Marinas & Anchorages Reviews Pt. 1 - Kona Kai, Oceanside & Dana Point: Spring 2026

I did a review of these places a few years back. Have they changed? A lot of them have. A few of them we hadn’t been to yet. And there was quite a bit to say about each one. So to make it easier on our readers, I decided to review them 3 at a time.

Here are the 1st 3:

Kona Kai Marina - San Diego

Amenities:

Bathrooms/Showers - Super clean. Cleaned immaculately every day. But they seriously need updating & more light. Water is hot & pressure is great! It’s on the dark side though. Definitely needs more light.

Laundry - Sad. Half of the machines didn’t work or ate my money. The room itself is breaking down.

Other - Can use one of the pools & hot tub at the resort. There is also a beach with firepits that are lit every night!

Docks & slips: The slips are doubled up. They are kept up well. I think cleaned almost daily. The staff that works around the slips are very friendly! And most, but not all, people with boats on the docks are friendly.

Staff: Just deal with Jack. He is the most knowledgeable & very friendly. The rest of the office staff is kind but just not on top of things as much. Don’t trust any answers -unless Jack gives them to you!

Pricing: Expensive. We paid $1800 per month for liveaboard. I think it was about $1400 per month for just the slip. I’m not sure what the guest/nightly price is for a 40’ boat. But it’s probably the most expensive on the California coast!

Location: Not close enough to walk to grocery stores. But tons of boat related shops within about a 10 - 15 minute walk. Some restaurants close by.

Other things to note: Close to airport & naval base - lots of planes overhead. Closest marina to the mouth of the harbor. Still takes a while to get in & out though. 😄 Very picturesque marina.

Oceanside Harbor

Amenities:

Bathrooms/Showers - N/A. We didn’t use them as we have our own & we were only there a few days.

Laundry - N/A. We didn’t use it.

Docks & slips: Slips are doubled up. The docks definitely need updating. There is no locked gate so your boat could be vulnerable. Lots of sea lions around. Sometimes on dock.

Staff: Didn’t see any staff. Just paid online & contacted them through email. Fairly easy.

Pricing: Only $46.50 per night for a 40’ boat. However, they don’t post this price on their website. So who knows if they change it around - depending on the time of year.

Location: Not close enough to walk to grocery stores. But a bunch of restaurants close by & a big huge beach!

Other things to note: Beautiful sunsets!

The Marina at Dana Point

Amenities:

Bathrooms/Showers - Very clean. They need a little updating but aren’t too bad. I actually think that they probably will update them soon; after they are done with the docks. Takes a little while for the hot water to start but it does & the pressure is good. Oh & the layout for the showers are perfect. -Lots of hooks and a bench inside the stall.

Laundry - Outside. So not secure. But the whole marina feels secure. So I had no issue using the washer & dryer. Reasonably priced. I think it was around $2.50 to wash & $2.50 to dry. I imagine though, that this whole setup will be replaced soon along with the bathrooms.

Docks & slips: Single slips!! I think almost all of the docks are recently re-done! So nice! Lit well at night. There is a pump out on every dock!!! You need to call the office to get someone to do it for you but they come pretty quick. And everyone was super friendly in the marina!

Staff: Wonderful! So helpful! So friendly! -Especially Angie! (Although she might just deal with permanent slip tenants.) But all the staff on the dock & at the office were incredibly friendly!

Pricing: Expensive. We got a 2 month sublet because things were being moved around. But as far as I know, guest slips are about $100 a night for a 40’ boat.

Location: About a half hour walk to the closest grocery store. Some restaurants close by.

Other things to note: The most beautiful marina!

If you didn’t want to read the above, the video is below.

Click above to watch!

Zephyr brags all the time that he can play the piano. I don’t think he knows what a piano is!

Thanks for reading & watching! Enjoy this summer solstice or winter solstice this weekend! -Depending on which side of the Equator you lie on.