A Part of the Magic
Rob Jacklin, March 15, 2024
I started sailing on Lake Michigan in my late teens, spending happy summers racing and cruising on friends’ boats and then, for many more years, on my 30-foot wooden sloop Windhover. After a move to Colorado in my middle 30s and then to the Bay Area, where I focused on work and my growing family, I more or less forgot about life on the water.
After retiring in the early 2010s, I became aware of a boatyard—just 15 minutes from our home in Mill Valley—that was oriented toward classic wooden boats and was also restoring the oldest yacht on the West coast. Freda, then more than 130 years old, was being rebuilt and brought back to active service by Spaulding Marine Center in Sausalito.
About seven years ago, I showed up at Spaulding’s doorstep, volunteered my services, and have been a member of this fascinating family ever since. This boatyard is such a fascinating place: the old boathouse, the dock filled with boats in various stages of repair, the magnificent setting in the heart of Sausalito’s working waterfront, and the people—an eclectic mix of all ages and skills brought together by their love of boats, sailing, and simply being on or near the water.
In many respects, volunteering at Spaulding feels like being a member of a special club. There are many social aspects: dinners, movies, classes, the library, and the company of like-minded people. For me though, Freda is the heart and soul of the organization. Built in 1886 on a beach in Tiburon, she is a living link to the Bay’s past. I cannot say enough about my delight in working on Freda’s restoration and then sailing her. Perhaps most rewarding, though, is sharing her with people at boat shows and other public occasions. Freda is always the star of the show.
Spaulding Marine Center deserves our support, both volunteer and financial, so it can continue to serve boat owners and the local community while nurturing the next generation of sailors and boatbuilders. A tax-deductible gift to Spaulding’s Annual Fund can help this unique place present even more interesting, fun, and enriching programs—and maintain Freda.
