SAN RAFAEL YACHT HARBOR

James Tillotknot

Little taste of the wild west in this unassuming tight knit boat yard and wooden planked marina!

Captain Gort

I kept my classic 1920s motor yacht at San Rafael Yacht Harbor in the "golden era" 1978-1987. It was truly a "YACHT" harbor then- the great boat builder W.C. Garvie was the harbormaster and he ran the place like a well-managed ship. it was hard to get a slip there...long wait list! Clean as a pin- parking was closely regulated with cable-locked spaces, and the vessels berthed there were well-kept, and actively used. The adjacent "Harbor Center" businesses were all fresh, clean and inviting. Kermit Parker ran a great little yacht brokerage there. No bums (ahem, "homeless") hung around the immediate area. There were very few live aboards but the ones that were there kept their boats in good shape and took them out regularly. It was a totally different world then. I feel sorry for Matt- the current Harbormaster since Bill retired. The place has devolved into a floating trailer park...nothing like it was. It also become a bum mecca in the parking lot area. Just drive in there and see for yourself. The shabby parking lot and adjacent shopping center set the tone. And the boat sheds are now filled with dead boats that never leave the slip. Its essentially a houseboat community. But what a grand place it was back in the W.C. Garvie era when it was actually a status symbol to say "I keep my boat in San Rafael Yacht Harbor"!

Cap't doug Workmaster

Real nice residents and fellow sailors who have hauled out here cause the price is right and we can work on our own boats. One negative; the restroom leaves a bit to be desired.

James Pennington

I and my buds have used it about a dozen times over the years. Matt, the Harbor Master has done a lot over the years. There is a huge crane for larger boats, he dredged out the harbor a few years ago, and he has built a small but effective and responsible people to help in his absence.