Safe Anchorage
Maritime History
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Richardson's Bay is rich in California lore and legend. Early map makers named it for the enterprising pioneer William Richardson who established a port on his 19,000 acre Rancho del Sausalito in the 1840's. The trading vessels and whalers that plied the coast stopped here in the sheltered cove to take on provisions and fresh water. Later, bootleggers found it a safe haven for their own provisions. World War II saw a thriving shipbuilding enterprise--some 90 Liberty Ships, oilers and tankers were launched in Sausalito's Marinship waters. Over many years, numerous small boat builders and marine repair services found a natural home along the edges of the Bay.
As times changed, new uses evolved. Then, in the early summer of 1998 the Sausalito Boatbuilder's Co-op closed--one of the last vestiges of the fast-disappearing working waterfront. Recognizing the importance of the Bay's maritime industries and traditions, three local residents, Barry Hibbin, Charlie Merrill and Cameron Dorsey, formed an organization to protect and promote its heritage and history, adopting the name of the Richardson's Bay Maritime Association--RBMA
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