A place of beauty most people only dream of

Sausalito is a haven, with a beauty that many liken to the Italian Riviera. Sausalito is also a strong, generative, and very social community, one that's in intimate relationship with wildlife ... if you're on the water.

At night, it is deeply quiet on board. Night herons fish regularly from Owatonna's bumpers or her rudder. Then, in the morning, you may hear thousands of cormorants and pelicans sweeping into Richardson Bay hunting for herring or smelt. As you sit on deck with your coffee, harbor seals surface yards from you, snorting and sneezing as they fish for their breakfast. Loons, grebes, and coots swim and dive too.

On your way to a local restaurant, you'll encounter wild great blue herons and white egrets, so at ease among the boaters, walking the floating piers seeking the best fishing spots. Pause for them; they will do the same for you.

Everywhere you go, there are stunning, changing vistas of the Bay and San Francisco, reminding you daily of how fortunate you are to call this a home.

Morning breaks over the East Bay. 

If you're an early riser, you can drink your morning coffee at the pilot house dining table and watch the sun rise over the East Bay.

Then you may go for a row, a run along the long waterfront, a walk in the hills of Sausalito, or a bike ride on the many scenic bike paths in Marin County.

Take breakfast along the port side with your legs on the rail and wave or talk with admiring boaters and stand-up paddlers. Sometimes the big utility boats will pass from the Army Corps of Engineers. They often wave too. 

If you're heading into San Francisco, you can walk 5 minutes to the ferry where you may well make some friends among the regulars. If you haven't already eaten, you can take a little extra time to stop off at Poggio for their elegant breakfast (complete with an operatic soundtrack), or any one of the local eateries.

If you get to know and like your neighbors you may share informal get-togethers, excursions, and knowledge about your boats. Many on the docks are accomplished artists or entrepreneurs, unmannered denizens of the edge.  If you're lucky and curious, you'll find your tribe.

This is a real community. If you enter with care, you may be well rewarded.

And then there's the tug herself.

Owatonna is 350 tons of steel, built and launched by the U.S. Army in 1955. It is only because of her strength and durability that she is able to lie comfortably and safely at this premium end tie, coveted by many. 

Owatonna has many gearhead fans and it's easy to understand why. There is not a single thing fussy or electronic about this tug. Everything can be seen, accessed, understood quickly. All the original blueprints are on board, along with some spare parts and some of the biggest tools you have ever seen. {For more specs on the engine and workings of the tug go here.)

Owatonna currently has sleeping accommodations for four which can easily be expanded up to eight. It's hard to estimate square footage in a boat, but we figure she's about 2000 square feet of interior living space and approximately 1000 feet of exterior space on three decks. These estimates do not include the engine room which is quite large, the workshop aft, and the machine room over the engine on the main deck above (see below).

Below decks, in the forepeak, there are two cabins, one large with a 10-foot ceiling and skylight. We've used this an exercise room, video studio, and spare guest room but it could easily be made into a master stateroom. There is also a smaller cabin with two bunk beds and a desk, and in the common space, there is a workshop/library that we have used for craftwork.

On the main deck there is a sleeping cabin forward that contains a sink as well. Aft of that is the dining salon. Aft of that on the starboard side is the 25-foot galley, and aft on the port side is the full head with oversized bathtub. Between these two areas is the fiddley and butterfly hatch, still intact, through which the engine can be removed, and which contains an assortment of equipment associated with the operation of the tug. Astern of the galley is a pantry, with washer and dryer, and on the port side is the half bath. Astern of all these is the aft salon, roughly 16' x 14', that the previous owners added in steel when they did the conversion. We have spent many quiet evenings in the warm glow of that potbelly stove, as well as nights of hilarity in the summers when we have gathered here and on the fantail with friends.

On the next deck, the pilothouse the pilothouse is intact, including the original bronze speaking tubes at the helm that connect the pilot and engineer from numerous stations around the boat. For the periods when the the boat is not being driven, we’ve lifted the steering wheel off the steering column, hung it from the ceiling and lit it, and slipped a round tabletop onto the steering column, enabling us to sit in comfort and look out onto downtown San Francisco and the East Bay. In 20 minutes, the table can be removed and the wheel slotted back securely into place. There is also a full desk with cubby holes and built-in cabinets just astern of the stairs descending to the main deck.

Directly aft of the original pilothouse is a new salon built in steel. It was used by the original owners as their master stateroom and contains a sink and is roughed in for a toilet, both in one corner of the room. We use that cabin as an office. However it's used, it's a great away place. 

On the deck aft of the pilothouse you'll find room for entertaining outside. We have relaxed there many times on chaises with our margaritas, watching the boat traffic, waving to passing sailors, and hailing our friends across the dock. We have hosted a swimsuit photoshoot, a wedding, and many many parties on this broad, flat area and around the boat. All U.S. military vessels are required to have fire-fighting capability so there are two fire monitors (water cannon) on this deck.

On top of the pilothouse there is a third water cannon and the most spectacular view of all.

For more specifications and history, go here.