No Squall for
the Shipwright’s Ball
By Victoria Colella
Hundreds braved the threat of storm to gather atop a
1948 Army Artillery Barge in the center of Sausalito’s
waterfront Saturday night, March 21, and the clouds parted.
The first annual Shipwright’s Ball, a benefit for a comrade in
need, was attended by 250 people and raised enough money to
help off-set the cost of the shipwright’s surgery.
Sausalito is renowned for its community of
skilled shipwrights who work to build, maintain, and repair
boats of all types and descriptions. But Sausalito is also a
mecca of wooden boats, and the core of Sausalito’s shipwrights
are skilled in the traditional methods of wooden boat
building. This community, renowned for its camaraderie,
started the “ball” rolling.
Jim Crothers came up with the concept of a
Shipwright’s Ball and along with Peter Strietman engaged
Roderick “Smitty” Smith to create a nautical logo for the
event at the Sausalito Cruising Club. Pretty soon there were
posters everywhere and the word spread. Crothers and Strietman
organized a great barbecue dinner menu and Susy Petterson,
Janet Erickson , Tracy Carus, and Sylvie Faucher spruced up
the club for the black-tie optional, costumes encouraged
event. Tom List and friends played old-time fiddle music, a
true delight for all the beautiful dancing ladies and
gentleman, for on this night the waterfront turned up in tux
and gown of all descriptions.
The silent auction, organized by
Victoria Colella, raised over $2,000. The nature and sources
of the donated items tell a story of their own. Sausalito’s
city manager, Dana Whitson, donated a Jazz on the Bay home
cooked meal. Phil Frank, creator of the San Francisco
Chronicle’s Farley, donated one of his very funny books, “Fur
and Loafing in Yosemite.” Colella donated a copy of her
“Sausalito Wooden Boat Tour” guide book. Artist Peggy Ward
presented “Pieces of Flirt,” a series of tiny images hand
painted onto pieces of teak used in the 2000 restoration of
the 1914 Charles Mower-designed sailboat, Flirt. The
rebuilding of the Flirt was beautifully documented by
professional cameraman Strietman, in a video that was
previewed for the first time at the ball. Strietman also
offered sailboat rides on the Flirt as an adjunct to the
fund-raising efforts.
Other auction items included chiropractic
services from Dr. Lance Lesneski; salon services from
Experience and Michelle’s, Yoga of Sausalito classes; elegant
gift items from Still Life and Dis and Dat; vintage ’60s
posters from the Strietman collection; nautical equipment from
Tony Badger; Sea Trek certificates; dining certificates from
Paradise Bay, Bayside Cafi, and Real Foods; original artwork
from Kathryn Strietman (Houseboats of Sausalito) and Heather
Wilcoxon (Red Sky Tonight); and commemorative prints from the
1930 logbook of the famous German Pilot Schooner, Wanderbird.
Wanderbird was once restored by Harold Sommer, who donated a
framed giclee print of one of his famous tugboat paintings,
“Sea Rover.”
All in all, this was community at its best:
impromptu, heartfelt, and successful. Sausalito waterfront
aficionados had a great time doing something positive. The
evening ended with the spirited call, “Let’s do it again next
year!”
Note: Contributions to the trust fund are still
being accepted. For more information, please contact Peter at
(415)
332-1582.