"It's a full-circle moment for us," Donna Kalez, co-owner of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching, told The Log this summer. "Our founder, my father Don Hansen, launched the business from a trailer in 1971 while the original harbor was under construction."
Fifty-five years later, the business is going back to a trailer. Dana Wharf and Catalina Express are moving their customer operations into temporary trailers next to the harbor parking structure, and they'll keep running excursions seven days a week while their permanent spaces are built. The move is a good guide to the coming winter. After Saturday, October 31, the Wharf buildings close for construction. The harbor itself stays open, and the parking structure at Golden Lantern takes over as the place most trips start.
Nine Days Left on the Wharf
According to the harbor's construction schedule, the remaining Wharf retailers and restaurants close for the last time on October 31, 2026. Construction of the Phase 4 buildings is set to begin this fall. Wind & Sea already served its last Wharf meal on September 15 so that work on Building 1 could start.
The businesses don't share one plan for what comes next. Bryon Ward of Burnham-Ward Properties, a partner in Dana Point Harbor Partners, told The Log that some owners are retiring after decades at the harbor, some are moving elsewhere in Orange County, and others are still in talks about a spot in the finished project.
| Wharf business | What's been announced for after October 31 |
|---|---|
| Wind & Sea | Closed on the Wharf September 15; in talks with Dana Point Harbor Partners about a "reimagined concept" in the finished harbor |
| Turk's | In ongoing talks about returning to the finished harbor |
| Art Sea Gift Chateau | In ongoing talks about returning to the finished harbor |
| Golden Galleon Boutique | In ongoing talks about returning to the finished harbor |
| Frisby Cellars & Brewing | Serving guests at its Rancho Mission Viejo tasting room, about nine miles away, during construction; also in talks about returning |
| Coco Bloom Coffee | Opening a café at 1500 W. Balboa Blvd. in Newport Beach this winter |
| Vintage Yacht Club | Working with the harbor's management on local relocation options |
| Proud Mary's | Expected to end operations October 31 with the Wharf closure |
| Top Brass | Expected to end operations October 31 with the Wharf closure |
Readers who have a regular table or a favorite shop on that list have two Saturdays left, October 24 and October 31. The last day of business falls on a Saturday this year.
The Front Door Is Now Golden Lantern
The three-level structure and the new entrance at Golden Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive opened July 2, 2025. The structure has 984 spaces, EV charging, bike storage, and boater showers, restrooms and storage for whale carts. It's also where the services residents use most often are being regrouped.
- Fishing and whale watching. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching moves to a temporary trailer beside the structure.
- Catalina Express. The ferry operator is also moving its customer operations to temporary trailers next to the structure, and Dana Point Harbor Partners says the structure will keep dedicated parking for excursions from both companies.
- The Wednesday farmers market. The Certified Farmers Market keeps its 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. hours and moves to the surface lot next to the structure.
- Parking. The structure still offers four hours free, and longer stays are charged. Permitted boater parking is still available.
Four free hours covers a half-day fishing trip or a Wednesday market run with time left over. For a full day on the water, it's worth checking the harbor's parking page before you go.
The Working Harbor Stays Outside the Fence
The construction fence goes around the Wharf buildings. The harbor's boating facilities sit outside it. Dana Point Harbor Partners told The Log that "the Embarcadero, launch ramp, fuel dock and bait barge will not be impacted by the Wharf landside construction." The same report lists harbor tenants outside the work zone whose access stays open:
- Dana Point Yacht Club
- Dana West Yacht Club
- Aventura Sailing Association
- Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari
- Ocean Institute
- Pure Watersports
Earlier this year, the harbor's own notice for the Phase 3 fence line said the public boardwalk and boater dock access would stay open. Expect fencing, demolition and changed walking routes near the commercial core. A Saturday launch, a fuel stop or a paddle out from the Embarcadero should work the same way it always has.
On the Water, the Rebuild Is Mostly Done
Most of the rebuild people can see from shore is happening on land. The marina has been moving faster. The Marina at Dana Point started construction on August 4, 2022, with 15 planned phases. Phase 11 on the East Basin Island opened for occupancy May 15, 2026, and Phase 12 opened September 14. The harbor says the marina is now more than four-fifths complete, and Phase 13 is set to start this fall. The full marina is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.
That's why a slip holder and a Wharf regular can have very different experiences this winter. The new docks are built for a 70-plus-year lifespan and include 30- and 50-amp power, individually metered utilities, Wi-Fi and new boater restrooms. In-slip pump-out systems are already installed at slips 30 feet and longer. For residents without a boat, the most useful item comes later. Once the project is finished, more public docks are planned near the hotel and the Wharf so kayaks and paddleboards can reach the water more easily.
The Hotel Question Is a Separate Track
The Wharf closing in the same season as the harbor's hotel dispute makes it easy to assume the whole project has stalled. It hasn't. On August 25, 2026, the Orange County Board of Supervisors split 2-2 on the 66-year ground leases needed to finance The Doheny, a 130-room boutique hotel, and The Salt Haus, a 169-room surf lodge, both proposed by R.D. Olson Development. A September 10 report from The Log said the leases were still unresolved while work on the marina and commercial core went on.
Supervisor Katrina Foley spoke to that misunderstanding in the Dana Point Times. "There's this belief in some circles that the whole project is stopped. Well, that has to be clarified. No, the project continues," she said. "The commercial core is funded, the marina is funded."
The timing matters. The original schedule puts hotel construction at March 2028. Bob Olson told the paper that if the two new hotels don't go forward, the developers would need to be remodeling the existing Marina Inn by March 2027. For now, the Dana Point Marina Inn is open and taking reservations through December 2026. That matters to anyone booking a room for visiting family over the holidays.
The Dates Still on the Harbor Calendar
The Wharf's closing doesn't cancel the harbor's two biggest events of the season. Both are scheduled for this year.
- Saturday, October 31. Last business day for the remaining Wharf shops and restaurants.
- Every Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Certified Farmers Market in the surface lot next to the parking structure.
- Thursday, November 26. The 49th Annual Dana Point Turkey Trot, Thanksgiving morning from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
- December 11 through 13. The Dana Point Harbor Boat Parade of Lights.
The boat parade is a good example of how the harbor will work this winter. The parade takes place on the water, and the docks it passes are mostly new. This year, the view from shore will include a fenced Wharf.
What Opens Next, and When
The new Wharf won't open building by building. According to Dana Point Harbor Partners, Phase 4 will deliver about 20,000 square feet of new waterfront buildings with eight new tenants and up to four returning ones. "The entire project is planned to complete concurrently, with new storefront openings scheduled ahead of the LA28 Summer Olympics," the partnership told The Log. The full commercial core covers about 120,000 square feet across five phases and will include 12 multi-tenant buildings, wider boardwalks and public plazas.
Until then, residents can still get on the water from Dana Point Harbor, but the walk will start at the parking structure. Fishing trips, whale-watching tours, Catalina ferries, the Wednesday market and every boat launch will run from the Golden Lantern side of the harbor while the Wharf is rebuilt behind the fence. For Dana Wharf, it's how the business started in 1971.
Changes like the harbor rebuild affect how Dana Point neighborhoods are experienced and valued, and The McGuire Team follows these projects closely for the homeowners we work with. If you want to talk through what the revitalization timeline could mean for a home near the harbor, we're happy to go through it with you. Contact us.
