Houseboats of Sausalito | The Definitive Community Guide

Welcome

An Extraordinary
Place to Live

Sausalito's floating home community is unlike anywhere else in the world. Tucked along the shores of Richardson Bay, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, these approximately 480 floating homes represent one of the most unique and storied residential communities in America.

From historic tugboats converted into extraordinary homes to purpose-built contemporary floating residences with panoramic bay views, the diversity of architecture, character, and lifestyle on Sausalito's docks is simply extraordinary.

This is the definitive guide to the community — its history, its docks, its lifestyle, and what it takes to become part of it.

Read the History View Listings

Steve Sekhon — Sausalito Houseboat Specialist

A Living History

Born from
Bohemia

The story of Sausalito's floating home community begins in the aftermath of World War II, when the Marinship shipyard at the north end of Sausalito was decommissioned. Surplus vessels — barges, ferries, tugboats, and work boats — were left behind in the shallow waters of Richardson Bay.

Artists, musicians, writers, and free spirits — many of them priced out of San Francisco — began colonizing these abandoned hulls. They built studios, homes, and gathering places on the water. By the 1960s and early 70s, the community had become a magnet for counterculture figures, Beat poets, and anyone seeking an unconventional life close to the Bay.

The community was not without conflict. The famous "Houseboat Wars" of the 1970s and 80s pitted longtime residents against marina operators and the city over evictions and regulation. Out of those battles emerged the legal framework that governs the community today — including rent control protections that remain unique in California real estate.

1940s

Post-War Origins — Marinship decommissioned. Surplus vessels left in Richardson Bay. Artists begin moving aboard.

1960s

The Bohemian Era — Beat poets, musicians, and free spirits colonize the docks. Sausalito becomes a counterculture hub.

1970s

The Houseboat Wars — Residents fight eviction attempts. Community organizes for legal recognition and rent protections.

1980s

Stabilization — Legal framework established. Berth lease protections enacted. Community transitions from bohemian to mixed residential.

1990s–2000s

Rising Values — Bay Area tech boom drives demand. Floating homes recognized as a distinct real estate class.

Today

A Thriving Community — ~480 homes, 10 docks, prices from $550K to $2.8M+. One of the Bay Area's most coveted addresses.

The Community

The Ten Docks

Issaquah Dock

The Garden Dock · Deep Water · Views

Widely considered the most beautiful of Sausalito's docks — a lush, garden-lined community with deep water berths, panoramic views of Richardson Bay, Angel Island, and San Francisco. Home to some of the largest and most architecturally significant floating homes in the community. Prices typically range from $900K to $2.8M+.

Liberty Dock

Established Community · Bay Views

Liberty Dock is one of Sausalito's well-established floating home communities, known for its strong sense of neighborhood identity and attractive bay views. A mix of longtime residents and newer owners gives Liberty Dock a warm, welcoming character that reflects the best of houseboat community life.

A Dock

Character Homes · Community Spirit

A Dock is a close-knit floating home community with a strong community spirit and a diverse range of homes. Known for its character and the long-term relationships that develop among residents who share the unique experience of dock life.

Yellow Ferry Dock

Historic · Named for the Original Ferry

Named for the historic yellow ferry that once called this dock home, Yellow Ferry Dock carries a piece of Sausalito's maritime history in its name. A distinctive and memorable community with homes that reflect the eclectic, creative spirit that has always defined life on the Sausalito waterfront.

Main Dock

Heart of the Community · Social · Historic

Main Dock is the social heart of the floating home community — a vibrant, tight-knit neighborhood where residents gather on the dock, share meals, and maintain the strong bonds that define houseboat living. Home to some of the community's most historic vessels including former tugboats and ferries, including the legendary Mirene.

South Forty Dock

Entry Level · Eclectic · Active

South Forty offers the most accessible entry point into the floating home community, with prices starting around $550K. A diverse and eclectic mix of homes and residents, it's known for its active dock life and strong community spirit — an ideal starting point for first-time floating home buyers.

Gate 6½ Road Dock

Waldo Point · Bohemian Roots · Artistic

The Gate 6½ Road dock area at Gate 6½ Road Dock is where the original bohemian spirit of Sausalito's houseboat community was born and still burns brightest. Home to some of the most architecturally adventurous and historically significant floating homes in the community — a living monument to the creative, unconventional spirit of the waterfront.

East Pier — East & West Pier (Kappas)

Modern Facilities · Protected Waters

East Pier at East & West Pier (Kappas) offers a well-maintained, modern marina environment with protected waters and excellent on-site facilities. Popular with buyers seeking the floating home lifestyle combined with the convenience and reliability of a professionally managed marina. A quieter, more private dock experience.

West Pier — East & West Pier (Kappas)

Marina Living · Well-Maintained · Amenities

West Pier at East & West Pier (Kappas) shares the well-maintained facilities and protected waters of its sister pier, with its own distinct community of owner-occupied floating homes. A solid choice for buyers who value marina amenities and a well-organized dock environment alongside the unique pleasures of living on the water.

Commodore Dock

Near the Sea Plane Base · Unique Setting

Commodore Dock sits near the historic Sausalito sea plane base, giving it one of the most distinctive settings in the entire floating home community. The proximity to the bay's open water and the unique history of the surrounding area make Commodore Dock a fascinating and less frequently available corner of Sausalito's waterfront.

The Lifestyle

Life on the Water

The Morning

Coffee on your deck as harbor seals surface in the berth beside you. The heron that has claimed your bow as his morning perch. Mist rolling off Richardson Bay as the sun clears the hills. No two mornings are ever quite the same.

The Community

Dock life creates genuine community in a way that suburban neighborhoods rarely achieve. Neighbors who become friends. Impromptu gatherings on the dock. A shared commitment to this extraordinary place that binds residents together across decades.

The Views

From the right berth on Issaquah Dock, you can watch the sun set behind the Golden Gate Bridge every evening. Moonrises over Angel Island. The lights of San Francisco reflected in the water below your window at night.

The Access

Step off your dock onto a paddleboard and you're on Richardson Bay. Angel Island is a 20-minute paddle. San Francisco is 30 minutes by ferry from downtown Sausalito. The Golden Gate Bridge is a 25-minute drive. You are remarkably connected.

The Architecture

Every floating home is a one-of-a-kind creation. Reclaimed wood, curved walls, porthole windows, rooftop decks, custom cabinetry built around the unique constraints of living on water. These are homes that have been loved into existence over decades.

The Sound

Water lapping against the hull at night. Lines tightening as the tide shifts. Seabirds. The distant sound of a foghorn. Living on the water comes with a soundtrack that is deeply, permanently restorative.

Buyer's Guide

How to Buy a
Sausalito Houseboat

Buying a floating home is fundamentally different from buying a house. The process involves unique legal, structural, and financial considerations that require a specialist agent. Here is what every prospective buyer needs to understand before making an offer.

For the complete buyer's guide including financing, hull surveys, berth lease analysis, and community rules, visit our dedicated houseboat buyer's resource:

Full Buyer's Guide → Floating Homes For Sale →

1

Understand Hull Types

Concrete, steel, or fiberglass — each hull type has different maintenance requirements, life expectancy, and financing implications. A marine survey is essential before any offer.

2

Review the Berth Lease

You own the home but lease the berth. Lease length, rent control status, and transferability vary significantly between docks and marinas. Berth lease quality directly affects value.

3

Arrange Specialist Financing

Floating home financing is a specialized and evolving area. The lending landscape changes — contact Steve for the most current information on who is lending and on what terms.

4

Get the Right Insurance

Floating home insurance combines homeowner's and marine coverage. It's a specialty product and not all insurers offer it. This is not the place to cut corners.

5

Work with a Specialist

There is no substitute for an agent who has lived on the docks for 17 years and closed 80+ floating home transactions. Call Steve Sekhon at (415) 480-4562.

Explore Further

The Complete Resource Network

Current Listings · Buyer's Guide · FAQ

Sausalito Houseboats For Sale

Active houseboat listings, complete buyer's guide, berth lease explainer, FAQ, past sales, and seller valuation. The most comprehensive houseboat resource in the Bay Area.

sausalitohouseboatsforsale.com →

Floating Homes · Market Data · Contact

Sausalito Floating Homes For Sale

Current floating home listings, market snapshot, past sales, buyer and seller resources, and direct contact with Steve Sekhon.

sausalitofloatinghomesforsale.com →

Tiburon · Belvedere · Sausalito · Marin

Waterfront Homes Marin

The definitive guide to Marin County's waterfront real estate — from Sausalito's docks to Tiburon's peninsula to the exclusive island of Belvedere.

waterfronthomesmarin.com →

Marin County Waterfront · Steve Sekhon

Maison Marin

Steve Sekhon's primary real estate brand. Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, Strawberry and Marin County's finest waterfront addresses.

maisonmarin.com →

Steve Sekhon — 17 years on the Sausalito docks

Your Guide

Steve Sekhon —
17 Years on the Docks

I have lived on Sausalito's floating home docks for 17 years. I am not an agent who happens to sell these properties — I am a member of this community, and I bring that lived, insider knowledge to every transaction I represent.

My background in Urban Planning (M.A., UC Berkeley) and years of hands-on experience purchasing and rehabilitating homes gives me an analytical edge on value, structure, and market dynamics that most agents simply don't have.

I sail, wing foil, e-foil, and spend my weekends on Richardson Bay in my Boston Whaler. I know this water. I know these docks. And I know how to find — or sell — the perfect floating home.

Compass Broker DRE #01843478

M.A. Urban Planning UC Berkeley

Dock Resident 17 Years · Sausalito

Floating Home Sales 80+ Closed Transactions

Reviews 5.0 ★ · 41 Verified Reviews

Contact Steve Read Reviews

Get In Touch

Talk to
Steve

Whether you're buying, selling, or simply curious about life on the Sausalito docks — I'm happy to talk. No pressure, just real information from someone who has lived here for 17 years.

compass.com/agents/steve-sekhon