Reviews: Galveston Yacht Marina

Reviewed by: Robert Rice , Slow Dancing, on Mar 26, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 2

Second visit to Galveston Yacht Marina, and a much worse experience.

Spent three nights here March 2024 at the start of a trip down the Texas coastline. For a transient boater, really the only advantage of this marina is the location - on Galveston Island, near the touristy things you might want to do in Galveston.

The marina goes out of its way to be difficult. There is more paperwork, more hassle and more cost to rent a slip for a night or two, than in any other place I have stopped in about 1,750 miles of boat travel.

The transient price is $3/foot. The highest I have paid anywhere in more than 1,700 miles of boat travel.

The facilities are old, and not in any way luxurious. The quality of the facilities does not justify the $3/foot price. To be fair, there is evidence of some recent updating. Bathrooms/showers look new and well maintained.

The piers are fixed concrete docks, so be very careful coming in and out. There is a wheel at the corner of each finger pier to help avoid horrible gouges on your boat hull if you were to misjudge the turn into the pier. Covered slips are available.

The fixed concrete finger piers are low to the water, so you may need steps or a boarding ladder to get on and off your boat. Lots of fenders are a must, do you are not banging up against the concrete piers.

They give impression that they don't want transient business. You have to fill out a transient slip application and email to them, along with copy of your boat insurance. They then email you a slip contract, which you must sign electronically, and then call and give them your credit card number. Slip fees are non-refundable. So, if you decide to leave a day early, they will not refund the excess payment.

In March 2024 when I was here, the website said that the marina office is open seven days a week, 7am to 5pm. Not true. Not open on Sunday. So if you arrive (as I did) just after 5pm on Saturday, there is no way to get a card key on Sunday to access the restrooms or to get in and out of the marina gates. We could have left leave, but then would not be able to get back inside the Marina fence to return to our boat.

There was no way to talk to anyone on Sunday. No one answered the phone for the marina office. The dry stack operation is staffed on Sunday but could not help. The marina's harbor master answered his phone, but could not help with getting a card key on Sunday.

The office absolutely dropped the ball. I reserved a slip and told them I would be arriving Saturday afternoon about 5pm. No one mentioned checking in at the office before 5pm or that there might be a need to get card keys. Apparently, they could have (but did not) leave card keys at the bait camp/fuel dock.

There is an on-site bar & grill. Nothing fancy, but it is right there. I did not eat there, as the lack of a card key meant I could not leave the docks to go over there and get back in to my boat.

The prices, and the hassle, are no doubt a product of the fact that Galveston Yacht Marina pretty much the only marina on the Island. That, and it is no longer locally owned, it is part of a national marina conglomerate. There are some other options in the general area of Galveston, but not near the Strand tourist areas.

When I was finally able to talk to the office staff on Monday, they agreed the website needed to be corrected, and agreed they did not manage the situation well. There was a gracious apology, and a partial refund.

I am not a fan. But if you want to be close to the tourist attractions and restaurants, this the only real choice on Galveston Island.

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Reviewed by: Robert Rice , Slow Dancing, on Jul 1, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

This long-time Galveston marina has been purchased and updated by new owners. The new name is Galveston Yacht Marina, the prior name was Galveston Yacht Basin. There is a bit of sticker shock here. In June 2023 when I was here for one night, a transient slip was $3/foot – the most I paid for a slip in a 1200 mile trip. In addition to the price, getting a transient slip here comes with a paperwork burden – forms to be filled out and emailed in, together with a copy of your boat insurance. Then you call the office and give them your credit card number, then they email you the slip agreement which you sign electronically. All for a one night transient slip. It was enough to put me off the marina, but they charge $3/foot because they have a good location right in the middle of everything in Galveston. Facilities are better shape than when I was last here, 5 or 6 years ago. The piers are fixed, concrete. There are roller wheels at the end, to help avoid horrible cuts/scratches if you misjudge your turn into the slip/ There is an onsite bar and grill, menue. But it is in the marina, so convenient. Restrooms on shore. Fuel dock is available. The Galveston tourist area with restaurants, bars etc is a short uber ride away. A bit further than you would want to talk in the Texas summer heat. Power worked, and the marina appeared to be oldl, but cared for.

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Reviewed by: Millie Robbins on Mar 26, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 3

Huge facility is not lush but has everything you need, except Wi-Fi, so I give it 3.5 stars. Friendly staff, friendly dock mates. On site food/bar and fair diesel pricing. Womens shower was under construction during our visit so the men's was temporarily used by both. Showers have locks for privacy. Easy Uber to downtown or the Stand.
Lots of people around do it felt safe. Our 480MY was housed on D dock which is covered so that was nice. 12 feet depth at our slip. A very convenient and affordable one night stay. We will go back.

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Reviewed by: R Jeff Nash , MS MARY, on Jan 8, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 3.6'

Rating: 5

This marina has come along way from previous reviews. New owners and new management. New roofs all docks. Clean restrooms and showers all of the time.

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Reviewed by: Wind Orchid on May 20, 2020
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 36'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 1

Marina has seen better days. Fixed concrete piers for sailboat. Plenty of dead fish in the basin from fishing charters. Outrageous transient fee of $2/ft but it’s the only marina in the area with access to the Gulf.

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Reviewed by: John on Oct 30, 2019
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 1

Free transient docking on the West side of the marina. No power or water, but management has no idea who comes or goes.

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Reviewed by: Tray Johnson on Feb 12, 2019
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 36'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 1

This marina is in very poor condition. GYB seems to continue to go downhill, there is a reason the marina is half-empty and they are offering six months free rent. The bathrooms are filthy, the docks are covered with bird poop, and the covered slips rain rust down on your boat. Management does not care or have any customer service. They will promise you anything to get you to sign a lease then change the rules. Recently when my current year lease expired, I explained to management that my boat was up for sale and I did not expect to have it for another year. They offered me a month-to-month or a year lease while selling my boat. The year lease was $90 a month cheaper with the option to break the lease at any time and pay the month-to-month rate for the months I occupied the slip. After three months I sold my boat, they decided to keep my $540 deposit and say they forgot to mention that my deposit was forfeited. Even though this was all documented in email I was told they made a mistake but too bad. I also was told the pump out and boat ramp was included then later they change the rules. The pump out is now $20 per use and the boat ramp is $1500 per year. How considerate to tack on $1500 per year fee to the $460 per month slip fee. The fuel dock might be open or it might not, depending on the day, don’t bother expecting them to be open during the posted hours. Same thing applies to the bait camp, no real hours, just open when they want. Read the online reviews and talk to people who have spent time at this marina before signing a lease.

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Reviewed by: Paul Castaldi on Jun 12, 2018
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 45'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 2

Facilities are in poor condition, fuel dock is hard to access and staff not very helpful. I would not stay here for more than a stop on the way to someplace else.

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Reviewed by: Smackdaddy on Aug 17, 2016
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 40'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 2

We stayed here overnight in 2015 before heading off on a long trip from our previous base in Kemah. It was expensive (we paid $2/ft/night) and we were disappointed with the poor amenities. Our transient dock isolated us in the middle of the marina, restrooms/showers were very poor quality, etc. Not a place I'd recommend.

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