Our 1951 Spaulding Boatworks building is an explorer’s delight. In every crowded corner, on every overladen wall, under every busy workbench, are treasures waiting to be discovered:  bronze winches, 50 year-old yachting magazines, polished turnbuckles, dusty cabin fixtures and pieces of this and that which all beg a name and a purpose.

Two items at the boatworks recently caught my eye, both life rings from boats that at one time occupied a place in the life of Myron Spaulding. If these life rings could talk, they would have real life stories. In this case, one life ring represents a loss for Myron Spaulding; the other, a success.

Life ring from Suomi

Suomi was a custom 50-foot (15 m) yawl, built in 1947 by Arvid Johnson in San Francisco before the current Spaulding Boatworks building existed. (Drawing of Suomi on Wikipedia). A number of fellow racers and designers remember Suomi as perhaps the pinnacle of Myron’s designs. Hank Easom, another accomplished Sausalito sailboat racer and builder, called Suomi the best-looking boat Myron ever designed. In the 1947 Transpac Race to Honolulu, she came in first in the twenty-four boat Class C and sixth overall in a fleet of thirty-four.

On April 21, 1955, Suomi was en route from Santa Barbara to San Francisco with a crew of four along with her owner, Henry Meiggs. The weather in the vicinity of Point Arguello early that morning was overcast, with intermittent drizzle, wind southeast, force 2, and small, choppy seas. A Swedish freighter, the Parramatta, was steaming 13.5 knots en route from San Francisco to Los Angeles. At approximately 0400, Parramatta struck the Spaulding yawl. Suomi sank immediately and all five persons on board perished, including her owner.

The Coast Guard subsequently recovered two of Suomi‘s life rings from the area, which Myron Spaulding apparently received and kept at the Spaulding Center.

Life ring from Hussy

The story of Hussy is more upbeat.

The 8-meter yacht Hussy, built in 1926, was the Corinthian Yacht Club’s choice to defend the San Francisco Perpetual Cup in 1946 against the 14-meter sloop Amorita. The Amorita came up from the Newport Harbor Yacht Club with big sails, ready to campaign in a season of races on San Francisco Bay. She easily won the Vallejo Race and everyone worried about what would happen in the Perpetual Cup. Meanwhile, Myron was cutting down the rig on Hussy, reducing the sail area and in general repurposing the boat for San Francisco Bay’s notorious high winds. Myron’s changes required recalculations in Hussy‘s handicap, and it ended up that the Amorita had to give him time. Not that it was necessary. It was blowing like stink on the day of the Perpetual Cup and Myron beat the Amorita by four minutes boat to boat, surprising everyone. Myron was hailed as a hero around the bay.

If you get a chance to visit the Spaulding Center, take a look around and ask about this old boat fixture or that worn tool. You’ll likely hear a story you’ll remember.