Surveyor in Ventura/Oxnard CA

[dissent]

Hi all,

Looking to buy my first 'real' boat, a Cal 28 in Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. Does anyone have recommendations for a surveyor in the area? I have a few names, but I'd love to have the local knowledge as well.

Along a similar vein, since I can't really afford a slip in Santa Barbara, I will probably be keeping her, or whatever boat I end up with, in Ventura or Oxnard for the near future. Does anyone have recommendations or warnings about any of the marinas in the area?

[HobieFan]

I'm thinking about living on the hook off Sterns Wharf in Santa Barbara. There are plenty of boats who anchor there through the year.

From what I've heard it's a bit exposed and requires a solid anchor and some intelligence in positioning, with the thought that a half a dozen boats a year wash ashore in that area and no matter how good your hook is, it won't matter if it gets pulled up by someone else's dragging across the lines.

If you find a good marina in the Ventura area that allows inexpensive live-aboard, let me know and I may be joining you after getting sick of the wet dinghy ride from the wintering anchorage in Santa Barbara. :-)

[Mermaid]

We visited this marina amongst many others, it's not fancy but probably the friendliest in the area.
Slip Rates

[dissent]

Hobiefan -

Anchoring near Stearns Wharf is an option, but not one I'm ready to tackle with a brand new (to me) boat. I know I'd never be able to relax during any winter weather. I like the idea of having a safe and solid place to work on her for the first few months at least. It's definitely exposed, but many of the boats that wash up are essentially derelicts, so I can't imagine that they have the best ground tackle.
I think that there may still be permits available for 'official' moorings in the city-sanctioned mooring field (which is also a shorter dinghy ride). There may also be people looking for partnerships for these; saw one advertised on Craigslist not long ago. My thought is that I could spend summers on the hook or on a mooring in SB, and winters in a slip in Ventura/Oxnard, until I figure out a way to get a proper slip in Santa Barbara.

Mermaid -

Thanks, going to check them out hopefully tomorrow. The boat is currently here . Facilities are nice, price is comparable to others, but I would prefer to be in Ventura harbor just to knock a few minutes off my drive. 'Friendliness,' as you say, is very important to me; I've had bad landlords and don't wish to have anything like it in the future.