MARINA DEL REY, CA. — When Arizona residents Gary and Jackie travel to Southern California for business, they leave behind their home state’s breathtaking desert landscape and enjoy an altogether different setting aboard their home away from home: the couple’s 49-foot Hunter Sailing Yacht docked at Marina del Rey’s Marina Harbor Anchorage. As one of California’s newest marinas, Marina Harbor Anchorage offers updated boat slips, a genuine sense of community, premier boater services and lifestyle amenities that enrich the couple’s stay.

“Our yacht has been slipped at Marina Harbor Anchorage for more than a year now and we love it here,” said Gary in a recent interview. “Even before my wife and I thought of buying our own yacht, we walked this marina several times and knew this would be the ideal place for us to have a boat. Being here is a dream come true.”

Marina Harbor Anchorage is a modern boating community designed for leisure, convenience and luxury. In addition to the marina’s updated amenities and rigorous California Clean Marina certification, Marina Harbor Anchorage offers boaters a relaxed ambience that encourages friendship. “We all go out of our way to help each other here,” said Gary. “Whether it’s lending a hand to dock a boat or securing electrical cables out of the water for owners who are out of town, we enjoy a strong sense of camaraderie.”

It’s easy for boaters to fully enjoy their boating experience when their marina staff does everything possible to cater to their needs. Marina Harbor Anchorage takes pride in the level of service their staff provides as well as the marina’s updated amenities that ensure the highest level of convenience and luxury. Here, convenient boater support facilities and features include updated restrooms, showers, and laundry; 30, 50 and 100 amp electrical; wireless internet; and TV, phone and internet hookups. Wide slips make it easy to launch and dock, and sturdy concrete floating docks minimize sway. Boaters needing an extra hand can count on the marina’s dedicated full-time dock attendants who help ensure they have a good time, every time they visit their boat. Marina Harbor boaters also have access to the marina’s exquisite Boaters’ Pavilion with its swimming pool, lounge area and barbecue grills. A fitness center and sauna are also on site. And, dry cleaning and laundry service is also available.

Said Gary, “My wife and I are happy being together and enjoying life. We welcome new friends and having fun. Marina Harbor Anchorage has allowed this to be very easy to do with the fun group of people on this dock. We also enjoy the workout facilities available to us.”

With a coveted Basin A location in Marina del Rey Harbor, Marina Harbor Anchorage is the closest marina to the harbor’s entrance, putting boaters closer to the open sea than any other anchorage. Boaters setting sail from Marina Harbor Anchorage can access the ocean within 10 minutes, as opposed to the 15 to 30 minutes it takes those launching from other marinas. Gary concurs. “The easy, quick access is a major plus when we want to get out for a day of sail,” he said. Once out in the ocean Gary and Jackie, who have more than 20 years of boating experience, might head to any one of their favorite destinations. Whether sailing up and down the coast from King’s Harbor to Santa Monica Pier or setting sail to Catalina Island, where they’ll moor for the weekend or during the holidays, the couple is sure to have a spectacular journey. One of the their most memorable excursions: sailing to San Francisco for Fleet week in 2009.

Being in Basin A is only part—albeit a significant—aspect of Marina Harbor Anchorage’s convenient location. The marina is also in ideal proximity to the beach, restaurants, grocery stores and local activities; it’s the perfect set-up for boaters like Gary and Jackie who use their yacht as their weekend getaway while in Los Angeles. “When we are in town our priority is to get out on the open sea for a day of sailing,” said Gary. “When we are not sailing, you will find us walking to enjoy the ocean view and surf, usually early in the mornings with coffee in hand or in the late afternoons when we can take in the beautiful sunsets.”

An ADA-accessible facility, Marina Harbor Anchorage’s other features include main channel slips, slips ranging from 20 to 118 feet, ample and conveniently located parking and gangways, and 24/7 courtesy patrol. Other thoughtful amenities include a pump out station; and extra storage lockers for boat supplies and accessories.

To reserve a slip or learn more, visit www.marinaharboranchorage.com or call (866) 584-3007. Marina Harbor Anchorage is located at 14120 Tahiti Way in Marina del Rey.

Just received our first review on Marinas.com and we're proud of the feedback. View posting by RobinAnn

During our short time there, the facilities were first rate and well cared for. The Staff treated the boaters well and showed a high degree of professionalism and integrity. I would not hesitate to stay here anytime.

With a coveted Basin A location, premier updated facilities, a social calendar that makes boating fun from ship to shore, and a rigorous Clean Marina rating, there are countless reasons to love Marina Harbor Anchorage. Now add one more to the list: from now through March 31, Marina Harbor Anchorage offers boaters one month free on all 13-month market-rate slip contracts for boats over 50 feet.

Known as one of the best-designed marinas in L.A. with a genuine sense of community, Marina Harbor Anchorage provides a host of boater services. In addition to dedicated Marina staff who ensure every visit to Marina Harbor Anchorage is an enjoyable one, boaters can also mix and mingle at the marina’s Boaters’ Pavilion, which features a pool and barbecue area. A fitness center and sauna round out the luxury amenities offered at this premier marina. Marina Harbor Anchorage’s Basin A location is closest to the harbor entrance, which means boaters can access the open sea within 10 minutes or less.

Slip sizes range from 20 to 118 feet, with some slips located on the main channel. The new ADA-accessible facility also features sturdy concrete floating docks, conveniently located parking and gangways, and 24/7 courtesy patrol. Other thoughtful amenities at Marina Harbor Anchorage include 30, 50, and 100 amp power hookups; modern boater support facilities such as restrooms, showers, and laundry; a pump out station; extra storage lockers for boat supplies and accessories; and wireless internet, telephone, DSL, and cable hookups.

Marina Harbor Anchorage has completed its rigorous process to become a California Clean Marina. It received its certification on September 16, 2009. The coveted designation is reserved for marinas that comply with the Clean Marinas California Program and implement environmentally friendly procedures that reduce boating’s impact on the environment.

The Clean Marinas California Program is a partnership of private marina owners, government marina operators and California yacht clubs working together to provide clean facilities to the boating community and protect the state’s water channels from pollution. The program strives to make all marinas in the Golden State compliant with the Clean Marinas California Program.

Marina Harbor Anchorage, located in Marina del Rey’s Basin A, is a progressive marina eager and prepared to do their part to keep Marina del Rey and the environment clean. According to Tim Leathers, head of the California Clean Marina Program, only 20% of all marinas in California are certified. Out of Marina del Rey’s 20 harbors, only three—including Marina Harbor Anchorage—are certified as a California Clean Marina. Once recognized, marinas maintain their certification for five years at which time they must repeat the certification process.

To be recognized as a California Clean Marina, harbors and yacht clubs must undergo scrupulous inspections based on a score sheet measuring a marina’s effectiveness in implementing best management practices. The score sheet is extensive ranging from emergency action plans, boater education courses, and fuel and oil spill prevention and containment plans to enforcement of local, state, and federal marine sanitation regulations and beyond.

To learn more about the Clean Marinas California Program, please visit cleanmarinascalifornia.org.