Spaulding Marine Center

What Spaulding Marine Center does

Spaulding Marine Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a historic boatyard and community education hub on the Sausalito waterfront at 600 Gate 5 Road, Marin County, California. Founded in 1951 by Myron Spaulding as Spaulding Boatworks and converted to nonprofit status in 2000, the organization combines a full-service boatyard (hull repair, rigging, electrical, gelcoat/fiberglass, woodworking, and systems maintenance) with a portfolio of educational and heritage-preservation programs. Core products include the trademarked Boatworks 101™ paid 12-month ABYC-registered apprenticeship, Summer Sea Camp and youth/homeschool programs, adult workshops in navigation and woodworking, Freda Charters aboard the 1885-built historic yacht, the Woodrum Library (~2,000 maritime books), and event space rentals. Customers are primarily individual boat owners, youth and adult learners, charter guests, event renters, and charitable donors across the San Francisco Bay Area.

The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (Bill Edinger, President) and led by Executive Director and General Manager Matt Zarem, with Pierina dell'Avo as Lead Teacher of the Boatworks 101 program and Nicole Straight as Yard Manager. Revenue is generated through five streams: boatyard services (quote-based), fee-based educational programs (e.g., Summer Sea Camp at $675/week, adult workshops at $60–$250), event space rental, Freda Charters, and donations/grants including monthly giving, endowments (Hank Easom Endowment, Freda Fund), corporate sponsorships, and planned giving. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging the monthly Storytelling Series, events, and word-of-mouth within the Bay Area maritime community. Strategic partnerships include Call of the Sea for youth sailing instruction. There are no disclosed AI capabilities, no funding rounds, and no publicly disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Spaulding Marine Center

Legal name

Spaulding Marine Center

Website

https://spauldingcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Spaulding Marine Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Sausalito, California, operating a full-service boatyard alongside marine-trades apprenticeship, youth and adult sailing and woodworking programs, historic yacht charters, and event rentals on the San Francisco Bay waterfront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Services and Maritime Education

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Ship and Boat Building (3366), Ship and Boat Building (33661)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Ship Repair & Drydocking (TLAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Piping, HVAC & Auxiliary Systems Repair (TLAKAKAH), Underwater Hull Inspection, Cleaning & Propeller Services (TLAKAKAJ), Marine Engineering & Engine Room Operations (EDAOANAB), Accommodation & Interior Outfit (Cabins, Galleys, Sanitary, Furniture) (IMAJAIAF)

Keywords

• Marine repair services
• Boat maintenance boatyard
• Marine trades apprenticeship
• Maritime education programs
• Wooden boat restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Sausalito

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Boatyard Services: Full-service boatyard providing boat maintenance, repair, and haul-out services. Revenue from boat services directly supports educational programs and mission activities. Services include bottom painting, electrical, gelcoat/fiberglass, rigging, systems/equipment, and woodworking/carpentry.
2. Educational Programs: Fee-based educational programs including Summer Sea Camp ($675), adult workshops (navigation $60, woodworking $250), homeschool sailing programs, and Boatworks 101 apprenticeship (paid program). Tuition and fees support youth programs and apprenticeship.
3. Event Space Rental: Historic boatyard and loft available for event rentals including weddings, birthdays, corporate retreats, reunions, concerts, and workshops. Contact at 415-332-3179 or [email protected].
4. Freda Charters: Private charters aboard Freda, the oldest wooden sailing yacht actively sailed on the West Coast (built 1885). Provides public access to experience San Francisco Bay from the water.
5. Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit relying on charitable contributions. Multiple giving options including monthly giving (Friends of Spaulding Circle), one-time donations, endowment funds (Hank Easom Endowment, Freda Fund), planned giving, corporate sponsorships, in-kind donations, and workplace giving.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Spaulding Marine Center operates a full-service boatyard providing hull repair, rigging, marine electrical, gelcoat/fiberglass, woodworking, and systems/equipment services for boat owners, alongside maritime education programs that include a paid 12-month Boatworks 101™ apprenticeship, youth sailing and woodworking camps, adult navigation and woodworking workshops, charters aboard the historic 1885 yacht Freda, and a maritime library open to the community.

Product overview

Spaulding Marine Center is a community-centered nonprofit organization combining a full-service boatyard (Spaulding Boatworks) with educational programs. The core offerings include boat repair and maintenance services, the Boatworks 101™ paid 12-month apprenticeship program for marine trades training, adult education classes (woodworking, navigation), youth programs (Summer Sea Camp, homeschool sailing and woodworking), Freda Charters aboard the historic 1885 sailing yacht, the Woodrum Library with nearly 2,000 maritime resources, and event space rental. The center operates as a living maritime heritage hub on the Sausalito waterfront, supporting boat owners while training the next generation of marine craftspeople.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Boatworks 101™: A paid, 12-month apprenticeship program that introduces young adults to the marine trades through hands-on training and an ABYC-registered curriculum.
• Freda Charters
• Woodrum Library

Products and services

• Spaulding Boatworks (Full-Service Boatyard) Full-service boatyard providing hull repairs, rigging, electrical, gelcoat/fiberglass, systems and equipment, and woodworking/carpentry services for boat owners.
• Boatworks 101™ Apprenticeship Program Paid, 12-month apprenticeship program with an ABYC-registered curriculum that introduces young adults to the marine trades through hands-on training, followed by industry placement.
• Summer Sea Camp Week-long day camp at $675 per camper combining sailing instruction, woodworking projects, daily lunch by Fish Restaurant, and marine ecology lessons. Maximum 10 campers per week with sibling discounts.
• Youth Education Programs Homeschool sailing and woodworking programs introducing students to sailing, woodworking, and marine science through semester-long and seasonal youth camps designed to build practical skills and confidence.
• Adult Education Classes Hands-on adult education classes including woodworking (e.g., Galley Cutting Board at $250), navigation (e.g., Navigation in the Modern Age at $60), and maritime skills taught in a professional shop environment by experienced instructors.
• Freda Charters Private charters aboard Freda, the oldest wooden sailing yacht actively sailed on the West Coast (built in 1885), offering public access to San Francisco Bay from the water.
• Woodrum Library Maritime library with nearly 2,000 books and artifacts, renamed in 2024 in honor of longtime volunteer Susie Woodrum, supporting educational classes and available to the community during working hours.
• Event Space Rental Rental of the historic boatyard and loft facility for weddings, birthdays, corporate retreats, reunions, concerts, workshops, and other events on the Sausalito waterfront. Contact 415-332-3179 or [email protected].
• Watermaker Store Online store at spauldingmarinestore.com selling watermaker products and marine equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Apprentices successfully placed in marine industry jobs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Call of the SeanotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for youth sailing programs. Call of the Sea provides sailing instruction aboard schooner Seward. Spaulding campers receive hands-on sailing experience as part of Summer Sea Camp programming. Collaboration enables broader maritime education reach and shared resources between organizations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Call of the Sea: Bay Area nonprofit operating sailing educational programs aboard traditional vessels. Direct strategic partner of Spaulding and overlapping provider of youth sailing and maritime heritage experiences.
• Wooden Boat Foundation: Port Townsend-based nonprofit supporting maritime heritage through education, the Wooden Boat Festival, and youth programs. Overlaps in mission, location adjacency, and educational focus on traditional boatbuilding.
• Center for Wooden Boats: Seattle-based nonprofit combining a working boatyard, wooden boat collection, and educational programs. Highly comparable as a maritime heritage nonprofit offering boat services, classes, and youth/adult sailing instruction.
• Northwest Maritime Center: Port Townsend, WA nonprofit offering wooden boatbuilding classes, chandlery, and maritime education. Directly mirrors Spaulding's combination of boatyard services, vocational training, and community programming on the West Coast.

Emerging players

• Herreshoff Marine Museum: Bristol, RI museum preserving the Herreshoff boatbuilding legacy with exhibits, vessels, and education. Comparable niche focus on maritime heritage and traditional craftsmanship, though smaller in scope.

Broad incumbents

• San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park: Federal maritime heritage site on the SF waterfront with historic ships, preservation work, and educational programming. Geographically adjacent and mission-aligned with maritime heritage preservation.
• Mystic Seaport Museum: Large maritime heritage museum with working boatyard, ship restoration, and educational programs. Comparable as an established maritime heritage institution with boatyard operations, although much larger in scale.
• OCALA (Rycroft) Boatyard or Bay Ship & Yacht: Large commercial boatyards serving commercial and recreational vessels in the Bay Area. Comparable service offerings (haul-out, repair, maintenance) but operate as commercial businesses rather than community-focused nonprofits.

Regional players

• Richardson Bay Maritime Association: Sausalito-based nonprofit supporting traditional sailing and maritime activity on Richardson Bay. Strong geographic overlap with Spaulding and similar focus on community-based maritime heritage.

Others

• Latitude 38 Magazine: Bay Area sailing publication frequently covered Spaulding's events. Functions as adjacent ecosystem participant supporting maritime community engagement rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spaulding Marine Center