Alameda Marina’s “Svendsen Maritime Park” Is One Step Closer

Svend Svendsen was a Bay Area legend — a sailor and a businessman, he passed in 2013. Svend and his wife Suzanne founded Svendsen’s Boat Works in Alameda in 1963. He was a member of the St. Francis YC, and was named the club’s Yachtsman of the Year in 2004. Svend Svendsen was also known as the Godfather of Folkboats and is credited with preserving the Folkboat class by ushering in the transition from wood to fiberglass construction.

In March we wrote about the community’s effort to name Alameda Marina’s new park “Svendsen Maritime Park” in Svend’s honor and memory. At that time Svend’s daughter Sabrina had reached out to us to share the story, with the hope of reaching more people and garnering more support for the proposal when it goes before the Alameda City Council. Well, we now have a date for the proposal to be heard before the council — Tuesday, May 21, at 7:00 p.m.

The item is listed as number 7a on the City of Alameda’s meeting agenda. Sabrina is asking anyone who would like to support the naming to please attend the meeting, either in person or via Zoom, or send an email to the council at [email protected]. You could also include Sabrina in your email: [email protected].

The council meeting will be held at City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue, Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, Alameda, CA, 94501. You can attend in person, or via Zoom using this link.

The council has also published a guide on How to Participate in Public Meetings.

As we wrote in our previous story, “We have a chance to name the new park at Alameda Marina “Svendsen Maritime Park,” in honor of Svend Svendsen and the legacy of Svendsen’s Boat Works. If you have stories or memories of how Svend or the boat works made a difference in the community, in innovation, or in your life, we’d love to hear them. Your stories can help ensure the park carries a name that reflects the true spirit of Alameda’s maritime heritage.

“Thank you so much for your help in honoring Svend!” — Sabrina.

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