A Seaworthy Future: Wayne Ettel And The Maritime Preservation Trust

The passage of time is like water against stone. If left alone, eventually it will wear all things down. Knowledge, history, craftsmanship, artifacts all require our active preservation to ensure they are not lost forever. Wayne Ettel has dedicated his life to fighting against this entropy, specifically by conserving our nautical heritage through boat restoration and mentoring youth who show interest in sailing and industrial arts. He recently opened a new workshop in Stockton after relocating from Southern California and aims to use his platforms to ensure these critical skills are passed down to the next generation, safe from the erosion of time.

Although Wayne might be relatively new to the Central Valley, he’s a Californian through and through with salt water in his veins. Wayne grew up in Southern California along the coast, spending every summer day swimming and surfing with friends and family. A self-described “aqua nut,” he spent his youth scuba diving, swimming, sailing, as a junior lifeguard and being around the water as much as he could. “You can never keep me out of the water,” he said with a laugh. “I started in the Orange County Sea Scouts; they had a tall ship there, the Argus, that was the first square rig tall ship in California.” The Argus, built in 1906, introduced thousands of Boy Scouts to the art of sailing during its time; it’s one of the reasons Wayne himself became so interested in sailing and preserving historic boats. “There was a whole army of us that skippered the boats and maintained the boats,” he said. “We just grew up doing it.”

With his affinity for the sea, it’s no surprise Wayne has dedicated his life to preserving and restoring the crafts that sail upon it. An expert mariner and craftsman, he began a business preserving classic wooden boats in 1977 in Costa Mesa, starting with the schooner the Spike Africa, owned by Bob Sloan. He has since worked on several notable crafts, restoring them to their former glory and preserving the history within their timbers. “I spent my whole career fixing things. We have a lot of pride in what we do,” he said. “Some of the boats I work on are 100 years old; they’ve been in the family for generations.”

Over the years, the Sea Scouts became less active, and Wayne noticed fewer youth being introduced to either the industrial arts or the art of sailing. Determined to pass on the experience he had in his own childhood, Wayne founded the Maritime Preservation Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving both historic boats and essential skill sets for the upcoming generations. “We started the Maritime Preservation Trust because I wanted young people to experience what I had experienced,” Wayne said. “We’re preserving history, training people in the arts and crafts of woodworking and boat restoration and providing an activity for youth.” They share their history and reconstruction techniques on their YouTube channel, hoping to spread their knowledge even further. Not only does the Maritime Preservation Trust teach valuable industrial skills and preserve essential historical knowledge and artifacts, but it also acts as a launching pad for those wanting careers in the maritime industry. “My favorite part is working with the young people; it keeps you young. Without them, there’s no future,” he said. “You can’t put a price on a young person’s face when they work on a boat and they fix something, and they get to go out and drive it.”

Earlier this year, the Maritime Preservation Trust hosted its first Central Valley open house during which it launched the Athena, its flagship and a beautiful vessel rich with California history, originally built in Stockton in 1929. It was a beautiful culmination of the values Wayne has always prioritized; the preservation of historical beauty and skills, and the mentorship of the next generation to do the same. Through his tireless work at both his boat restoration business and the Maritime Preservation Trust, he hopes to rekindle Stockton’s interest in its rich nautical heritage while mentoring the next generation of sailors and craftsmen. Under his watchful eye and careful tutelage, these essential skills will pass on to his students and his students’ students, defying the erasure of time. “I can’t fix everything,” Wayne said. “But I’ll do the best I can.”