Current Slip Rates at Member Yacht Marinas [UPDATED 2022]

[rwthomas1]

Just for comparison here in RI its between $100 and $140+ per foot for the season. That gets very pricey very fast. There are cheaper slips and obviously moorings are available but then you deal with waiting lists that are years long. Most people here haul for the winter so thats another $300-$500 each time it goes in or comes out. The only plus is winter in-water storage is pretty cheap ususally less than 1/2 the cost of hauling and yard fees.

We also are facing pressure from developers, etc. that are buying up waterfront and squeezing out boatyards and marinas. Kinda funny how these rich folks put up a huge house on the water for the view of the water and boats then they immediately put the squeeze on any existing facility and expansion proposal.

I am very fortunate that I have no debt other than the sailboat, live in a house for free (inlaws extra home) and belong to a member-owned yacht club. This keeps the rates to $35/ft for the season. The system works on seniority and work hours so if you are a newbie like me you have to work 100hrs to even think about slip eligibility. I was lucky to get a mooring this year. The other negative is our lease is up in 2010 and the town wants to let a developer have the land to do a "high-end marina with condos" So likely I will be shopping for a new home in 3-4 years. Kinda sucks as I am on the fairly comfortable end of boat ownership. If the marina goes away the costs will pinch for sure. I know I can continue ownership at that point but I will have to sacrifice a lot of other things.

The one bright side is the cost of fuel. Right now there are quite a few powerboaters that are getting out of big boats or just not going in next year. This should bode well for slip availability in the short run.

RT

 

[Rocinante33]

mo' slip fees

Jeff,
Two months back, they raised our fee for a 34' slip from $273 to $354, plus $8/mo. for electric. A 23% increase. In all honesty, though, they had not raised the fees in at least 4 years. Now, if I can get my salary to jump >5%/year to match, I might be OK.....
Keith
E-33
Vintage Marina
Channel Islands Harbor, CA

 

[Jeff Meier]

Jeff - sounds like they just changed their policy on you and not the per foot rate. now they charge for either slip length or LOA, whichever is greater, so you're stuck with a bill for 30'.

are there any 25' slips at cabrillo marina or maybe holiday harbor? i know there are some at shoreline marina but you would have to call about availability and dimensions. if you can squeeze your beam into one of those you will go back to paying for 27'. just a thought..

 

[Don Smith]

Try this analysis. Add up your slip fees for an entire year, then divide that total by the number of days you go sailing in a year. Let's call it the slip fee to sailing ratio. My guess would be that for people who enjoy getting out on their boats, those in expensive, sunny Southern California have a lower slip fee to sailing ratio than people who have their boats in, say, Maryland. For people, and I know some, who like having a boat for bragging rights and cocktail parties, but aren't much interested in actually going sailing, the above analysis of course doesn't mean much.

 

[Kim Schoedel]

Our fee's just went up $5.00 per month. Now that I have read all these threads, I will need to quit whinning! We are in a very nice marina (inland lake) excellent maintenance and great managment. At $125 US per month plus electricity. Free water and wash down. Got's to quit whinning.

 

[Blue Chip]

Not complaining

Blue Chip is a 32 footer based in almeda at the second fanciest place in the immediate area. Less that $7.00 a foot with about $5.00 a month for electricty. the "fancy" Mariba on the island just went up to $10.00 a foot. we have a gas dock on site, a couple of electronic repair shops, a boat yard and the shower building is well maintaned with about 10 heated showers. We can comfortably sail April through October, but if you a a little tougher, and younger, you can do it all year long.
After living the last 45 years in Montana...I'm NOT COMPLAINING!!

 

[Randy Rutledge]

It is not blue water just old Lake Weiss in AL but a club with a free use lift, large work areas, water and power at the dock, trailer parking, clubhouse, and an ice maker for $580 per year sounds pretty good after this list of prices (work party participation is required).
Lake sailing is restricted, but no salt problems, inexpensive facility fees and the finest drinking club with a serious sailing problem you could ever be part of.

I look at the bigger E boats and think about some day but with retirement near and the cost of a bigger boat and slip fees my E-29 looks pretty good. With my trailer I can take her to the big water and then bring her back home where I can afford to sail and have a cleat to tie up to.

Bottom line it is not the cost of the boat or the horse it is the cost of keeping her.

 

[Ray Rhode]

Here in Florida we are dealing with a slightly different phase of the same problem. Boatyards and marinas are disappearing at an alarming rate. In our area we have lost one of our three boatyards, two of our marinas. One more boatyard in on the blocks and other marinas are vulnerable. Waterfront property is too valuable to be used for boating. This months BOAT/US magazine has a story about what is happening. All of this drives up the cost to boat owners. Pretty soon you will not be able to rent a slip no matter how much you are able to pay.

We are currently discussing getting together a group at our marina and forming a club and buying the place before the developers do. The State of Florida has a grant program to assist citizens attempting to save the marinas.

Ray Rhode
S/Y Journey
E35-III, #189 and

 

[Steve Swann]

Trailers anybody? Ramblings & Other Drivel...

We are quite a ways from big water here in Boise, so a trailerable seemed to make obvious sense to us after looking at the cost of what you folks have to contend with. We give up a lot of room, but there are trade-ups as well. But heck, I am happy on a Sunfish.

Since our Ericson only is only 5'6" headroom inside, I tinkered with the thought of renaming it "Stoopid Boat" because I am 6'3" and I stand all stoop-ed over down below. Tawni wouldn't let me. Our E25 isn't all that big inside either, but trailerability was important for mobility. And we can always explore distant new sailing grounds after a days' beat to weather at the posted speed limit. (April 5th we are heading to south to San Carlos Mexico - 3 days and 1300 miles away by trailer - and I don't have to tack or jibe even once!)

Is it any better to put a boat on a trailer in some of these places you guys sail? Smaller yes, but oftentimes I hear owners say that their small boat days were some of their happiest memories.

 

[CaptnNero]

In Deale, MD (20 miles south of Annapolis) we're paying $3850 annual for a 38 foot slip. That is based on a one year contract and includes electric and water. The increases have been at least a few hundred a year since we came here in 2001.

 

[Tom Prince]

When I was at the Ala Wai the fee was $140. a month. Unfortunately the City and County and the State mismanage all the small boat operations and the docks are failing at an alarming rate. When my dock was condemed I put my name on a waiting list and moved to Keahi Marine center. I now pay $280. a month for my 27. After reading all the posts I guess this is about average. ...It used to be that many boats included Hawaii in there cruising plans. No more

 

[Loren Beach]

Thread bump, and inflation has probably had an effect along with continued loss of waterfront traditional land usage.

We are now at about $500./quarter, plus 16 work hours per year minimum. We are in a DIY yacht club, with a clubhouse and kitchen, but with no bar or restaurant operation. We do have a "medium speed" wifi throughout the moorage. What we pay, I should note, is a total for everything: moorage, dues, electric use averaged out per walk, misc activity fees..... everything....

It's a really good deal, compared to fancier clubs or commercial marina's, which are 2 to 3 times as expensive. (Those places have more social amenities, tho.)
I wonder how the rest of you vikings are doing for moorage?

 

[TrueBlue]

Well Loren down in San Diego the least expensive slip I could find was 17.50per ft. or $525.00 per month for a 30ft. boat. Then I think they try to add electricity on top of that. So you add in your maintenance and rising gas prices and sailing adds up quick.

 

[Christian Williams]

California Yacht Club is located in Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, one of the largest man-made harbors, with 6,000 slips, of which CYC has a few hundred. The club historically has emphasized big-boat racing, but also supports powerboats and cruisers, and is a popular venue for class regattas given its experienced race committees and support craft. It has dining, paddleball, swimming pool and available meeting spaces. Physical plant and docks are immaculate.

There are five yacht clubs in MDR, three small and informal. The other large club is Del Rey Yacht Club, with approximately the same costs as CYC--maybe a bit less. It is more traditional, as members are expected to contribute on committees. CYC is owned by a corporation and tends to more, uh, California "distance."

 

[toddster]

As I wrote the annual check, I realized that my slip fees have now doubled since I bought Arcturus. But still, it's "only" $2K per year, which includes some minimum electricity usage and garbage. I realized I need to generate a lot more garbage to make up my quota. Actually, several hundred bucks of that is a multi-year assessment that goes toward paying for completely rewiring the marina a few years ago. But when that's paid off, I imagine there will be some other improvement to take up the slack.
We are now getting beefed up security, cameras, and broad-band WiFi (so that people can stream their own security cams) due to boats being robbed in three separate episodes (so far) this winter. So I imagine we'll see that in the next bill.

 

[Stuphoto]

Here in Canada,
On Hornby Island, if you can get a slip by the month it's $4 per foot. So my 25 is $100 per month, plus tax.
Electricity is the killer, $6 per day for a 30 amp.

Since I just got my boat a few months ago, I don't have a year round spot yet, so I may park it on the hard next winter at Texada Boat Works, about a 10km or 6 mile sail away.

 

[Mr. Scarlett]

It looks like Christian wins...

I'm 15' up a river which means not being able to go out just for morning, afternoon, or evening. It's overnight or not at all.

I'm currently paying ~$13.50/ft and hoping to pay more in the near future - I'm on the short list at a marina I can walk to in under an hour while stopping for a coffee.

 

[Loren Beach]

In studying Christian's chart, I believe that the total figure is for one month? Or am I not reading it correctly? A tad over $1100. ?

 

[Christian Williams]

Yes, that's the monthly bill. Not bad in myh opinion considering the convenience of the location and the relatively low club join-fee of something like 5K. Strict exclusionary rules for membership: you must have a heartbeat.

There are many independent marinas within MDR--more than 20 of them. I think you can find a 35-foot slip for the neighborhood of $500 a month. https://www.visitmarinadelrey.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/MDR-MDR-Anchorage-map-web.pdf

I fill all this in because before I moved here I had no idea of the local geography.

 

[dhill]

Here in Boothbay Harbor, ME, the 40' slip I'm renting this year will be $3,500 for mid-April until mid-October, electricity included. No club fee.

Dave