Julie Durbin, from Kappas West, joined a select group for a special sail on the tall ship Matthew Turner earlier this month. The brigantine, built locally by volunteers, hosted major donors to the campaign to restore the paddle wheel and smokestack from the Charles Van Damme Ferryboat. Julie reports:
It was a fabulous day on the bay filled with blue skies and a touch of just enough fog to make it magical. The brigantine sailed to music by the Marin Men’s Chorus singing sea shanties, with Joe Tate and Victoria Colella playing and singing original Sausalito songs.
A special thanks to Sylvia Stompe at Call of the Sea who worked with us to make sure we had a date for a sail on the Matthew Turner that worked for all. A special nod to the captain and all of the crew who navigated us smoothly on the waters. Also a huge thank you to Jack Sherwood from the Barrel House and Sausalito Chamber of Commerce for providing lunch and to Michael Rex, chairman of the Richardson Bay Maritime Association (RBMA), who donated the wine.
Michael gave a heartfelt speech about the RBMA’s fundraising efforts and the history of the Charles Van Damme ferry boat as well as the new proposed placement of the paddle wheel and smokestack. Everyone seemed to be in support of the new location, which does not take up any space in the park. Joe Tate spoke about the houseboat wars in the 70s, and his band, the famous (or infamous?) Red legs back in the day.
The Matthew Turner is designed after the ship Galilee, which was built in the late 1800’s by ship designer and builder Matthew Turner. The Galilee held the San Francisco to Tahiti passage record of 19 days for many years.
Today, the ship’s purpose is to connect people of all ages to the sea through sailing. She serves as an educational platform for Bay Area youth.
There’s still time to help the RBMA reach its fundraising goal.