Chuck Baier wrote:
We will be looking for West Coast live-aboard Marinas in the San
Diego, Los Angeles, Dana Point or Oceanside areas in about a year.
Would appreciate any first hand info from anyone. Thanks, Chuck

As others have posted, you will have a hard time anywhere in S. Cal
finding a liveaboard slip. An article in a recent San Diego Log
paper listed marina occupancy in So Cal as 95%.

We've had slip in SD. for 13 years, and it's a real cyclic thing.
Right now the marinas are very full, and when we were shopping for a
different slip a year ago (30'), everyone had a waiting list - and
we're not talking liveaboard. Another issue with SanDiego marinas,
is most will tell you they're full, whether they are or not, if you
just call them or email. They like to see you in person, and they
want to see your boat, or see recent pictures, as they are trying to
decrease the number of 'junkers' in their marinas.

In Dana Point, we were told the waitlist for a 30' liveaboard slip
was "about 10-12 years".

Friends who live aboard a 46' trawler moved from San Diego - where
they couldn't find a live aboard slip - to Long Beach, to Ventura
where they were finally able to find a reasonable slip.

Bottom line, if you're looking for a slip 'in about a year', start
yesterday! If you don't have a boat now, you'll find it impossible
to get a slip. If you do have a boat (that you're going to move)
take some good pictures of it to shop around with, and be prepared
to jump on a slip if you find one...even if you have to pay for it
for 6+ months even if you're not using it yet.

Good luck!

Keith Hughes