Santa Cruz Harbor Boatyard - Santa Cruz, California

Paul Bacon

The Santa Cruz boat harbor is great for so many things. A great walk to people watch and check out all the boating activities. But also great to find good eats while gazing at the ocean or the harbor. Loads of birds of all kinds and seals, sea lions and otters are common sights too. The best thing is that it’s never the same walk, because it’s constantly changing. I have been walking here daily for 35+ years and I never tire of this daily walk.

Glyeb Ewing

We had a fun little ride on a charter! Recommend!

Geralynn Myrah

I go here to buy fresh fish. You used to have to go down and around the building to find someone to sell you fish, but now they have opened a store on the parking lot level. The fish is very fresh, but quite expensive. The store is clean and the staff is friendly and quick. Plenty of parking.

K F

Coolest boat parking lot on the wharf

Patrick Pablo

Very nice and peaceful

Michael DesMarais

I don't have my own boat but know several people that do and a couple of highly qualified captains, clean pleasant area to visit, scenic and of course there's Johnny's Harborside along with The Crow's Nest and several other's - oh if you look you can see the ocean - LOL! Enjoy!

James Pierce

Nice marina with adequate security and mooring protection. Parking is little steep for whole day parking.

don giberson

The yard and personnel are great! Attentive, friendly and good folks. This is, however, a self serve yard and they have a list of "approved vendors/contractors". I urge anyone to proceed with caution with your selection of contractors. Interview more than one before making a selection. I selected a contractor who was the first one I met when I arrived. He seemed knowledgeable and spoke confidently about his workmanship. I contracted him to sand bottom for new bottom paint and buff the hull. I found, after the fact, that the sanding was only a light sanding and did not include feathering areas of the old paint that had chipped. Looks pretty crappy but most of it will be underwater. From what I have heard, chips will cause some performance loss depending on the severity of the chipping. The real issue was the lack of care taken to contain the sanding dust. I take meticulous care of the boat and the topside was spotless when I arrived at the yard. Sanding dust covered the topside of the boat, was not cleaned promptly and with precipitation, has left a layer of bottom paint on the topside. In effect, I was told too bad and for another several hundred dollars could pay to have the top of the boat buffed. I spent a solid 8 hours using oxalic acid, muriatic acid, buffing and scrubbing to get the topside clean. Still looks horrible. I have to pay to clean up after I paid to have the hull sanded!!!

On to the buffing. I was told that my hull was in good shape and buffing would provide a like new glassy finish. Wrong. When I pointed out areas the gelcoat that looked dull after buffing, the response was bad gelcoat. I asked the owner/operator to try some rubbing compound and the few areas of the hull that were dull responded with a nice finish. Overall, the buffing looked better than when he started but substandard compared to the other two times I had the hull buffed. I asked two other contractors that have come by to look at the boat and they both said the job was substandard. To add insult to injury, at $85.00/hour to buff the boat, I was also charged extra for the polish and polishing bonnet.

If the contractor is not busy, as in my case, there is good reason.