BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – On a picture-perfect spring afternoon on the Fairhaven waterfront, a group of young sailors wheeled their boats down to the dock.

These sailors were about to head into Bellingham Bay, guided by instructors at the Community Boating Center (CBC). The staff working inside of the quaint office space at the CBC watched on, as children of all ages worked together to push or pull these small sailboats to embark on a unique adventure.

Watching this all unfold with a grin across his face was Bryan Rust, the executive director of the CBC.

Rust stepped into this position following a stint of instability at the center. Three people had worked in this position in the three years prior to him and to make starting this job even more difficult, his start date was in May of 2020.

“Trying to figure out how to operate anything during a pandemic was a job in and of itself,” Rust said.

During the four years that Rust has been working at the CBC, the non-profit has grown 450% with more staff, volunteers and youth/adult programs. As the CBC continued to grow, Rust and the rest of the staff had to work through an array of growing pains.

Wetsuits, lifejackets and specifically changing spaces and restrooms became a point of stress for the CBC.

Rust, with help from the board of directors of the CBC and the Port of Bellingham, agreed to work together on a project to construct a building with running water and bathrooms. Once the initial plan was set, the project grew more and more into what it is today.

The Wheelhouse, costing around $1.3 million and located on the edge of the CBC property, has expanded to become a two-story blue and orange structure that has restrooms on the first floor and a multipurpose space on the second floor.

The CBC offers different types of classes, trips and experiences for anyone willing to adventure into Bellingham Bay or learn more about water activities. A standard that the CBC operates by is accessibility for all; Rust kept this at the forefront of his goals as he continued construction on the new Wheelhouse building.

A portion of the bathrooms in this building are ADA compliant, and the CBC installed a wheelchair accessible elevator for access to the second floor.

Rust sees this new building as a win-win for both the CBC and the general Whatcom County community. The space upstairs, which is built to host up to 49 people, can and will be used by the CBC and other community partners upon completion.

“We’ll use it for classes, programs and meetings,” Rust said. “We have some partner organizations that we’ve invited to host their meetings or events with us, and we are also going to be selling it as a venue rental.”

As of May 10, 2024, the Wheelhouse is nearing the end of construction. Looking into the future, Rust has no plans for the CBC to slow down in improvement and growth.

The CBC’s fundraising campaign, which is split into two phases, is around $40,000 away from meeting their first goal. The first phase of the fundraising campaign is set up to complete the Wheelhouse building while the second phase is going to be used to make the dock and entry to the water more accessible for those with physical disabilities.

Rust made it clear that the current dock that is at the CBC is not wheelchair accessible due to a lack of space and the consistent movement from waves in the bay. The CBC is working with the Port of Bellingham to make this next project happen by installing a new, accessible and permanent dock to be used year-round.

A youth sailing class, hosting kids ranging in age, take their sailboats down to the water at the Community Boating Center. The CBC plans to install a new wheelchair accessible dock in the coming years. Photographer: Sam Kristofferson

“One of the tools that we’re going to procure is a lift that will take the person out of their chair and put them into the boat,” Rust said. “And so, all of that is going to be installed on the new Port of Bellingham small watercraft dock.”

Beyond these two projects, Rust has plans to expand the campus at the current CBC location even more. With possible open spaces emerging around Bellingham Bay and nearby lakes, he is keeping an eye out for future locations to service even more groups in Whatcom County.

“Big picture, 10-15 years from now, like, this campus isn’t big enough to meet the moment with this community,” Rust said. “We’re teaching hundreds of adults and hundreds of kids every year how to play out here and they’re going to keep showing up for decades.”