Bear Boat #17 ‘Huck Finn’ in Need of Help

We sometimes hear about boats that were once well loved and well maintained, but have sadly fallen on hard times and are in need of help. We try to help by getting the word out to alert enthusiasts with the time and energy to take on the project of saving said boat. In this case, we were alerted to the plight of the 1938 Bear Boat #17, Huck Finn, by Margie Siegal, who used to race the boat on the Bay, and sometimes shared her stories with Latitude readers.

“At the end of 2015, I donated the boat to Sausalito Community Boating Center (SCBC), due to concern about being able to retire and own an expensive boat. At first that worked well. SCBC was run by wooden boat enthusiasts who pitched in to maintain the boat. Since the docks were not in, I volunteered to manage the boat, and kept it at Richmond Marina Bay. They let me race the boat, and I came in first in three Master Mariners and engaged in other racing.”

“The wooden boat enthusists drifted off, and were replaced by non-woodie enthusiasts. Huck suffered minor damage in a race. COVID shut everything down.”

The long and short of it is: Huck has been on the hard at San Rafael Yacht Harbor for three years, and all the work we did to maintain the boat has disappeared with time. Huck is not in good shape and San Rafael needs the space,” Margie writes.

“Huck is a historic boat, with a lot of Sausalito history behind it. A group of Bear friends is moving the boat to Napa Valley Marina, and will pay to keep her there while we look for a new owner with good boatwright skills, who will get Huck sailing again.”

We’re sharing the call with you, dear readers and sailing enthusiasts, in the hopes that you, or someone you know, can help bring Huck Finn back to her former life.

If you can help, let us know, or contact the San Francisco Bay Bear Boat Association.