaulding Center

The Center was built on the Sausalito waterfront in 1951 by Myron Spaulding, concert violinist, legendary sailor, and yacht designer and builder. In 2002, the Spauldings' generous gift turned this functional and historic boat yard into a non-profit charitable organization and living museum.

The 1885 gaff sloop Freda is currently being completely restored on-site. The Spaulding Boatworks also continues to repair and maintain boats of all ages and types just as they have since 1955. And wooden boats that are works of art come and go from the Center’s docks all day long. The sounds, sights and textures here are real. The Center is far more than a static piece of history. It is a center of activity and living museum.

If you love boats, the sea or maritime history, get involved in the Spaulding Center. Come aboard and experience the rich texture of wooden boat building, sailing and the history of boat building in the San Francisco Bay Area and the West Coast.