July 3, 2024 — After 18 months of repairs and restoration to repair damage from a major storm in January 2023, the beloved Sausalito sea lion statue was carefully lowered onto its newly-reinforced perch on the rocks of the Sausalito shoreline. The landmark bronze sculpture, created by artist Al Sybrian in 1957 and then re-cast in bronze in 1966 after an earlier major storm, is the anchor of Sausalito’s Bridgeway Promenade neighborhood.
The restoration received critical financial support from the Sausalito Foundation, with the help of local artisans, engineers, and contractors. The statue weighs nearly a ton (2,000 pounds), and required a large crane to move it to its familiar spot. The sunrise-hour early morning event (planned to minimize traffic disruption on Bridgeway) drew a crowd of about 150 people.
Reason Bradley of Sausalito, owner of Universal Sonar Mount, led the technical analysis for the project. They used a laser to scan the sculpture, creating a digital model. Repairs were made to the statue’s base, which had been subjected to salt water corrosion for many years. They also designed a new base using a special concrete mix that was reinforced with fiberglass rebar.
The metal tabs that attached the statue to its base were also failing due to corrosion. Eight large bronze bolts coated with zinc anodes now provide a stronger bond to hold the statue in place. A jacket of wood will cover the exterior of the concrete platform until it’s had a chance to cure, to prevent toxins from the wet concrete from entering the Bay.
Sausalito Mayor Ian Sobieski spoke at the statue’s reinstallation ceremony, and said, “Right here in Sausalito’s Marinship we had the capability to design and build a new pedestal with environmentally appropriate technical features that promises to last a hundred years. As in a barn-raising, community donors, designers, fabricators and organizers have returned this beloved piece of art to the Sausalito waterfront. We missed our sea lion. Welcome back!”
