Editor's note
We get questions about transient vs permanent slip every week from boat owners researching their first slip or planning their next harbor. This page collects what we actually tell them — the parts of the comparison conversation that change a decision, not the parts that sound good in marketing copy.
Transient slips are rented per night, like a hotel. Permanent slips are leased annually, like an apartment. The right choice depends entirely on how many nights per year you'll actually use the boat away from a home port.
Transient: $2.50–$10 per foot per night, plus power. Booked through Dockwa or direct. Available everywhere but books out far in advance in peak season and at top destinations.
Permanent (annual): $15–$65 per foot per month, often with waitlists of 6 months to 5+ years at desirable marinas. Annual contracts typically include parking, mail, dock-cart access, and discounted fuel.
Break-even is roughly 60–80 transient nights per year — beyond that, an annual slip pays for itself. Below 30 nights, transient is the answer. Snowbirds and Loopers usually do both: annual home port, transient on the route.
Transient wins when
- • <30 nights / year at one marina
- • Cruising / passage-making
- • Trying a marina before annual
- • Boat is at home port otherwise
Permanent wins when
- • Home port
- • 60+ nights / year on water
- • Liveaboard
- • Want predictable cost
- • Need parking + amenities