Events
Upcoming Events
Call of the Sea - Tall Ship Celebration
We’ll be at the Call of the Sea Tall Ship Celebration.
Stop by the table if you’re there. We’ll have info on programs, events, and how to get involved. Or just come talk boats for a bit.
More info on the event here: https://callofthesea.org/special-events-celebration/
Michèle Walther in the One-Woman-Orchestra
Join us at Spaulding Marine Center for a special live music show by the water. Expect an intimate performance blending violin, voice, and layered sound in a relaxed waterfront setting. More details coming soon.
Michèle Walther with her unique One-Woman-Orchestra performs music by Piazzolla, Corelli, The Beatles, and her own compositions on violin, voice and live looping. Her pieces are an innovative blend of world music, jazz, and classical; her music is a journey of the soul and evokes deep emotions. Born in Switzerland and now living in San Francisco, the violinist creates highly individual and deeply melodic original compositions that use electronic live loops, effects, and her voice. “A rare combination of classical precision and improvisational skill that includes a real feel for melody.”
Violinist Michèle Walther is a performer, composer, arranger, and educator from Switzerland and San Francisco. Michèle has performed in venues throughout Europe and North America with Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull, Gloria Estefan, Joe Lovano, Oscar Stagnaro (Paquito D’Rivera), Pablo Ablanedo Septet (jazz, latin), Basel Sinfonietta, Mark Feldman, LaMuseMent, and more. Recent performances include Resonance at SFJazz Center and Yoshi’s, and “A Living Tribute to Carla Bley” at the SFJazz Center, where she was featured in “Birds of Paradise”. You can also find her music in the documentary “Not Without Us”.
Ms. Walther earned her M.M. at the Conservatory of Music in Basel, Switzerland, and later graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, majoring in jazz violin performance.
In her spare time, you can find her hiking, meditating, or watching out for dolphins.
photo credit: Hillary Turner
Underwater Economics of the San Francisco Bay
Join us for an evening at the intersection of human and ecological design along the San Francisco Bay. Together, we’ll explore this liminal shoreline through the lenses of science, architecture, economics, and food.
Time & Location
Jun 24, 2026, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Spaulding Marine Center, 600 Gate 5 Rd, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
About the event
Native oyster reefs and eelgrass meadows offer a vision for a different kind of economy—one rooted in reciprocity. The effects of these living systems ripple outward with multiplying effects: sheltering biodiversity, softening the force of rising seas, and feeding local communities. A blue economy begins in restoration, where ecology and livelihood are not at odds but symbiotic.
The story of the San Francisco Bay can be told through its native Olympia oyster reefs and underwater eelgrass meadows. As the largest estuary on the West Coast, the Bay is shaped by the meeting of fresh and salt water—rivers tumbling toward the sea, colliding with tidal rhythms and the nutrient-rich upwellings of the Pacific. This convergence has long created one of the most fertile and dynamic ecosystems on the continent.
Oysters once contoured the Bay’s edges, forming vast reefs that created habitat, filtered water, and buffered storm surges. These small but powerful bivalves were largely wiped out during the Gold Rush. Today, a coalition of scientists, oyster growers, and nonprofits is working to bring them back—restoring not just a species, but a system, through the creation of living shorelines.
As oysters filter the water, feeding on naturally occurring algae, they clarify the Bay—allowing sunlight to reach eelgrass below. These submerged meadows stabilize sediments, reduce erosion, and create vital habitat for herring, crabs, and countless other species. They also sequester significant amounts of carbon, offering a powerful, nature-based climate solution. In an emerging blue carbon economy, eelgrass is not only ecologically essential—it may also hold real economic value.
Join us for a conversation at the edge of land and water, where finance, science, design, and the culinary world converge. Together, we’ll explore what it means to cultivate a living shoreline along the San Francisco Bay—one that breathes, feeds, protects, and evolves.
Speakers
Katharyn Boyer is a marine ecologist and director of the Estuary & Ocean Science Center. She has pioneered science-informed restoration of tidal marshes, seagrass beds, and oyster reefs with a focus on creating habitats that also protect shores from impacts of rising seas.
Steve Crooks is co-founder of the Blue Carbon Initiative and co-editor of The Blue Carbon Primer, as well as a special issue of the Coastal Engineering Journal on green infrastructure and blue carbon. He works at a global scale to advance blue carbon strategies, helping coastal ecosystems become recognized as vital climate solutions.
Margaret Ikeda is co-founder of the Architectural Ecologies Lab, where architecture meets ecology. Her studios imagine regenerative floating communities—structures that grow food, generate energy, and act as living instruments, sensing and responding to the waters they inhabit.
Menu Inspired by the SF Bay to Come!
To learn more about Native Oysters and Eelgrass in the San Francisco Bay, visit The Alluring World of Olympia Oysters.
The Alchemist Quintet
An evening of Modern Jazz and Musical Alchemy.
One voice, one breath - modern jazz reimagined through diverse influences and original compositions.
Notes on a page are bent, reshaped, reimagined. Simple elements become more valuable. You might hear a middle ages English dance, an Indian raga, a taste of bebop from a college town, a lush chordal piece with Eastern European influences. An ensemble celebrates their instruments and diverse backgrounds to create music not heard before… but remembers, newness cannot forget the past.
Members of the band have recorded or performed with Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull, Joe Lovano, Gloria Estefan, Jazz Mafia, Marcos Silva, Kai Eckhardt (John McLaughlin), Terrence Brewer, Gerald Beckett, Steve McQuarry, Oscar Stagnaro (Paquito D'Rivera), Resonance Jazz, Mark Feldman, Benny Rietveld (Miles Davis, Santana), Barbara Morrison, Sandy Cressman, The Stray Horns, and the Mandala Orchestra; in the US, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, Brasil, and in the Bay Area, notably at SFJazz and Yoshi's.
Youtube videos:
Film Screening - Ron Holland, The Voyage of Discovery
The Voyage of Discovery explores the incredible life and career of legendary sailor and boat designer.
Sausalito Crab Festival
Hosted by the Sausalito Sustainable Waterfront Association, the Sausalito Crab Festival is a family-friendly celebration of the city’s maritime heritage, working waterfront, local businesses, and fishing community. The event features live music throughout the day and brings residents and visitors together to experience the vibrant waterfront culture that makes Sausalito unique.
Spaulding Marine Center will have a table at the festival. Stop by to say hello, learn more about our programs, and connect with staff and volunteers.
📅 Saturday, February 21, 2026
🕙 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
🎟 $15 per person
Hold Fast: Traditional Skills for the Modern Sailor with Master Rigger Courtney J. Andersen
Dates: Saturdays, January 10 - February 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Rigging is the backbone of any sailing vessel—yet it’s often the least understood. Spaulding Marine Center is proud to present a rare opportunity to learn the art and science of rigging from Master Rigger Courtney Andersen, one of the few professionals in the country specializing exclusively in traditional and modern rigging.
For over 25 years, Courtney has worked as a professional rigger on tall ships, replica vessels, and museum craft across the globe. Beyond the waterfront, he has brought his expertise to Hollywood as the head rigger for major productions including Pirates of the Caribbean, Our Flag Means Death, and Chief of War, ensuring historical accuracy and functional authenticity on ship sets from the 14th–19th centuries. His unique career—bridging traditional seamanship, museum preservation, and film design—has made him one of the most sought-after rigging experts in the world.
This multi-part course is designed to give sailors, boat owners, and maritime enthusiasts a comprehensive foundation in rigging knowledge and practice. From the historic rig of Spaulding’s own 1885 sloop Freda to hands-on techniques like splicing and whipping, each session builds a deeper understanding of how rigs function, how to inspect them for safety, and how to maintain them across classic and modern contexts.
Whether you’re maintaining your own boat, preparing for offshore sailing, or simply curious about the craft that keeps vessels under sail, you’ll gain practical skills, historical context, and insider knowledge that isn’t taught anywhere else in the country.
Session 1: The Anatomy of a Rig: How It All Works
Saturday, January 10
Learn the foundations of rigging: standing vs. running rigging, evolution of materials from hemp to high-modulus synthetics, and the mechanics of tensioning. Participants will also explore connections, purchases, and hauling systems. A must for anyone who wants to understand what’s really holding their rig together.
Session 2: Techniques: Knots, Whippings, and Splices
Saturday, January 17
Hands-on session covering essential rigging skills: whipping, splicing (3-strand, 8-strand, 12-strand, wire, Dyneema), basic knots, seizings and lashings, and proper handling of lines. Walk away with the confidence to put real-world techniques to use aboard your boat.
Session 3: Inspecting Your Rig – What to Look For
Saturday, January 24
From mast step to masthead, this course teaches you how to assess the health of your rig. Learn what to check on chainplates, tensioning devices, wire and fiber standing rigging, blocks, fittings, and running rigging. Courtney will also cover safe practices for going aloft and inspecting connectors, eyes, and bands.
Session 4: Maintenance Matters: Stepping, Tensioning, Protecting
Saturday, January 31
Rigging needs care, whether it’s traditional tarred hemp or high-tech carbon. This session covers best practices for maintaining both classic and modern rigs, from coatings and finishes to mast stepping and pulling. Learn the history and traditions of rigging upkeep—and why even new materials are not “maintenance free.”
Session 5: Traditional Skills for the Modern Sailor
Saturday, February 7
The final workshop draws everything together, diving into traditional rigging techniques and their modern applications. Participants will leave with a holistic understanding of rigging systems, armed with skills to continue practicing and applying aboard their own vessels.
Winter Open House 2025
Join us on December 11, 2025 from 5 PM to 9 PM for a night of art, music, food, friends and festive cheer!
Spaulding Marine Center is hosting a Winter Open House at 600 Gate 5 Road in Sausalito. We invite you to join us in the historic shipyard for a charmed evening celebrating the upcoming season.
Art Market with over 14 artists selling their beautiful goods!
Live music from The Dirt Farm Duo!
Food from Davey Jones and more seasonal treats!
Wine & Beer for purchase!
Music by Dirt Farm Duo
Sausalito Historical Society History Talks: Myron Spaulding
2025 series of Sausalito Historical Society History Talks:
Myron Spaulding Part II
The Sausalito Historical Society and the Spaulding Marine Center invite you to a talk by Michael Wiener about the life of Myron Spaulding. Our namesake was a highly respected boat designer, legendary yacht racer, boat builder and professional violinist, who left an enduring legacy on the Sausalito waterfront.
Speaker Michael Weiner worked with Myron Spaulding at Myron’s boatyard for 30 years. He was a founding director of the Spaulding Center and is currently Vice President of the Sausalito Historical Society.
Wine, beer, waters and snacks will be served. Seating limited.
Did you miss Part I? Be sure to listen to the first part of Myron Spaulding’s legacy here.
Tickets:
$10 admission
Checks made payable to Sausalito Historical Society can be mailed to: PO Box 352, Sausalito, CA 94966. Include your name, email, phone number and guest names.
Register and pay online: www.sausalitohistoricalsociety.com
Questions? Call: 415 289-4117
The 3rd Annual Sausalito Boat Show
Third Annual Sausalito Boat Show. Celebrating maritime businesses, boats and the history of the Sausalito waterfront.
Single day tickets $30; Weekend pass for $45. Kids 12 and under free. Purchase tickets here.
Latitude 38 Crew List Party & Seminar
Join us in Sausalito for the annual Latitude 38 Fall Crew List Party — part celebration, part connection point for sailors heading south and those looking to get more time on the water.
Galilee Harbor Maritime Day
Join us for Maritime Day 2025, a beloved annual celebration of Sausalito’s rich maritime heritage and waterfront community. This year’s event will be bigger than ever—come enjoy a full day of live music, local food & drinks, unique vendors, hands-on kids' activities, and a peek into the history that keeps Galilee Harbor sailing strong.
The Hot Clams Live
MUSIC & MARINERS FOLK CABARET
Marin County Locals present a night of music, hot food, drinks and merriment!
Join us for a folksy evening of good music and friends. The band will have Clam Chowder and Vegan Chili available for purchase with fresh sourdough provided by Portside Bakery.
Soup provided by Davey Jones Deli.
Wine, Beer, and NA drinks available for purchase.
$20 Early Bird Tickets
$25 General Admission
Children Under 12 Free
When:
Sunday, June 1st: 5 - 8pm
Where:
Spaulding Marine Center
600 Gate 5 Road
Sausalito, CA 94965
The Alchemist Quintet: Live
The Alchemist Quintet: Live at Spaulding Marine Center
An evening of Modern Jazz and Musical Alchemy.
The Alchemist Quintet redefines modern jazz with a rich tapestry of diverse influences. The band melds Middle Ages English dances, Indian ragas, bebop flavors, lush Eastern European-inspired harmonies, and more into an innovative yet grounded soundscape.
This ensemble celebrates its instruments and backgrounds to create music that's both fresh and steeped in tradition.
What Canoes Can Teach Us
Unlocking the Wisdom of the Ancient Canoes: The Haida Canoe Documentation Initiative
The Haida Canoe Revitalization Group is studying ancient Haida canoes in Alaska and uncovering secrets from the past. Jason Rucker, Maritime Documentation Specialist, tells the story of the search for and documentation of the remaining historic Haida canoes and efforts to reconnect today's canoe carvers to the ancestral master carvers.
Winter Open House 2024
Join us on December 5, 2024 from 5 PM to 9 PM for a night of art, music, food, friends and festive cheer!
Spaulding Marine Center is hosting a Winter Open House at 600 Gate 5 Road in Sausalito.
We invite you to join us in the historic shipyard for a charmed evening celebrating the upcoming season &
buying gifts for the holidays from local artists at our upstairs Art Market
enjoying live music from The Dirt Farm Duo
food and drink
and gathering with friends and community
Save the date and bring the whole family!
Dirt Farm Duo
The 2nd Annual Sausalito Boat Show
First annual Sausalito Boat Show. Celebrating maritime businesses, boats and the history of the Sausalito waterfront.
Single day tickets $20; Weekend pass for $50. Kids 12 and under free. Purchase tickets here.
Music and Mariners: Folk Cabaret!
Buy Your Tickets Today: Click Here To Buy
Jazz Show by The Hot Clams at Spaulding Marine Center
Come join us for a night of smooth tunes and good vibes at Spaulding Marine Center. The Hot Clams are bringing their unique blend of jazz to our stage on Sat, August 17, 2024 at 6:00 PM PDT. Get ready to tap your feet and sway to the music as this talented band serenades you with their soulful melodies. Davy Jones Deli will be serving up some hot soup and bread. There will be beer and wine for sale. Purchase your tickets online to secure your entry to this month's hot event.
Sailing Against All Odds: An Inspirational Journey on an 8-Foot Boat
Join us for an inspiring evening with Greg Bertish, a true hero who has overcome incredible challenges. After surviving two cardiac surgeries and spending 200 days in the hospital battling a tropical bacteria, Greg sailed an 8ft children's Optimist dinghy around the Cape of Storms in 2016. His journey raised $100,000 to paint and renovate the largest Children’s Hospital in the Southern Hemisphere, and his story is captured in the internationally acclaimed documentary, "OPTIMIST." Greg is raising money for the Little Optimist Project in South Africa while in California.
Philip Baum, Vice President of World Sailing, says, "Greg Bertish is an inspiration! His perpetual, restless energy to help young people has brought change and hope to countless lives. His personal journey and storytelling continue to produce goose bumps. South Africa and all sailors are blessed by his presence."
Inspirational Talk: My Hero & the Power Of the Ocean
A story of optimism, the ocean and the power of sailing. Greg’s unique talks, visionary mindset, and raw, powerful storytelling have inspired audiences around the world. His experiences of adventure, awards, failure, medical hardship, survival, and the incredible little heroes he has met along the way will leave you spellbound, optimistic, and inspired to be a better human being.
Wednesday, July 24th from 6 - 8 PM
Ticket sales are on a sliding scale. Please note that all proceeds will go towards the Little Optimist Trust and Spaulding Marine Center to continue providing education for youth on the water.
Voyages: AI and the Ocean
We know less about the ocean than we do about outer space. Artificial Intelligence is changing that. Come learn what some of the smallest and largest creatures in the ocean have to teach us. Dinner from new cookbook Forage. Gather. Feast. by Maria Finn.
Join us on Saturday, June 22nd from 6-9 PM for Voyages: AI and The Ocean. More information can be found here.
A Boatworks 101 Musical Fundraiser - The Hot Clams and Cantadora Sephardia
Join us for a rich evening of music, food and drinks to support our innovative Boatworks 101 Apprenticeship Program. All proceeds will add to the Hank Easom scholarship for maritime education.
The Hot Clams will be showcasing their smooth and soulful jazz tunes, creating an atmosphere filled with a perfect blend of sweetness and saltiness. Joining them will be Cantadora Sephardia, captivating the audience with their enchanting melodies of Mediterranean folk music, promising an evening rich in cultural musical experiences.
Enjoy delicious Yucatan cuisine for purchase from a San Rafael local restaurant, Pibil. There will also be a bar serving beer and wine.
$50 ticket - Concert Entry and 2 Drink Tickets
$35 ticket - Concert Entry
Buy your ticket online to skip the line.
* All proceeds will go to funding the Boatworks 101 Marine Service Technician Apprenticeship program at Spaulding Marine Center. Together, we’ll work towards increasing the educational and experiential opportunities for youth to enter the maritime industry.
Electric or Diesel: Switching from Diesel to Electric Motors
In an ever-evolving maritime world, electric engine conversions are addressing the need to reduce carbon emissions through diesel powered motors.
Mike Gunning of Electric Yacht in Southern California will be presenting on parts of system, auxiliary power, and will be making a comparison of Diesel and Electric motors.
If you’re considering making the switch to an electric motor and want to learn more about electric propulsion. cost and availability of an all electric boat, hybrids and more, then join us for a presentation and demonstration of an electric system on Thursday, May 30th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Library Chat: Women’s Series with Teresa Marshall on the Ocean Globe Race
Join us at Spaulding Marine Center for a library chat - the first of our women's series!
Teresa Marshall will be sharing her involvement in the Ocean Globe Race (OGR), which is a fully crewed retro race in the spirit of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race. The race just wrapped up and Tersea will share her experience aboard the swan 65, Translated 9 (T9). Brand new to sailing, T9 took part in the OGR to reshape the boundaries of what is considered possible and believing that when humans, even outsiders, are driven by great values they can achieve everything.
Thursday, May 9th at 5:30 PM.
“Tracing 135 Years of Racing on the SF Bay.”
RSVP today: www.spauldingcenter.org/folly135
“Tracing 135 Years of Racing on the SF Bay.”
We're delighted to host our first of this year speaker’s event at Spaulding Marine Center. Allen Gross will be sharing the history and stewardship of the SF Bay Folly through photos, first-hand experience and details of the boat up close in the yard.
About Folly
From her construction in North Beach in 1889 to her most recent participation in the Master Mariners Regattas, Folly has been a consequential boat in the history of racing on the Bay.
Folly’s owner, Allen Gross, will relate what he has discovered about the individuals and events chronicled in historical research resources.
The presentation will also touch upon the physical changes to the vessel from her launch as a gaff rigged cutter and subsequent conversion to Marconi in the 1930’s and to her 8 year refit completed in 2014.
Folly will be in the Spaulding Yard for the event.
Music and Mariners: Folk Cabaret!
Buy Your Tickets Today: Click Here To Buy
Jazz Show by The Hot Clams at Spaulding Marine Center
Come join us for a night of smooth tunes and good vibes at Spaulding Marine Center. The Hot Clams are bringing their unique blend of jazz to our stage on Sat, Apr 13, 2024 at 6:00 PM PDT. Get ready to tap your feet and sway to the music as this talented band serenades you with their soulful melodies. Davy Jones Deli will be serving up some hot soup and bread. There will be beer and wine for sale. Purchase your tickets online to secure your entry to this month's hot event.
Holiday Open House
Join us on December 7, 2023 from 4 PM to 9 PM for a night of art, music, food, friends and holiday cheer!
Spaulding Marine Center is hosting a Holiday Open House at 600 Gate 5 Road in Sausalito.
We invite you to join us in the historic shipyard for a charmed evening celebrating the upcoming holidays and
buying gifts for the holidays from local artists at our upstairs Art Market
enjoying live music from The Hot Clams
purchasing food and drink
and gathering with friends and community
Save the date and bring the whole family!
The Hot Clams LIVE at Spaulding Marine Center!
Come see The Hot Clams live at Spaulding Marine Center!
The Sausalito Boat Show
First annual Sausalito Boat Show. Celebrating maritime businesses, boats and the history of the Sausalito waterfront.
Single day tickets $20; Weekend pass for $50. Kids 12 and under free. Purchase tickets here.
Working Waterfront Coalition Film Screening
Film Showing at Spaulding Marine Center!
RSVP to reserve your tickets!
