Slipping away

Sadly, these days, many of Redwood City’s marinas are not what they once were. Over the last couple of decades, the total number of slips in Redwood City marinas has dropped by roughly 30%. More alarmingly, the number of slips available to those wanting to live on a boat appears to have plunged by something like 85%.

Years ago, four of Redwood City’s six marinas allowed some number of liveaboards. Perhaps the most visible was Docktown Marina, along Redwood Creek immediately east of Highway 101. Docktown was known for its handful of floating homes, which were mostly conventional houses (many, two stories) that had been constructed on floating platforms. Starting in 2016, however, Redwood City began the arduous process of eliminating all liveaboards at Docktown, to where, today, there appear to be fewer than 10 residents.

At its peak, Docktown Marina had something like 145 boat slips, 90 of which people called home. But the bulk of Redwood City’s liveaboard slips were actually located just a bit farther north. Peninsula Marina, which was located off Bair Island Road, had something like 500 slips, with around 400 of them apparently being home to liveaboards. And at the end of Bair Island Road, the well-known Pete’s Harbor had around 260 slips. According to one estimate made in 2012, 114 of those 260 slips housed liveaboards.

Today, the One Marina townhouse complex has sprung up around what once was Peninsula Marina. And all of the marina’s infrastructure has been replaced by a single, small dock with room for roughly 25 boats — none of which can be lived on, I believe. As for Pete’s Harbor, that has been transformed into the Blu Harbor apartment complex. The large outer marina at Pete's, which extended into Smith Slough, is long gone, while the inner harbor, now surrounded on three sides by various forms of for-rent housing, sports just 64 slips. Although those 64 slips are open to the public — they’re for rent to anyone who owns a boat — they don’t appear available to liveaboards.

With the elimination of liveaboards at Peninsula Marina, Blu Harbor and, lastly, Docktown, a great many people found themselves searching for new places to live. Eighteen slips at the Port of Redwood City’s 190-berth Municipal Marina did get converted to accommodate liveaboards, while Redwood Landing Marina (around the corner from the Municipal Marina) has long had a few. Westpoint Harbor (at the end of Seaport Boulevard, by the Pacific Shores office complex), opened in 2008, and today boasts 415 slips, 10% of which can accommodate liveaboards. But considering the tremendous demand — including from those who lived in the large floating homes at Docktown, which can’t be accommodated at a normal slip — most either had to move far away from Redwood City, or had to give up life on the water altogether.

Some back-of-the-envelope math tells me that, 25 or so years ago, Redwood City had six marinas totaling about 1,233 slips, roughly half of which contained boats that were being lived in. Today, the city has around 857 slips, only 65 of which can accommodate liveaboards. Thus, Redwood City has lost in the neighborhood of 550 floating housing units over the last 25 years or so (plus about 375 slips for other boats). Sure, Blu Harbor created about 400 for-rent housing units, and One Marina is made up of 249 for-sale townhouse-style condominiums. These new buildings, on paper at least, more than make up for the loss. However, the cost of a new housing unit in one of these developments undoubtedly far exceeds what it would cost to rent a slip (and, if needed, a boat) for use as a dwelling. Thus, that new housing is no real consolation for those finding our high housing prices particularly difficult to manage.

I’ve never been interested in living on a boat, however, I know of a number of people who love the lifestyle. Sadly, while Redwood City once was a haven for those who do, that appears to no longer be the case.

Greg Wilson is the creator of Walking Redwood City, a blog inspired by his walks throughout Redwood City and adjacent communities. He can be reached at greg@walkingRedwoodCity.com. Follow Greg on Twitter @walkingRWC.