The Spaulding Center’s boats Polaris and Pegasus both competed in yesterday’s Master Mariners Regatta of classic wooden boats on San Francisco Bay. Another Spaulding-designed boat, Chrysopyle, a privately-owned 46′ sloop, also participated in the race. It was a cold and foggy day on the Bay, but Spaulding Center staff, volunteers and friends who served as crew reported they had a great time.

The regatta originated in 1867 in a Fourth of July race among the large coastal schooners, sailing scows and other working boats of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Polaris is a 34 foot gaff-rigged pumpkinseed sloop, built on San Francisco Bay in 1906.

Polaris heading towards starting line off San Francisco waterfront

Pegasus is a Myron Spaulding-designed Spaulding 33, built in San Francisco by Michael Schnapp in 1962.

Pegasus on starboard tack

Pegasus in 2009 Master Mariners Regatta

Chrysopyle was orignally a yawl, designed and built at the Spaulding Boatworks in 1961.

Spaulding-designed sloop Chrysopyle

Competitors after the race at Encinal Yacht Club

Despite looming clouds and a smattering of rain over Sausalito last Saturday, a group of Spaulding Center volunteers took our recently donated Spaulding 33, Pegasus, for a sail across San Francisco Bay. The occasion was the Master Mariners Benevolent Association’s (MMBA) annual spring potluck dinner at the Richmond Yacht Club.

Pegasus at the dock

The crew consisted of Martin (skipper), Steve, Kevin, Max, George and myself. The sail was a great opportunity to meet other Spaulding Center volunteers and get the chance to sail a boat designed by Myron Spaulding.

Myron designed the Spaulding 33 to be easy for homebuilders, and all realizations of his design were built by amateur builders in garages and under backyard tarpaulins. The design calls for a hard chined hull, as you can see in the photos, and uses cut frames and marine plywood, which considerably lessens the skill and tools needed to produce a home-built sailboat. Despite these concessions, the Spaulding 33 has proven to be exceptionally seaworthy and easy to sail, and—not surprisingly for a Myron Spaulding design—competitive on the racing scene, as well. This particular example of a Spaulding 33, Pegasus, was built by Michael Schnapp in San Francisco in 1962 and enjoyed for years by the Schnapp family, who graciously donated Pegasus to the Spaulding Center for others to enjoy.

I recently joined the MMBA, which has a great tradition dating back to 1867 of wooden boat ownership, racing and cruising on the bay and beyond. (Web site: www.mastermariners.org) The MMBA’s annual Master Mariners Regatta of classic wooden yachts each May is one of the highlights of any year’s racing on San Francisco Bay.

The dinner and socializing were expectedly convivial, and I had the chance to greet acquaintances and make a few new friends, as well. The informal events turned to announcements about upcoming events that confirmed expectations for a busy year of Master Mariners activities, which were then followed by an interesting slide show and talk by Mike and Sue Proudfoot, who steered their double-ended 38 foot ketch Farida through Norway, Sweden and Estonia.

We might look a little like wet cats in the photos, but I believe we all had a great time sailing Pegasus and hanging out with like-minded wooden boat and sailing fans on the bay and in Richmond.

Saturdays used to be pretty quiet at the Spaulding Center.  But these days, Saturdays at the Center are buzzing with activity.

This past Saturday, the Arques School of Traditional Boat Building was holding their usual amateur’s class of 10+ students who are building a boat.  I arrived at noon to greet a small group from the Traditional Small Craft Association (TSCA), who were arriving back at our dock from a row-out and back.  Two TSCA’s were rowing Guppy, the twelve-foot Norwegian Pram built by our 2008 Youth Boat Building and Sailing Progam (foreground below).

A dock on Sausalito Canal

Accompanying me was Kevin, a new volunteer docent who then helped me conduct an SWBC tour for the TSCA.  But Kevin had to leave early because he was joining a crew of six volunteers who were taking our 1962 Spaulding 33, Pegasus, at 1 pm to the Richmond Yacht Club for the Master Mariner’s Annual Potluck.

Finally, at 1 pm, kids and parents started arriving for Day One of our Youth Boat Building and Sailing Program – Year 2.  Program Director Craig Southard and his four volunteer instructors welcomed nine young people and two Big Brothers this week.  We are still accepting applications and hope for more to join in coming weeks.  After a few Saturdays of basic woodworking, the kids will start building another pram.

All this activity makes the “living” museum alive.  It was a beautiful day!

By the way, the TSCA crew posted their day on the Wooden Boat Forum.  See: http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94552.