When you launch a kayak from Sea Trek’s waterfront at the Bay Model in Sausalito, you’re not just paddling into breathtaking scenery—you’re gliding across waters that have shaped decades of artistic, cultural, and ecological history.
Indigenous Roots and Pre-War Life
Long before shipyards and houseboats, the area now known as Sausalito was home to the Coast Miwok people, one of California’s many Indigenous tribes. For thousands of years, the Coast Miwok lived between land and water, hunting deer, gathering acorns, fishing, and harvesting shellfish from Richardson Bay. Their villages dotted the hillsides, and they used tule reed boats to navigate these waters. Today, descendants of the Coast Miwok are part of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, working to preserve their cultural heritage and rights.
Prior to World War II, Sausalito was a quiet waterfront town with strong maritime roots. Italian and Portuguese fishing families anchored the community, and the harbor was dotted with fishing boats, boatyards, and a few modest shipbuilding facilities. Sausalito also had a reputation as a quirky artists’ refuge, with speakeasies during Prohibition and small enclaves of painters and poets drawn to the foggy light and rugged beauty of the coastline.
The Bay Model: Engineering Meets Education
Just steps from Sea Trek’s dock lies the Bay Model Visitor Center, a 1.5-acre working hydraulic model built in 1957 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Originally used to simulate water flows in the San Francisco Bay and Delta, the model once played a critical role in evaluating large-scale water projects like the Peripheral Canal. Today, it’s a hub for environmental education and a monument to scientific ingenuity.
Marinship and the WWII Boom
The land around Sea Trek was once part of Marinship, a massive wartime shipyard that sprang to life in 1942. Designed to churn out Liberty Ships and tankers, it employed over 20,000 people and broke racial and gender barriers in the workplace. The echoes of that shipyard still shape the area today, with remnants of its infrastructure visible from the water.
Post-War Sausalito: Houseboats, Art, and Rock & Roll
After WWII, the waterfront transformed again. Decommissioned shipyard buildings became havens for artists, musicians, and counterculture icons. The houseboat community—still thriving today—was born in this era, attracting free spirits and creatives alike.
Literary Legends Afloat
Sausalito has been home to some of America’s most beloved authors:
- Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, wrote much of her early work while living on a houseboat here. The peaceful yet fog-kissed waterfront helped shape her evocative storytelling.
- Shel Silverstein, the genius behind Where the Sidewalk Ends and The Giving Tree, lived on a quirky houseboat called the “Evil Eye.” His floating home was once a WWII balloon barge and served as his private, whimsical retreat.
Musical Milestones
Not far from Sea Trek, the legendary Record Plant Sausalito studio recorded some of music’s most iconic albums:
- Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
- Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder
- Tracks by Aretha Franklin, Prince, and Metallica
Even Otis Redding penned “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” here, inspired by his time spent on a houseboat in Richardson Bay.
Ecological Wonders
Paddling out from Sea Trek also brings you close to Richardson Bay Audubon Sanctuary, a vital estuary teeming with shorebirds and eelgrass. It’s one of the last undeveloped tidal bays in the region and plays a crucial role in Pacific herring spawning.
Explore by Paddle: A Floating Tour of History
From Sea Trek’s dock, consider paddling to these cultural landmarks:
- Houseboat Rows (0.5 miles NW): Glide along the colorful floating homes once inhabited by Silverstein and Tan.
- The Trident Restaurant (0.7 miles SE): A former bohemian haunt of Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia.
- Marinship Park & Historic Cranes (0.3 miles N): View remnants of the WWII shipyard.
- Dunphy Park (0.6 miles NW): Land and explore a public park with views across the Bay.
- Bay Model Dock: Return to explore the model and interpretive exhibits.
Whether you’re here to paddle, explore, or reflect, Sausalito offers more than scenic beauty—it offers a story. And Sea Trek is your front-row seat to the living, breathing history of this extraordinary waterfront.
Want to learn more? Join us for our Scenic Sausalito Paddle—a guided kayak tour covering many of these sites and filled with stories, history, and local insights.
Want to dive even deeper into Sausalito’s rich past? Check out Sausalito: A History and Guide by long-time Sea Trek staff member Mitch Powers for a collection of local stories, rare photos, and fascinating details from the shoreline to the hills.
