San Diego Marina's Don't like older boats

[Derik]

I heard almost all of the Marina's in San Diego now are not taking any boats built prior to 1990. Some of the Marina's owned or operated by Safe Harbor won't take boats more than 20 years old? Does anyone know of a Marina in San Diego or close by that still sees the value of older boats? Age has little to do with a boats condition and if it's insured and in good condition whats the problem?

 

[SteveK]

As long as there is not enough moorage available for all boats I can see marinas wanting all newer boats to attract more newer boats. 35 year old boats are now the old boats anyway.

 

[Comodave]

It has been 20+ years since I had a boat in SD. But you might try Driscolls in Mission Bay, if it is still there. Not the nicest marina but it was where I could get a 50’ slip then.

 

[mvweebles]

Unless something changes in the last year or so, Chula Vista has quite a few older boats.

Peter

 

[lwarden]

The Safe Harbor we were at for a few years in Harbor Island had many boats older than 20 years, including mine. I do think they are trying to improve the quality of the boats there so if your boat isn't running well or maintained properly you may be out of luck. We left for another marina, Shelter Island and they require the dockmaster to inspect the boat and it must be running as well, but my 23 year old boat was not questioned and there are many boats over 20 years old, some are 30+.

 

[mvweebles]

The Safe Harbor we were at for a few years in Harbor Island had many boats older than 20 years, including mine. I do think they are trying to improve the quality of the boats there so if your boat isn't running well or maintained properly you may be out of luck. We left for another marina, Shelter Island and they require the dockmaster to inspect the boat and it must be running as well, but my 23 year old boat was not questioned and there are many boats over 20 years old, some are 30+.

I've been a boat owner since 1991 and rented slips in California marinas until I left on 2019. Dockmasters have always asked for a picture of the boat. Many had a hard "no" on anything resembling a houseboat. For years now, few marinas accept wooden boats of any condition.

If I were a dockmaster, I'd be very concerned about the general quality of the boats. Marinas develop a general reputation which, once perceived to be in decline, can be difficult to reverse. Nothing new here.

Peter

 

[sd1209]

I'm in a Safe Harbor marina in San Diego, Harbor Island, there are many older boats.....Not so much the age as the condition.......There's a 40-45 yr old boat here that is in very good shape......I've been in marinas here since the mid 80's and I think the age issue is overblown.....More condition vs age......Age does give the dockmaster a good excuse not to take a boat though that is in poor condition....

 

[Derik]

I am at Driscoll's Marina and happy there. Driscoll's is a full service boat yard with a Marina leased from the City of San Diego. Their lease will need to be renewed in 4-5 years. The City of San Diego as well as the Port has several redevelopment plans for Mission Bay none of which include a boat yard.

Chula Vista Marina was always a go to Marina but now with Gaylord's Massive redevelopment I had been told it's not available to older boats.

My boat is in very good condition and will be pulled in Oct for new bottom paint and teak and upper paint will be done this fall.

I have had random interest in people buying my boat and am considering selling it simply because in a few years I may have no where to put it.

If there are old boats in the Marina you are at that doesn't mean they will accept another older boat. People are saying nobody is accepting boats built 30 years ago in San Diego. Some Marina's even saying 20 years is too old. We have many fine 30 plus year old Trawlers at our Marina and most of the run down boats are newer sail boats.

Maybe my question should be if someone recently got a slip in San Diego with an older Trawler or knows of a new tenant that showed up with an older boat let me know where you are at.

 

[Don L]

I have read versions of the this thread topic for years. The most common working advise is to bring your in good condition clean older boat by the marina so they can see it. I am sure all here have experienced the old forgotten POS boat in the marina that they are paying good money to have to look at.

 

[Comodave]

That is one of the nice things about living on the water I have my own dock and the dockmaster won’t tell me that my boat is too old.

 

[socalrider]

80-90% of the boats in San Diego have to be older than 20 years, and probably 75% older than 30. Keep us posted on your travails - pretty concerning if there's some sort of an impending crackdown or a looming closure of large marinas. Worth chatting with a broker - seems like there's often a gap between official marina policy ("nothing available, no wooden boats, nothing old") and reality ("we can find something for you, cold molded is fine, just send us a picture")

 

[Shrew]

When you have reservations at 150%-200%, you have to turn boats away. It's easiest to turn away the oldest boats. Many RV parks have a 10 year old limit. Yet, they STILL book out.

For a marina, older boats tend to be (but not always) in need of repair. Some can be eye sores. Old boats sink and discharge fuel and oil from their bilges. It is likely they get reduced premiums for insurance by setting such policies.

Newer boats are expensive and tend to be owned by people with more disposable income. So they get more sales at the ship store, and restaurant and bar. Someone paying $400/night doesn't want to be docked beside Jed Clampett.

 

[ancora]

Unless something changes in the last year or so, Chula Vista has quite a few older boats.

Peter

Chula Vista is now a Safe Harbor marina.

 

[ancora]

This situation has had serious consequences for people (me) trying to sell older boats. No slips...no sales.

 

[lowtidebites]

This situation has had serious consequences for people (me) trying to sell older boats. No slips...no sales.

That's what I experienced in Anacortes. My wife and I spent $3.5K for 5 days of boat shopping in the Anacortes area. After just three days we discovered that no boat slips were available at any price. They told us to just add our name to the boat slip waiting list, and you may be waiting 5 years! We were pissed our Anacortes broker, who knew our plans to cruise the PNW inside passage, never mentioned this in phone calls leading up to our departure. This is why many boats are dying in Anacortes boat yards, IMO. And before I get off this box I'm standing on... I cannot believe how many 6-digit boats are rotting in the sun and rain up there without price reductions to get them sold. It was a sad fate to observe.

 

[ancora]

We have a slip in a San Diego yacht club so our boat is secure from age discrimination. I have seen boats ordered out of the club because they became eyesores, i.e., dirty topsides, "trees" growing on the hull, raggedy mooring lines, self furling sails flapping in the wind, etc.

 

[ksanders]

That's what I experienced in Anacortes. My wife and I spent $3.5K for 5 days of boat shopping in the Anacortes area. After just three days we discovered that no boat slips were available at any price. They told us to just add our name to the boat slip waiting list, and you may be waiting 5 years! We were pissed our Anacortes broker, who knew our plans to cruise the PNW inside passage, never mentioned this in phone calls leading up to our departure. This is why many boats are dying in Anacortes boat yards, IMO. And before I get off this box I'm standing on... I cannot believe how many 6-digit boats are rotting in the sun and rain up there without price reductions to get them sold. It was a sad fate to observe.

There are slips available while you are waiting. You just need to be willing to accept a non prime location, or be willing to move your boat around.

Example... We scored a winter slip in Victoria BC in a super prime location righ in front of the Empress hotel. Yes summer is tougher, but you need to be flexible.

 

[lowtidebites]

Yes summer is tougher, but you need to be flexible.

Oh yeah, lots of slips being sublet in the off-season but we had no intention of winter cruising through the passage or the Peugeot Sound. Our singular option was to put the boat back on the hard after every use in season. As out-of-staters, we felt this was ridiculous on several levels.

 

[Portage_Bay]

My thoughts on Anacortes dry storage and wait lists. Generally the wait lists are in reality not as long as the marina's claim. I have yet to wait anywhere near as long as I was told. But if you've purchased a large boat, over 50ft and only want to keep it at Cap Sante then you will wait years.

Dry storage for an out of state cruiser who only wants to do summer cruising is a good way to go. Less deterioration from corrosion, no boat watch service needed, bottom paint and anodes last longer and it's less expensive.

Some out of state summer only cruisers keep their boats in BC marinas.

 

[Don L]

We have a slip in a San Diego yacht club so our boat is secure from age discrimination. I have seen boats ordered out of the club because they became eyesores, i.e., dirty topsides, "trees" growing on the hull, raggedy mooring lines, self furling sails flapping in the wind, etc.

Yeah I have seen boats "ordered out of the marina". 6 years later that boat is still there and no one has paid the slip bill. I think the last marina I was using now has at least 10 boats that are there waiting to sink. Even if the marina requires insurance and that they are on the policy, there is no way to ensure that continues once the boat is there. Meanwhile the marinas know the newer the boat is the less likely it will become an abandoned eyesore that doesn't pay its' bill.

New boats get sold every year, but no new marinas get built. Not hard to figure out how that math works out. Before I crashed out of boating I was looking at buying a slip just because of the marina issue.

 

[lwarden]

My thoughts on Anacortes dry storage and wait lists. Generally the wait lists are in reality not as long as the marina's claim. I have yet to wait anywhere near as long as I was told. But if you've purchased a large boat, over 50ft and only want to keep it at Cap Sante then you will wait years.

Dry storage for an out of state cruiser who only wants to do summer cruising is a good way to go. Less deterioration from corrosion, no boat watch service needed, bottom paint and anodes last longer and it's less expensive.

Some out of state summer only cruisers keep their boats in BC marinas.

I'll second the option of dry storage, especially if you do not live near Anacortes. We did that for a year at North Harbor Diesel's yard and it was a great experience. Rent a slip at Cap Sante for a day here and there while you provision or do some errands and otherwise bug out to one of the many other places to go in the San Juan's or further afar. It's a cost effective way to go if you are activly using the boat and not living in one spot.

 

[READY]

Try Harbor Island West assuming your old boat is in good condition. But they are starting a large rebuild so they may not be accepting new boats.

 

[Shrew]

Don't assume because you're on a wait list, that wait list is continually maintained. I've been on many waiting lists that NEVER call back. In seasonal areas, once the slips are filled for the season the list is tossed out. They start a new list as people start walking in the door. At the end of the season, once all the returning boats have committed to a new contract for the following year, then the list is broken out. Once the slips are filled, the cycle repeats as the list is thrown out and a new one starts.

I find it helps to store the boat in the marina in the off season where you want to stay in the summer. They usually give priority to the existing winter customers. It also helps if the yard works on your boat. Sometimes you get moved up the list if you talk to the service manager while he's doing work.

Ask the office how many employees in yard and arrange to send over pizza for everyone on a Friday afternoon. Make sure they understand it came from you. Most times you can get away with 6-8 pizzas. You would be surprised how things magically happen.

 

[Portage_Bay]

Be consistently persistent. Be nice. Be friendly. You just may be the one they decide to call as they work down the list and the people they call don't answer or don't commit. I know that has worked for me twice.

 

[Comodave]

When we brown our 46’ trawler from the PNW to San Diego there weren’t any 50’ slips available, but I was district commodore at the time. One of the dockmasters found that out and he said he would find me a slip. Next day I had a slip at Driscolls in Mission Bay. It was an ok yard but certainly not a yacht club. We stayed there for about 7 years until we sold the boat. Sometimes it helps to know someone…

 

[SteveK]

When we brown our 46’ trawler from the PNW to San Diego there weren’t any 50’ slips available, but I was district commodore at the time. One of the dockmasters found that out and he said he would find me a slip. Next day I had a slip at Driscolls in Mission Bay. It was an ok yard but certainly not a yacht club. We stayed there for about 7 years until we sold the boat. Sometimes it helps to know someone…

You mean it is not what you know that counts, it is WHO you know that matters.

 

[Comodave]

You mean it is not what you know that counts, it is WHO you know that matters.

It certainly helped in this case.