Imagine this:
Magnificent mountain and island views, fabulous boating year ‘round, and a full service marina within walking distance of downtown… welcome to Santa Barbara!
If you are considering keeping your boat in the Santa Barbara Harbor, here are some basics that you need to know:
How do I get a slip at the Santa Barbara Harbor?
It is very common to acquire a slip by purchasing a boat already assigned to a slip. The value of the slip is usually an additional cost to the asking price of the boat. The harbor is municipally owned, so it is the permit to use the slip that is being purchased. Occasionally, slips without boats are available. Contact Seacoast for availability. In addition to the cost of purchasing the interest in the unsecured property (the slip permit), you pay a one time transfer fee, a security deposit and monthly slip rental fee to the city. There are also annual property taxes, based on the market value of the slip that you pay to the county.
Can I live aboard my boat?
You may live aboard your boat if you have a live aboard permit, of which the city allows 113. You must have a boat and slip permit in your name in order to apply for a live aboard permit. Please check with our office to find out the current waiting list for such a permit. The monthly fee, once acquired, is $140.
If you do not have a live aboard permit, you may stay on your boat 3 nights per week and 60 vacation days per year.
How much do slips cost?
Unsecured Property Permit
All slips are owned by the City of Santa Barbara Waterfront Department. They issue slip permits. These permits have a market value. Call Seacoast Yachts for details.
The Harbor Patrol will measure your boat to determine your exact transfer fee and your slip rental fees. This is very important! The Harbor Patrol does not go by your boat manufacturer’s overall length (LOA) or beam, but instead physically measures everything above and below the waterline with a plumb bob from tippy tip front to tippy tip back as well as side to side. Different slips allow different maximum overages. Check with Seacoast before looking at slips.
Slip rental fee cost (as of 7/1/08):
Slip fees are as follows, per foot of slip length:
20’ slips @ $6.98 |
40’ slips @ $8.33 |
All end-ties over 50’ are subject to the $9.01/foot
per month rate
Live aboard fee - $140/month
Slip fees include water and electricity. Depending on your exact location, cable television, high speed internet, and a phone line may be available.
Security deposit:
A security deposit, equivalent to two months of slip rent, is due to the city at the time of transfer.
Unsecured Property taxes:
Annual taxes are approximately 1.1% of what the county estimates the market value of the slip to be.