The rebuilt Nick’s Cove boat shack glowed Wednesday under clear skies in Marshall, its reflection shimmering in the waters of Tomales Bay beneath the pier — a familiar silhouette returning nearly two years after fire destroyed the original cabin that generations of locals treated as their own.
Inside, colored string lights stretch across the ceiling. Vintage nautical decor lines the walls. The scent of fresh wood lingers in the air. Through a large window beside a new gas stove, the bay ripples just as it always has.
“It’s basically like a warm hug, stepping into there,” Nick’s Cove spokesperson Caitlin Sandberg said.
Wednesday marked the first official day the rebuilt boat shack reopened to the public, nearly two years after the original structure burned to the ground Jan. 7, 2024, when dark smoke began pouring from its chimney. Staff from Nick’s Cove — the hotel and eatery established in the 1930s — tried to put out the flames and called 911, but the fire quickly consumed the cabin and the irreplaceable mementos inside…