Recession Gives Some the Slip

Betty Patterson remembers the old days, when boaters had to wait two years or longer to get a slip.

“Just a year or two ago the wait list for 26-foot slips was 2 1/2 years,” says Patterson, office manager at Dana West Marina. “Now it’s only two or three months.”

At nearby Dana Point Marina, there is no wait at all for slips 30 feet and under, while up the coast at Newport Dunes Marina, 100 new slips sit empty.

Marina operators from Huntington Harbour to Dana Point say the sluggish economy has created more slip vacancies than they have seen in years--even in Dana Point, whose low-cost slips have always been most in demand.

“Oh my, yes, the economy has definitely made a difference,” says Patterson, who has worked at the marina for nine years. “The economy has made the smaller ones become available because a lot of people are taking their boats out of the water and putting them in their yards until things are looking up again.”

As for the larger slips, Patterson says the recession has actually created a larger demand as boaters looking to save money try to move to Dana Point, where slip fees are less expensive than in Newport Harbor. “It’s cheaper here, and that’s why so many people want to be here.”

The marina, which has 984 slips, has a waiting list of 10 years for its popular 40-foot slips. By moving to Dana Point from Newport Harbor, boaters could save a bundle: slip rates in Dana Point West range from $5 to $11.50 a foot, contrasted with rents in Newport Beach, which run from $10.50 to $16.25 per foot, per month.

“In Orange County, Newport Harbor is the most expensive,” says Tom Welch, director of marine facilities at Newport Dunes. “You can go to Huntington Harbour or Dana Point, and both are cheaper. And some people have chosen to leave Newport Harbor and go to San Diego, Long Beach or Oceanside.”

The Dunes, which just completed a renovation that doubled its number of slips to 430, is now the largest single marina in Newport Harbor, and its fees run from $11.50 to $14.75 per foot. Although the Dunes has a waiting list for slips in the 35- and 40-foot range, there are 100 slips available for boats 26 to 28 feet in length.

Why the large vacancy?

“The recession has forced some people to cut back on their non-essential activities, and boating certainly falls into that category,” says Welch.

“Some people just feel they have to conserve cash, and so they take the boat out of the water and store it in a cheaper location. And some people have backed away and gotten out of boats completely.”

Welch believes the Dunes has a large number of 26- to 28-foot slips available because “basically anything that will fit into that size slip will fit into dry storage”--and dry storage is cheaper.

At California Recreation, which operates three marinas in Newport Harbor, you can rent a 24- to 34-foot slip immediately, but there is a waiting list for the popular 42- to 45-foot slips, says Daryl Landrun, general manager.

“But the turnover has been more frequent than I have seen it in the last 16 years,” he says. “More people are selling their boats, and people with big boats are selling them and buying smaller ones.”

Although Lido Yacht Anchorage is “pretty full,” according to Mitch Easton, the marina does have about a dozen available slips for boats 37 feet and under. And at DeAnza Bayside Village Marina, you can find space to dock boats ranging from 20 to 50 feet.

“We always have slips under 25 feet,” says DeAnza spokeswoman Dorothy Sloan. “But we have more slips available now than we have had in a long time. Every marina we have talked to has the same problem.”

At Huntington Harbour, the 365-slip Sunset Aquatic Marina has 20-foot slips available, and although there is a waiting list for larger slips, the waiting time is shorter. For example, you can get a 30-foot slip now in about six months; it used to take two to three years. And you can get a 40-foot slip in about two to four years; it used to take 10 years.

“There is no question there are more empty slips everywhere now,” says Spike Harvey, executive director of the Southern California Marine Assn., a trade group representing 900 marine-related companies. “And it hasn’t just been caused by one thing, but several.”

The economy has certainly had an effect, Harvey says, but he also blames the 10% luxury tax on yachts costing $100,000 or more. “One thing that has really hurt is that we are stuck with this luxury tax on boats. There is a normal turnover in that X-number of people will sell their boats and others will buy them, but the big boat business has been killed by this luxury tax. I’m talking 75% down in sales.”

John Reilly, marina manager at the 172-slip Balboa Yacht Basin, believes that if you could afford to buy a boat, now is the perfect time to find a slip. “There are empty slips all over Newport Harbor,” he says.

Sailing Award. Orange County sailor Shannon Aikman received the annual Peggy Slater Award from the Southern California Yachting Assn. The award is given to a woman who makes outstanding contributions to women’s sailing. Aikman is past president of the Women’s Ocean Racing Sailing Assn.

Raft Up. Balboa Sailing Assn. will hold a raft up at Newport Harbor Anchorage at 6 p.m. Saturday. For information, call (714) 840-3957. Meetings are the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the American Legion Yacht Club, 215 15th St. in Newport Beach.

Navigation. A class designed to teach basic navigation to the weekend boater will be offered March 26 to April 30 by the Dana Point Harbor Youth & Group Facility. The class will meet from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Cost is $37. For information call (714) 661-7122.

Safety Seminar. Orange Coast College is hosting its fourth annual U.S. Sailing/Cruising World Safety at Sea Seminar on April 18 at the OCC Sailing Base, 1801 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach. The daylong seminar is designed to show sailors how marine safety equipment works offshore and how to prepare for various emergencies that could occur at sea. Seminar moderator will be Chuck Hawley, well-known sailor and expert on offshore safety. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $44 in advance or $49 at the door. For information call (714) 645-9412.

Boat Show. New boats from the country’s top builders and a selection of used boats will be on display during three spring boat shows in Newport Beach. The Newport New Powerboat Show and a separate Newport Sailboat Show will run from April 22 through 26. Then four days later, on April 30, the Newport Used Powerboat Show will open and run until May 3.

Show hours are from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. The shows are held in Lido Village Marina, and free parking is available at Tustin and Avon avenues in Newport Beach. Shuttle service will be available at that location every 20 minutes. Boat show admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 6 to 12 and children under 6 are admitted free. For information call (714) 757-5959.

Women at Sea. Big boat ocean sailing for women will be the subject of a five-week class beginning April 25 at Orange Coast College. The class is taught aboard Saudade, a 47-foot, college-owned boat. Enrollment is limited to 15 women who will meet each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for hands-on instruction in everything from sail handling to knot tying. Instructor is Kathie Ohmer, a licensed charter boat captain who has sailed more than 18,000 miles. Cost is $98 per person. For information, call (714) 645-9412.