Santa Cruz,CA | Community Guide

The cost is the least of your problems. To begin with, there is a LONG waiting list for slips in the Santa Cruz Harbor. We waited over 14 years for a slip in the lower harbor. The wait for the upper harbor is usually less depending upon the size of the boat. If you are considering a sailboat, the upper harbor will require that your mast be tabernackled to be lowered to get under the bridge. For a power boat, you are probably ok and will have only the wait for the slip. Call the harbormaster for waiting list and costs. Occasionally there are slips available for sub-let by boatowners away cruising or commercial boats that are working out of the area. There is a sub-let fee in addition to the slip fee. If You buy a boat already in the harbor, you can usually keep the slip for up to a year until you can find your own. Additional costs are bottom cleaning and zinc replacement (every 3 months) … periodic haulout for new bottom paint (every 18 – 24 months)… general maintenace of your mechanical and electronic gear. We set aside about $1500/year for maintenance on a 30ft sailboat and hope that nothing major comes along.