---
title: "How to Get a Boat Slip: Waitlists, Deposits and Seasonal Contracts"
description: "How seasonal slips and annual moorage work in Canada: waitlists, deposits, when to apply, what slip contracts include, and alternatives while you wait."
url: https://boatparking.ca/guides/how-to-get-a-boat-slip/
last_updated: 2026-10-23
---

# How to get a boat slip

Good slips near cities are rarely free. Many marinas keep waitlists, and returning boaters get first right to renew. Here is how to get in, and what to do while you wait.

## Getting in

- Apply early: Waitlists open in fall and winter. Apply to more than one marina.
- Know your numbers: LOA, beam, draft and power needs (30A or 50A). Slips are sized, so a few feet can change your chances.
- Be flexible: A slip a little farther out, or a smaller marina, often has room.
- Read the contract: Season dates, payment schedule, insurance required, liveaboard rules, renewal rights.

## What waitlists look like

- One Vancouver marina with 242 slips lists annual moorage as full, with a waitlist and deposits from $10,000 for boats up to 60 ft. (source: https://coalharbourmarina.com/annual-moorage/)
- In Toronto, port authority summer slips run May 1 to October 31. (source: https://www.torontoportauthority.com/marina/our-rates/)

## Slip prices

- [Seasonal slip](https://boatparking.ca/storage/boat-slips/): from $95/ft per season
- [Seasonal slip](https://boatparking.ca/storage/boat-slips/): from $85/ft per season
- [Annual moorage](https://boatparking.ca/locations/british-columbia/): from $15/ft per month on an annual contract

Starting prices in CAD before tax, from published marina and port rates and market estimates, October 2026. Your boat, the yard and the dates set the final price.

## Questions

**What if I cannot get a slip?**

Consider dry stack, a trailer with a seasonal launch pass, or a slip at a smaller marina farther out. Tell us what you need and we look.

## Related

- [Seasonal boat slips and dockage](https://boatparking.ca/storage/boat-slips/)
- [Dry stack boat storage](https://boatparking.ca/storage/dry-stack-storage/)
- [Boat storage in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland](https://boatparking.ca/locations/vancouver-lower-mainland/)

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