Shelter Cove Marina (San Diego)

[Eric Gordon]

I have been looking for a place in San Diego to dock my boat and it seems that they are in short supply, particularly for 27 foot boats. If I had a 45-footer I could probably find something. I’m at the airport at least five times a month, and having a slip there would give me more opportunity to sail than I have at Dana Point due to distance from my home.

I am considering getting on the wait list for Shelter Cove Marina.

Do any of you have any knowledge of the area?
I’ve visited the marina numerous times over the past month and it seems to be OK.

Thoughts?

 

[AdventurousAnton]

I used to be the editor-in-chief of The Log Newspaper (2001/2002), and my office was in Point Loma right across from the Kettenburg yards (which was AWESOME). I spent a lot of time at all the various marinas in SD, especially Shelter Cove. 20-odd years ago, it was a little more "salty" than it is now, but still, a great place (if you could get a slip), and the smaller boats hung out behind I/J docks. I remember that was tricky-ish to get into and out of. My Ericson 23 (and then 29) was up in Dana Point since I had moved from Laguna Beach to Oceanside to half my commute. I preferred to keep my smaller boats in Dana Point since it was cheaper, easier to get in/out of and had more amenities scattered about the huge marina. Loved that...Coffee Importers was first stop in the mornings, then Harpoon Henry's for happy hour after a sail (Apres-Sail?). If you can make it happen, it's a great idea and SO close to Lindbergh Field. It would be a great spot for you, I think.

When I was considering a Perry-designed Formosa 47 Ketch, though, I was eyeballing Chula Vista marinas because they had decent rates, great facilities, and allowed liveaboards. I think Safe Harbor (YUCK) bought up a ton of marinas down there, and I have a Hate-Hate relationship with them from the Southeast (Charleston, Hilton Head Island, Savannah). They recently bought Ballena Bay here on Alameda Island, and...it's a disaster, according to my friends who live there.

Those are my 2.1173 centavos. YMMV.

 

[Eric Gordon]

I used to be the editor-in-chief of The Log Newspaper (2001/2002), and my office was in Point Loma right across from the Kettenburg yards (which was AWESOME). I spent a lot of time at all the various marinas in SD, especially Shelter Cove. 20-odd years ago, it was a little more "salty" than it is now, but still, a great place (if you could get a slip), and the smaller boats hung out behind I/J docks. I remember that was tricky-ish to get into and out of. My Ericson 23 (and then 29) was up in Dana Point since I had moved from Laguna Beach to Oceanside to half my commute. I preferred to keep my smaller boats in Dana Point since it was cheaper, easier to get in/out of and had more amenities scattered about the huge marina. Loved that...Coffee Importers was first stop in the mornings, then Harpoon Henry's for happy hour after a sail (Apres-Sail?). If you can make it happen, it's a great idea and SO close to Lindbergh Field. It would be a great spot for you, I think.

When I was considering a Perry-designed Formosa 47 Ketch, though, I was eyeballing Chula Vista marinas because they had decent rates, great facilities, and allowed liveaboards. I think Safe Harbor (YUCK) bought up a ton of marinas down there, and I have a Hate-Hate relationship with them from the Southeast (Charleston, Hilton Head Island, Savannah). They recently bought Ballena Bay here on Alameda Island, and...it's a disaster, according to my friends who live there.

Those are my 2.1173 centavos. YMMV.

Thanks for the info. Yea, Safe Harbor looks like the Nordstrom’s of Marinas. I drove by there today.

 

[bgary]

I used to be the editor-in-chief of The Log Newspaper (2001/2002),

Apropos of nothing... I miss The Log. Was one of the best sources of on-the-water news in the region, when I lived down there.

 

[AdventurousAnton]

Apropos of nothing... I miss The Log. Was one of the best sources of on-the-water news in the region, when I lived down there.

After Duncan (McIntosh) bought The Log in 2003/4, it went…very quickly downhill. Lou (Gerlinger) hated the sale, and was pretty vocal about it. We had offices in SoCal and NorCal, and one of my freelance writers (Heidi Benson) and I became close friends, and she helped me with securing an Alameda liveaboard spot in 2018. The Log was…preeminent in its time. The publisher in me wanted to resurrect a digital clone in the early 2000s, but then life got busy. Might still be…a worthy cause?

Duncan…well, I have zero love for that cat. He’s a smug, rich, narcissistic man-child with too much money and no operational experience on “real” sailboats. He loves boat shows (money makers) too much.