Yankee
1906 William Frank Stone Schooner
Celebrating 120 Years on San Francisco Bay
Yankee was launched on the morning of April 18, 1906—the day the great San Francisco earthquake struck. As the city shook and burned behind her, she slid into the Bay for the first time. She was born, quite literally, in the same hour that reshaped San Francisco forever.
Designed by William Frank Stone and built at the Stone Boat Yard in San Francisco, Yankee was drawn for real wind, real chop, and real seamanship. For more than a century she has raced, cruised the California coast, and remained woven into the fabric of Bay sailing culture—not as a static artifact, but as a working yacht that earns her keep under sail.
From early regattas to Pacific crossings and classic fleet competitions, Yankee has always belonged under sail and under capable hands. Through changing ownership and evolving eras of yacht design, she has lived as a vessel of motion, not memory.
Today she stands at a transition point—not in decline, but paused between chapters. Previous caretakers carried her through substantial structural renewal. Now a new generation steps forward to complete that work and return her to the water in full strength.
Mission — Stewardship Through Use
That new generation is the Golden Gate Wooden Boat Foundation. We exist to keep traditional wooden yachts actively sailing on San Francisco Bay—under sail, in motion, and in capable hands.
We are building something durable: a community of experienced sailors and skilled craftspeople who share the work of keeping these boats alive—not as artifacts, but as working vessels that reward seamanship, teamwork, and care.
Help Us Finish What’s Already Underway
This is not a rescue. Yankee’s restoration is already well advanced. Prior to the current pause, she underwent a major refit at KKMI in Point Richmond—the most technically demanding and invasive phase of the work. Critical structural elements including frames, stem, and forward planking were repaired or replaced to a high standard.
Her eight major spars—two masts, five booms, and a bowsprit—were removed, fully refinished, and placed in professional storage. A complete suit of new North Sails stands ready. More than 600 board feet of premium Douglas fir—tight-grained, clear, knot-free, air-dried to exacting specifications—has been sourced and preserved for the remaining carpentry. All cable standing rigging, running rigging, halyards, canvas covers, safety equipment, and original china remain in secure care.
The highest-risk and most technically complex portion of Yankee’s long-cycle refit is already behind us. What remains is primarily the work of verification, completion, and reassembly.
Our aim is simple: to see her crossing starting lines, heeling into the afternoon breeze, and gathering capable crews aboard for meaningful work under sail.
The Yard — Richardson Bay Boatworks
Yankee’s restoration is being carried out at Richardson Bay Boatworks in Sausalito—a family yard with roots that reach deep into the working waterfront of San Francisco Bay.
The yard was founded in 1986 by Ross Sommer, son of the legendary Harold Sommer—a Crowley Maritime tugboat captain for nearly fifty years and one of the most respected vessel restorers the Bay has ever produced. Harold captained the last wooden tugboat to work the San Francisco waterfront and was among the final skippers licensed to pilot the great steam tugs. His restoration of the 1883 German pilot schooner Wanderbird was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as the most significant vessel restoration undertaken by a private individual in the United States.
Ross grew up in that tradition—literally on the water, learning to read a hull before he could read a chart. He built Richardson Bay Boatworks from a rented shed into a respected name in wooden boat restoration over four decades. Today Ross serves as lead boatwright on the Yankee project, bringing the full weight of that inherited skill and judgment to every decision on the hull.
The yard is now managed by the third generation: Ross’s son Andrew Sommer, who grew up in the shop and now oversees day-to-day operations. Andrew will manage the restoration from intake through recommissioning. Working alongside the Sommers is Graham Wheelock, a skilled boatwright and graduate of the Arques School of Traditional Wooden Boatbuilding, which shares the same Sausalito waterfront grounds.
Three generations. One waterfront. The right hands for the work.
Yankee Under Sail
Yankee on San Francisco Bay—racing, cruising, and doing what she was built to do.
