Finding a boat slip in San Diego.

1. Give the marina the full dimensions.

Start with length overall, beam and draft. A model name or advertised hull length may leave out a swim platform, pulpit or other projection that matters at the dock. Ask how the marina measures a boat and which dimensions it uses for fit and billing.

• Confirm the actual length and width, including permanent projections.
• Check draft, any height restrictions and the proposed slip’s approach with the marina.
• Specify shore-power needs and ask whether the berth can supply them.

Safe Harbor Sunroad publishes wet-slip limits of 20–110 feet in length overall, 20 feet in beam and 14 feet in draft. That is a useful first screen, not confirmation that a suitable slip is open. I’d send the particular boat’s details before relying on a size range.

References: Safe Harbor Sunroad: Slip Dimensions

2. Compare locations as well as slips.

Think about the drive from home, where you expect to boat and how you’ll get people and supplies aboard. The Port’s San Diego Bay marina directory is a useful starting list. These examples help organize your calls; they aren’t a ranking or a report of vacancies.

• Shelter Island and America’s Cup Harbor: start with Shelter Cove, Point Loma Marina and Sun Harbor.
• Harbor Island: compare Sunroad, Cabrillo Isle and Harbor Island West.
• Downtown: the Port lists San Diego Marriott Marina.
• Coronado: check Glorietta Bay Marina and Loews Coronado Bay Marina.
• National City and Chula Vista: look at Pier 32 and Safe Harbor South Bay.

If you’re considering Mission Bay, contact its marinas separately. Bahia Beach & Boat Club publishes its own berth application and use conditions. Don’t assume rules from a San Diego Bay marina apply there.

References: Port of San Diego: Marina Directory · Bahia Beach & Boat Club: Slips and Reservations

3. Ask what an application actually secures.

Ask whether the marina can offer a specific berth, is taking waitlist applications or can only discuss future options. If you’re joining a waitlist, find out how boats are matched to openings and how to update your information. An application by itself is not a move-in date.

• Request the application requirements for the boat and the owner.
• Ask about insurance limits, documentation, inspection requirements and deposits.
• Confirm any restrictions on age, condition, pets, overnight stays or outside contractors.
• Ask when a berth can be confirmed and how long any offer remains valid.

Sun Harbor, for example, provides separate berth and guest-berth applications, plus other forms when applicable. Use the current forms from the marina you choose.

References: Sun Harbor Marina: Applications and Published Rates

4. Get an all-in berth quote.

Ask for the billed length, monthly base charge, deposit and every recurring or optional charge. Then compare what is included: electricity, water, parking, pump-out access and any approved overnight or liveaboard arrangement.

As a published-rate example checked November 3, 2026, Sun Harbor lists $25.50 per foot per month for its up-to-45-foot band. If the marina confirmed 40 billable feet at that rate, the base charge would be $1,020 per month before any additional charges. That calculation is illustrative, not a quote or evidence of availability.

Bahia publishes a different billing rule: the greater of slip length or vessel length overall. Two similar per-foot rates can therefore produce different totals. Ask the marina to calculate the charge for the actual boat and berth. I’d keep the written quote with the rest of your ownership budget.

References: Sun Harbor Marina: Applications and Published Rates · Bahia Beach & Boat Club: Slips and Reservations

5. Treat liveaboard permission as a separate question.

Tell the marina how often you plan to stay aboard. Ask what counts as an overnight stay, what counts as living aboard, and whether your proposed use is permitted. Get any approval and extra charges confirmed before buying for that purpose.

The policies differ. Bahia says liveaboards are not permitted. Sun Harbor publishes a liveaboard addendum and fees, but that does not establish that a liveaboard place is available or that a new owner will be approved.

References: Bahia Beach & Boat Club: Slips and Reservations · Sun Harbor Marina: Applications and Published Rates

6. Check charter plans before choosing a berth.

If you intend to take paying passengers, tell me at the start of the boat search and tell the marina when you inquire. Permission to keep a recreational boat at a dock does not establish permission to run a charter business from it.

The Port says charter operations cannot use its public facilities and sets out permission and decal requirements for operations at Port tenant marinas and landings. Read its current guidance and confirm the requirements for your proposed operation with the marina and relevant authorities. Berthing is only one part of that check; the vessel, insurance and operating arrangements need their own review.

References: Port of San Diego: Charter Vessel Regulations

7. Confirm the move before closing.

If the seller says the slip can transfer, ask the marina to confirm what a new owner must do and whether it has approved the arrangement. I’d put the berth’s start date, application status and any conditions beside the purchase and delivery dates so a gap is easy to spot.

• Confirm when the boat must leave its current berth.
• Check who will move it, the insurance in force and the destination’s arrival instructions.
• Arrange a confirmed short-term berth if the long-term option is not ready.
• Keep the contact details and written approvals with the handover documents.

The Port offers temporary anchorage and guest-dock reservations with stay limits. Those options need their own availability and eligibility checks; they do not replace a long-term berth agreement.

References: Port of San Diego: Boating and Temporary Reservations

8. What to send the marina.

You can use this outline for your first inquiry. Fill in what you know and mark anything you still need to verify.

• Boat: year, make and model; full length including projections; beam; draft; shore-power needs.
• Plans: private recreation, overnight stays, liveaboard or proposed charter use; intended arrival date.
• Request: a suitable berth or waitlist process, application requirements and a written cost breakdown.
• If the boat is already there: ask whether a berth arrangement is available to a new owner and what approval it requires.

Bring the marina’s answer back to the boat search. If the boat won’t fit, the cost changes your budget or the intended use is not allowed, it’s better to know before committing to the purchase. Send me the listing and what you’ve learned, and we can discuss the options.