What is the best slip location in a Marina?

[nes]

There are as many different CORRECT answers to this question as their are shades of blue. It all depends, are you going to sail, or is it a dock-ominium? is it exposed to wave/wakes? are there crowds of people at your marina? do you like crowds? will you keep your boat bow first in the slip or stern first? does your boat back well, or is it a guess as to which way it will go when you back up? what are the neighbors like? do you have to have neighbors? do you like neighbors? which way does the wind blow?
When we were in San Diego, I really appreciated having a neighbor who was a live aboard and had my phone number. He called when the tsunami came in to tell us that while there was some junk in the water, our boat was unaffected. He also was there when we got a call from the guy who cleaned the bottom of our boat thought that it might be taking on water, and he told us that it looked fine to him (we checked anyway and the bilge was dry).
Now we are in Oceanside, and where we used to see 2 to 10 people on our dock we now see dozens on our dock. We know most of them in one way or another. (We knew virtually none in SD.
I prefer a short dock (SD had ~60 boats on a dock and about 500 total from one gate, O'side has about 30 from each gate). ETC, ETC
Way too many variables to come up with "BEST" spot.

[Kettlewell]

Do you get a choice of slip on the West Coast? Here in the East there is usually a waiting list for slips or one just happens to be open when you ask and you get whatever comes up, if you're lucky. I prefer a mooring anyway.

[saw77]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

Do you get a choice of slip on the West Coast? Here in the East there is usually a waiting list for slips or one just happens to be open when you ask and you get whatever comes up, if you're lucky. I prefer a mooring anyway.

I'm on the East Coast (Portland, ME) and have had a choice of slips at the two marinas that I've been at. Not a huge choice necessarily, but at least a few to choose from.

[nes]

When we were in SD, about 10% of the slips were vacant. On the other hand we spent four and a half years on the waiting list to get into O'side and got the first available slip. The previous slip renter had been on a waiting list to move, he said it was too close to the Yacht Club and he hated having an audience all the time. I kind of like the idea of knowing that it is being watched.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by nes

..., he said it was too close to the Yacht Club and he hated having an audience all the time. I kind of like the idea of knowing that it is being watched.

Not that kind of watched.

[10yearplan]

The marina is extremely well protected and occupied mostly by sailboaters and fishermen, not a lot of speed/powerboaters so there will be minimal issues with wake and waves. There are a number of slips available. We plan on sailing as much as possible because we have so much to learn. It seems like to me that initially we will want the easiest access possible and as our skills improve and if we find the late night dashes to the biffy troublesome then we can move closer in later. I appreciate the insite as I had thought of some of the issues but obviously not all of them.

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

Do you get a choice of slip on the West Coast? ...

Take your pick. (Vallejo, California)

[Jimbo485]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

Are you all of a sudden going to get honest with this guy? Well if you are, why don't you tell him what you really do when you wake up at 0430 with a screaming bladder and a wet dock??

Ok let's tell him. Almost all males just piss over the side at night. And when surrounded by onlookers in a marina or during the day, you have the option of pissing down the cockpit drain while on your knees in the cockpit. Some use a sink to avoid using the head, but they are in the minority.

[brianb00]

Where I have my boat the dock finger makes a huge difference when the summer NW's blow (SF Bay). Finger #1 blows 25kts most afternoons, fingers 5 & 6 more like 12. All due to the location of a nearby 1800' hill. Just saying, that might be in your planning.

[GaryMayo]

Congratulations on the slip. Having a choice rather than a waiting list is a plus!

I can tell you why I like our slip

1: First slip from the marina and the office window looks square at our boat. No better security than eyes on the sailboat.

2: Locked gated dock.

3: One finger end slip, makes it easy to turn the 32' sailboat around by hand with one person to wash her, do maintenance etc.

4: End slips with one finger cost less. $300 I can put into my boat.

5: Being the first sailboat on my dock, we get to be friendly with all the neighbors that walk by. As a grumpy old man, with a grumpier wife, we need forced socialization. Lol. Our pair of cute Maltese great everyone from our boat. They are pretty cute and make people smile.

6: Our slip is the farthest from the beaten path of other boat traffic, so we see less wakes.

7: Close to restroom, food, cold drinks, and most importantly, my vehicle so I can keep an eye on things.

What I don't care for a whole lot, but get along ok

1: Close to fuel dock. (Pretty girl's fueling up make up for it)

2: Close to little used boat ramp, better more used ramps keep the marina ramp empty. If it does get used by a macho power boat, my sailboat is the first boat in the wake.

3: Biggie. Close to edge of lake, not much keel room if the lake is low. I pulled last fall with my keel two inches from the bottom.

[eliems]

Observe where the seagulls hang out, then pick a slip farthest away. I recently got moved to a location near the Marina Restaurant and suddenly I had a poop deck! Had to get a large plastic owl!

[Hudson Force]

'so many good ideas mentioned above. I'll add something new to the mix. If there is sand, dirt and mud ashore, then your boat will stay much cleaner if you and your guests are walking further out the dock before boarding.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by eliems

Observe where the seagulls hang out, then pick a slip farthest away. I recently got moved to a location near the Marina Restaurant and suddenly I had a poop deck! Had to get a large plastic owl!

Cormorants are the worst poopers, in my near-expert opinion. I've seen them sit next to a plastic owl and try to poop on the plastic snake on deck. Guess who is fooled by plastic owls and snakes?

[bobofthenorth]

My vote is for deeper into the marina if there is any chance of wave or wake action. If you're using el cheapo marina wifi there's a better chance you'll have access to the flaky connection if you are closer to the office. I kind of enjoy the challenge of docking so maneuvring down a fairway and into a difficult slip is just part of the fun but YMMV.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by eliems

Observe where the seagulls hang out, then pick a slip farthest away. I recently got moved to a location near the Marina Restaurant and suddenly I had a poop deck! Had to get a large plastic owl!

Didn't think about the bird issue. Have to say that this would trump almost any other concern in slip choice.

Even without a restaurant nearby the birds do seem to pick spots to hang out. Riding down various waterways I frequently see one dock white with droppings and the one next to it almost perfectly clean with no discernible difference in the dock situation.

So, yes look for the dock that's the local bird favorite and go the other way.