Man Who Inspired a Back-to-the-Land Movement Is Selling His Boat
Legendary creator of the Whole Earth Catalog is parting with his 64-foot wooden vessel, Mirene.
One of our major influencers just listed something special for sale.
Stewart Brand is an American writer and thinker best known for creating the Whole Earth Catalog, a guide that inspired people to live more self-sufficiently and use tools wisely. He mixed ideas from science, design, and technology, encouraging people to shape their own surroundings and take responsibility for the future. His work helped spark both the back-to-the-land movement and early Silicon Valley culture, leaving a lasting mark on how people think about building, learning, and caring for the planet.
His book How Buildings Learn is a must-have for every cabin builders’ bookshelf.
Now, it’s not exactly a cabin, and price tag is eye-popping, but we thought you might like to see what he just announced he is selling.
From Stewart:
Mirene is a beautifully restored, working 64-foot tugboat built of wood in 1912. She is also an exquisitely appointed houseboat berthed in the Sausalito houseboat community. Her location, with its view of San Francisco, gives her easy access to cruise on the Bay.
Mirene has lived many lives. Originally built as a gasoline schooner to serve as a cannery tender in Alaska, Mirene wound up working the Oregon and Washington coast carrying cargo and passengers from river to river and surviving fierce storms at sea. In the 1930’s, she was converted to a tugboat with a large diesel engine and she towed log rafts on the Columbia and Willamette rivers, and later she worked at sea as a fishing boat. In 1975 a creaking Mirene sailed down the coast to Sausalito to become a derelict anchor-out.
But in 1982 as luck would have it, Stewart Brand and Ryan Phelan bought the boat, and with abundant maritime talent on the Sausalito waterfront, brought my Mirene back to life— first as a respectable houseboat on the South 40 Dock and then as a proper yacht cruising the Bay Area from Sausalito to the Sacramento Delta and out the Golden Gate.
She has a warm varnished wood interior, elegant functionality, & carefully organized interior space which epitomizes the passions of its owners - a gourmet kitchen for entertaining large contingents of neighbors, family & illustrious guests, and a commodious library/salon to hang out in.
This is an unusual opportunity for an adventurer who yearns to live outside the box. Someone who can thrive in compact environs & appreciates the richness, texture & energy of a free-spirited lifestyle. It comes with a 15’ Boston Whaler tender, an exceptionally large berth located on South 40 Dock & the option to purchase the small houseboat next door if additional privacy is desired.
It can be all yours for $1.8m USD. More photos here.
The Specs
Specs 64 ft wooden vessel
75 tons
GMC V12-71 500hp diesel engine
Designed for alternate use, as a houseboat or as a cruising vessel
Can operate on shore power and other utilities and... within 15-20 minutes and be ready as a motorized yacht with all the amenities of home.
Professional skipper available on a consulting basis to help maintain engine readiness and assist with cruising.
South 40 Dock (ten-year lease with renewal options) Interior living space a compact 760 square feet
Extensive decks and outdoor seating area (1,050) provide a sense of spaciousness and water access.
