A harbor city and its trades
Long Beach is a waterfront city, home to one of the world's largest shipping ports and a place that was a Navy town for many years. Its population was 466,742 in 2020. The Port of Long Beach is administered as the Harbor Department of the City of Long Beach, and it occupies 3,200 acres of land with 25 miles of waterfront. Ports are different businesses from marinas, but an area built around the water develops service trades: mechanics, riggers, detailers, canvas and upholstery shops, electronics installers, bottom cleaners, parts suppliers and delivery captains.
For comparison, the Port of San Diego was established in 1962 by an act of the California State Legislature as a self-supporting special district. Marine businesses across the state share a dependence on the tidelands and harbors they work in.
Where the money gets tied up
- Parts. Engines, pumps, electronics and fiberglass materials are often special-order and paid for in advance.
- Time in the yard. Boats wait for parts and approvals, so labor is delivered before final payment.
- Insurance and survey. A claim-driven repair is paid after the adjuster signs off.
- Season. Spring commissioning and summer breakdowns drive the calendar; winter can go quiet.
An illustrative refit
A shop takes on a $38,000 repower for a customer. It orders a $19,000 engine and $4,000 of related parts, pays technicians $9,000 over four weeks, and the customer pays on completion and sea trial, a week or two after the work is done. The shop has spent $32,000 before it sees the final payment, while another customer's boat sits on the next hoist. A late engine delivery stretches the whole timeline. These figures are an example, not our terms.
What marine owners often fund
| Use | Page |
|---|---|
| Lifts, trailers, work boats, a service truck | Equipment financing |
| A parts inventory, crew pay | Working capital |
| Winter cash reserve | Business line of credit |
Mobile service and the cost of the truck
Many marine trades run from a van or truck. Mobile mechanics, detailers, bottom cleaners and electronics installers travel between slips and boatyards, which means a vehicle that is part workshop, part warehouse. It carries tools, common parts and fluids, and it carries cost: fuel, insurance, tires, and the occasional breakdown that takes the whole business off the water for a day.
The vehicle is also the first thing to need replacing when the business grows. A second technician needs a second truck, and the second truck has to be stocked before it earns. That is a classic working-capital and equipment decision at the same time, and the two pages linked above cover each side of it.
How to apply
We fund from $25,000 to $5,000,000, with funding in as little as 24 hours after the file is complete. A FICO score of 500 or higher is considered. We read about three months of business bank statements, require no tax returns, and use a soft credit pull on a five-minute application. Sole proprietors can apply, including mobile marine mechanics and detailers working under their own name. Open the application.