Berkeley Marine Center

Doing it yourself at Berkeley Marine

We caught up with Hal while he was sanding the keel and later painting the bootstripe on his 1974 Danish-built Spaekhugger, which is also what he named the boat. Spaekhugger means “killer whale” in Danish.

Spaekhuggers are tough little fiberglass boats, with substantial ballast for their size and an active following in Europe, particularly in Denmark and Germany. Hal likes the combination of a lot of sail in a small boat and enough ballast to make her capable when the wind comes up.

For now, there’s plenty to keep him busy: sanding, a full repaint and some running rigging. There’s also a rumor that Hal may actually own two Spaekhuggers. He would neither confirm nor deny it.

One of the things that makes Berkeley Marine Center a little different is that boat owners like Hal can still come into the yard and do their own work, with the yard here when they need a hand.

Cree in his element!

If you’ve spent any time at Berkeley Marine Center, you know that Cree loves his work—and likes to be involved in just about every aspect of boat repair.

Here he is at the controls of the yard’s crane, pulling an engine from a boat.

Cree has operated Berkeley Marine Center for more than three decades, following an earlier career building custom yachts. That combination of hands-on experience and decades of problem-solving means there aren’t many boat questions he can’t offer a thoughtful—and usually very practical—answer to.

Just another day at the yard.

Welcome back Freelance!

There’s something especially satisfying about welcoming a familiar boat back to the yard.

Freelance, a classic 1935 Henry Gielow-designed cutter, has returned to Berkeley Marine Center for some fresh topsides paint — including the new boot stripe being applied here.
The work is being done using the traditional roll-and-tip method: one painter rolls on the paint while another follows with a brush, “tipping” it out to produce a smooth, even finish. It’s a time-tested technique that seems particularly fitting for a wooden yacht with more than 90 years of history behind her.

Freelance has long been part of the San Francisco Bay wooden-boat community and the Master Mariners fleet. We’re pleased to have her back in the yard — and proud that so many boat owners return to BMC when it’s time for the next project.
Keeping the Bay’s boats looking good, one coat at a time.

Sometimes being a boatyard doesn't limit us to boatyard only work!

A few weeks ago, the Berkeley Yacht Club brought 2 groups of kids over to come see the inner workings of a boatyard firsthand, and of course, Cree had to take some time off and give them the grand tour. Everyone was also able to see Chris Bertish & listen to his story about the Transact 2026 Expedition, and why sometimes the bravest choice is knowing when to quit. Thank you Chris and BYC!

Yesterday was BMC's 4th of July BBQ. We had an amazing time and even better food thanks to our grill masters Julio & Sean. The menu was delectable as always, next time will be tacos! Have a happy 4th Of July everyone!

Parts & Inventory Purchaser / Customer Service



Berkeley Marine Center is seeking a dependable, organized, and customer-focused professional to join our team. This position combines marine parts purchasing and inventory management with front desk customer service, making it ideal for someone who enjoys both behind-the-scenes organization and working directly with customers.

Strong familiarity with marine parts and boating systems is preferred. Experience in retail or customer service is also beneficial, as this position involves daily interaction with boatyard clients and chandlery customers. We are seeking a friendly, detail-oriented individual who thrives in a fast-paced boatyard environment.

This is a full-time position with a Monday–Friday schedule from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Start date is ASAP. We offer competitive pay, paid holidays, paid vacation, health insurance benefits, and employee discounts.

Contact us for additional details and to apply by submitting your resume and a brief cover letter describing your relevant experience: [email protected]

Earlier this month BMC attended the California Hydrogen Summit. It was a massive packed event, all with their own ideas for making a hydrogen based future possible. It was exiting to see so many people dedicated to creating a more sustainable future, and we are exited to work with everyone towards that shared goal. We are also working with Focal Technologies to create hydrogen using nothing but sunlight and water to create hydrogen, without the use of energy intensive electrolysis. And hopefully, within the next few months we can help setup one of their systems here at BMC, to take the yard off grid and get more real-world testing data for further development. Its going to be a very interesting few months.

We recently got to see Grace Quan, a Chinese-American shrimp fishing "Junk" boat, up close and personal. She is a reconstruction of excavated "Junks" from China Camp built by The SF Maritime National Park, The China Camp State Park, And many volunteers, Built primarily from California Redwood using traditional Chinese Shipbuilding techniques. We are glad to have seen her up close and look forward to helping her educate the bay.