Historic Sloop Freda to Launch Saturday

If you have a soft spot in your heart for vintage wooden sailing craft, you won’t want to miss the much-anticipated launch of the historic sloop Freda May 31 at Sausalito’s Spaulding Wooden Boat Center (located at the end of Gate Five Road). 

Why should you care? Because she is the last remaining example of America’s earliest style of recreational sailboats. Built in Belvedere, and first launched in 1885, she has been undergoing a meticulous piece-by-piece refit for eight years. 

There’ll be a barbecue and live music, and the crowd will undoubtedly contain a who’s who of Bay Area wooden boat aficionados.

Dock opens at 11 a.m.; splash at 12:30.