Representative Image of the historic houseboat Mirene docked along Sausalito’s scenic waterfront ( AI Generrated Image)
Built in Coos Bay, Oregon, and completed in 1912, Mirene was originally a gasoline schooner intended to serve canneries in Alaska. Mullenweg confirmed in a September 11 blog post that he had made an offer for the vessel, and The San Francisco Standard reported on September 16 that the deal was under contract. Mirene was initially listed for $1.8 million before its asking price was reduced by $100,000 in July. In August, the price fell again to $1 million. The smaller houseboat’s asking price also fell from $700,000 to $450,000, according to its listing. When The San Francisco Standard reported the deal on September 16, the transaction was under contract, and the parties had not disclosed the amount agreed upon.
Compass real estate agent Steve Sekhon told the publication that the boats had attracted no offers for almost a year, despite their refurbished condition. He said the price reduction helped bring the listings greater visibility. Matt Mullenweg, the cofounder of WordPress and chief executive of Automattic, is set to acquire Mirene, a historic houseboat that has been home to Whole Earth Catalog creator Stewart Brand and his partner, Ryan Phelan, for decades. It was converted into a diesel tugboat in the 1930s. The purchase also involves the couple’s smaller houseboat, although the agreed price for the vessels has not been disclosed. For Brand and Phelan, the planned sale marks the end of a long chapter shaped by restoration, life on the water and their connection to Sausalito’s distinctive houseboat community. The planned sale followed an extended period on the market. The reductions did not establish the final sale price. The report also described improving activity in the local houseboat market, with sales generally closing slightly below asking prices. The smaller vessel was described by real estate agent Steve Sekhon as a potential privacy buffer for the buyer of Mirene or a separate waterfront retreat for someone seeking a home in the Sausalito area. For a buyer interested in the area’s houseboat lifestyle, the two properties offer different ways to experience it: one aboard a vessel with a history of sailing, the other in a stationary home on the water.
A century-old tugboat with an unusual history
Mirene is no ordinary houseboat. Brand and Phelan acquired the vessel in the early 1980s and spent decades restoring it, adapting it into a home while retaining its ability to sail. Its history and seaworthiness distinguish it from the stationary houseboats around it.