Marina del Rey : Boat Slip Vacancies Rise

The vacancy rate for boat slips at Marina del Rey rose to 5.7% at the beginning of this month--the highest level since quarterly surveys began in 1987.

Officials of the County Department of Beaches and Harbors say the recession is a factor in the rising vacancy rate, which has increased steadily since August.

In the past, some officials have expressed concern that Marina del Rey’s boat slip rental rates may be discouraging boaters. The monthly slip rates, which average $11.23 per foot of boat length, are the highest in the Ventura-Los Angeles-Orange County area with the exception of Newport Beach.

Altogether, 296 of the 5,265 boat slips in the county-owned marina were empty on April 1.

The vacancies are particularly evident in slips used by smaller boats: 6.9% of all slips under 25 feet and 6.3% of those in the 26- to 35-foot range were empty at the beginning of this month. The vacancy rates were lower for longer slips used by bigger, more expensive boats.