Waterfront History at the Cruising Club

Two waterfront legends will be sharing tales of local hippie history on August 26 at the Sausalito Cruising Club. Saul Rouda, producer of the docudrama Last Free Ride, and Joe Tate, star of the movie and leader of the notorious Redlegs pirate band, will share footage from Saul’s films and...

Maritime Day Aug 2

Maritime Day at Galilee Harbor will take place on Saturday, August 2, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This is an annual admission-free celebration of Sausalito’s rich maritime heritage and waterfront community. This year marks the 45th anniversary of host Galilee Harbor. Organizers promise that this year’s event will be...

He’s Ba — ck!

Just over a year ago we reported that Peter Romanowsky, the self-proclaimed pirate chaplin (sic) of San Francisco Bay, who anchored out for six decades, had accepted a housing voucher from the Richardson Bay Regional Agency and moved to an apartment in Larkspur. Recently, Romanowsky told the Marin IJ: “After...

Inside the Record Plant

On the evening of Friday, July 25, Sausalito Books by the Bay will present an author event for a new book by Martin Porter and David Goggin: BUZZ ME IN: Inside the Record Plant Studios. The book, written by two seasoned music journalists, tells the inside story of Record Plant...

New Book Explores Varda’s Influence

While visiting the recently-opened Counterculture Museum, near the intersection of Haight and Ashbury, I stumbled across a new book on the life and art of Sausalito’s favorite bohemian: Jean Varda: The Renaissance Man. The lavishly-illustrated 208-page book was lovingly compiled by John Natsoulas and Sarah Poisner, who operate a gallery...

Living on a Ferry in NYC

The Wall Street Journal recently reported on a New York couple who’ve been living in a 197-year-old ferryboat for two decades. Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs are artists in their 70s and founders of the home-decor brand MacKenzie-Childs. When they moved to New York City from Aurora, NY, Victoria set out...

The Houseboat Summit of 1967

In February 1967, a short-lived underground newspaper published a discussion between four 60s icons, recorded aboard the ferry Vallejo at the time Alan Watts owned it. Here’s how Watts introduced his companions: “I’m this evening, on my ferry boat, the host to a fascinating party sponsored by the San Francisco...

Boats on Streets

Visitors to our community frequently notice what appear to be vacant berths on the docks. They’re always amazed to discover that these openings are actually underwater streets, vestiges of unrealized plans to fill in Richardson’s Bay back when California first became a state. According to a paper by Michael Wilmar,...

Alan Watts after the Vallejo

Zen philosopher Alan Watts is fondly remembered for the days he spent aboard the beached ferry Vallejo, along with flambouyant artist Jean Varda. But he moved off the waterfront in the mid-50s and eventually found another unconventional home, at Druid Heights on the southeast flank of Mount Tam in the...

Upcoming Readings

Two local authors will be reading from their works this month. Tonight, John Byrne Barry will discuss his novel Pirates of Sausalito at Sausalito Books by the Bay, 100 Bay St., Sausalito. Starting at 6:00 p.m., John will speak about the waterfront skirmishes that inspired his houseboat wars murder mystery,...