Master Mariners Benevolent Foundation

Preserves the craftsmanship, skills, and spirit of traditional wooden sailing on San Francisco Bay. Through grants, scholarships, and partnerships with maritime organizations, it supports restoration, education, and community heritage projects. Every contribution helps keep classic boats — and the traditions behind them — alive for future generations.

The Master Mariners Benevolent Foundation (MMBF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation dedicated to preserving the craftsmanship, skills, and traditions of classic wooden sailing vessels. Its mission is simple yet far-reaching:

To provide financial assistance to individuals, vessels, and organizations engaged in preserving traditional wooden boats, promoting seamanship, and ensuring the continuity of San Francisco Bay’s maritime heritage.

The Foundation’s story begins with the Master Mariners Benevolent Association (MMBA) — itself founded in the 19th century to support sailors and their families. In 1988, MMBA created a charitable arm to manage restoration funding for the historic Bird Boat Polly. That early project demonstrated how tax-deductible donations could fuel real preservation work.

By 1999, the foundation’s role had expanded dramatically. Reorganized under a new name — the Master Mariners Benevolent Foundation — it became an independent nonprofit partner to the Association. Its updated charter empowered it to support not only individual restorations but also the broader education, preservation, and documentation of traditional wooden boatbuilding and seamanship across the Bay Area .

Strength Through Community

Since its founding, the MMBF has provided grants and scholarships to numerous local organizations, including:

  • Arques Maritime Preservation Foundation — supporting the Arques School of Traditional Boatbuilding in Sausalito.

  • Spaulding Marine Center — helping launch and sustain one of the Bay’s most vital wooden boat workshops and educational hubs.

  • Call of the Sea / Matthew Turner Project, Wooden Boats for Veterans, and Sausalito Community Boating Center — organizations that carry forward the living skills of wooden boat construction and sailing.

The Foundation also maintains a tradition of collaboration — from purchasing tools for new Arques students to helping fund children’s boatbuilding projects at the Annual Master Mariners Wooden Boat Show, held each June. Proceeds from that event continue to support the Foundation’s work year after year.

Major Initiatives

The MMBF’s reach extends beyond grantmaking. Notable achievements include:

  • Sail San Francisco 1999 — facilitating tax-deductible donations that brought 13 international tall ships to the Bay during California’s Sesquicentennial celebration.

  • Spaulding Wooden Boat Center (2004) — providing leadership and seed funding to establish a permanent home for wooden boatbuilding education in Sausalito.

  • Restoration of Freda (c. 1885) — rescuing the oldest sailing yacht on the West Coast and helping ensure her return to the water in 2014.

  • Support for the Sausalito Working Waterfront Coalition (2020) — helping preserve the character and maritime culture of the Sausalito waterfront .

Continuing a Living Tradition

The Foundation stands at the intersection of history, craftsmanship, and community. By supporting boat restorations, maritime education, and waterfront preservation, the MMBF ensures that traditional seamanship continues to thrive on San Francisco Bay — not just as a memory, but as a living art.

Your participation helps make this possible. Whether by attending the Master Mariners Wooden Boat Show, volunteering, or donating, you contribute directly to keeping the Bay’s maritime heritage alive for generations to come.