While hiking, fishing, biking, boating, birding, and nature loafing are a popular recreation activities for early Sea Ranchers, they also needed a center to swim and play tennis (and currently, pickle ball).

To this end, three recreation centers were designed and built. The three centers are: Moonraker (1965), the Ohlson (1971), and the Del Mar (1996) Recreation Centers. All the centers where designed in the Sea Ranch style: sloping roofs, barn-sided, and harmonizing with the natural landscape.

There was also function to their forms as the constant prevailing northwestern winds were an environmental impediment to recreating. To this end the architects use of berms and wind-breaks were used to shield the cold winds from the wet, bathing-suited Sea Ranchers.

I wanted to sketch them and I started with the first rec center ever built at Sea Ranch: Moonraker.

It was raining rather vigorously so I sketched the exterior from the shelter of my waterproof sketching blind aka my car (featured sketch).

The Moonraker is an innovative design. The changing rooms are a long, henge-like building which shelters Sea Ranchers from the northwestern winds. The pool and tennis courts are sunk into the landscape, providing an oasis from the prevailing Pacific gales.

My next experience with a rec center was more immersive. This was at the second rec center built at Sea Ranch: Ohlson Recreation Center.

With my rental I had access to all three rec centers and I wanted to take a dip at my favorite.

This is the Ohlson Recreation Center. I have always appreciated the design of this center since the first time I saw photographs of it, I’ve loved it. It looks like a futuristic barn that has been on the land for centuries.

I checking in, headed to the door marked “M” and converted into bathing attire. On this cold winter’s day, the heated waters of the wallowing end was perfect.

I thought doing the back waddle in the wallowing side of the pool was a perfect way to enjoy the lines, angles, and surfaces of this iconic Sea Ranch structure. Too bad my sketch book was back in the changing room (and not entirely waterproof!).