Boston Whaler 330 Outrage33' 0"
View Specs & ReviewThe Yachting Capital of the World
Yachting in Fort Lauderdale
A Minted Location · Fort Lauderdale, Florida
If you're shopping for a yacht — or deciding where to keep the one you're buying — Fort Lauderdale is the deepest market in the world to do it from. Visit Lauderdale, the county's official tourism authority, counts 300 miles of navigable inland waterways across Greater Fort Lauderdale (about 165 of them inside the city), more than 100 marinas, more than 50,000 registered yachts, and roughly 2,000 superyacht visits a year. That's why it's called the Yachting Capital of the World, and why the boat you're looking for is probably sitting within ten miles of the Port Everglades inlet right now.
Minted Yachts is based here. The marinas, yards and anchorages below are the ones we actually use and walk every week — and every figure on this page comes from the facility's own published information, the same standard we hold every yacht review on this site to.
It matters for buyers in a practical way: deep inventory to compare boats side by side, the world's largest in-water boat show every fall, and a service infrastructure — from the New River refit corridor to the fuel docks — that makes surveys, sea trials and post-purchase work easier here than almost anywhere.
Where to keep a yacht in Fort Lauderdale
Where you keep the boat shapes how much you'll use it. Fort Lauderdale's dockage splits into three broad neighborhoods: the beachside superyacht row along Seabreeze Boulevard (Bahia Mar, Las Olas, Hall of Fame), the 17th Street and Intracoastal corridor with the fastest ocean access (Pier Sixty-Six, the Hilton basin, Lauderdale Marina), and the New River, which trades a slower bridge-managed approach for protection, resort-style liveaboard amenities and walking-distance downtown. Figures below are what each facility publishes about itself.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahia Mar Yachting CenterHome of FLIBS, the world's largest in-water boat show — a 3,000 ft parallel dock plus over 5,000 ft of floating dockage, steps from the beach. | Fort Lauderdale Beach — Seabreeze Blvd | 300 ft | 250 | Diesel & gas, high-speed |
| Pier Sixty-Six MarinaDeep-water slips for 40–400 ft with 30 ft max draft and power to 1,200 A; the south docks sit seaward of the 17th Street bridge, so megayachts reach open water with no bridge at all. | 17th Street Causeway / Intracoastal | 400 ft | 164 | In-slip high-speed fueling |
| Las Olas MarinaSuntex's redeveloped flagship — slips to 315 ft with 3-phase power to 400 A, and dedicated owner-and-crew facilities including a rooftop gym, plunge pool and private lounge. | Fort Lauderdale Beach / Las Olas | 315 ft | 88 | In-slip bulk fuel delivery |
| Hall of Fame MarinaCertified Clean Marina across A1A from the beach; the North Dock takes 20 yachts to 170 ft, the South Dock 23 boats to 65 ft, with 10 ft max draft. | Fort Lauderdale Beach — Seabreeze Blvd | 200 ft | 36 | — |
| Sunrise Harbor MarinaPrivate, gated 22-slip marina for yachts 60–200 ft with 2,500 ft of dockage, valet parking and resort amenities including a rooftop pool and spa. | Intracoastal, north of Sunrise Blvd bridge | 200 ft | 22 | — |
| Marina Bay Marina ResortGated resort marina up the New River — overnight to annual slips, Captain's Lounge and pool; approach bridges open on demand on VHF 9 outside weekday rush hours. | New River, South Fork (Marina Mile) | 150 ft | 168 | Fuel delivery on site |
| Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina850 ft of superyacht face dock with 480 V direct-feed power and 17.5 ft MLW, a straight, bridge-free run to the Port Everglades inlet; a designated Foreign-Trade Zone. | 17th Street / Intracoastal | — | 30 | — |
| Lauderdale MarinaFamily-owned since 1948, with a 365 ft fuel dock it calls the longest in Florida and the 15th Street Fisheries restaurant on the property. | SE 15th St, north of the inlet | 165 ft | — | High-speed diesel & 90-octane gas |
| New River Downtown DocksThe City of Fort Lauderdale's own downtown dockage — 100 slips with full utilities and pump-out along the Riverwalk, part of the Florida Clean Marina Program. | New River, downtown off Las Olas | — | 100 | Fueling available |
| Harbour Towne MarinaThree unobstructed miles from the Atlantic, with wet slips to 200 ft, a 100-ton lift and 650 dry-stack spaces for boats to 50 ft. | Dania Beach — Whiskey Creek | 200 ft | — | Full-service fuel dock |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauderdale Yacht ClubA traditional private members' club just off the Intracoastal — one of the two long-established yacht clubs in the city proper. | Off the Intracoastal | — | — | — |
| Coral Ridge Yacht ClubMembers' marina with 56 slips looking across Sunrise Bay to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. | Sunrise Bay / Middle River | — | 56 | — |
Figures are as each facility publishes them on its own site; blank cells mean the facility doesn't state a number. Confirm slip availability and current rates directly — or ask us to make the calls.
Cruising from Fort Lauderdale
The inlet. Port Everglades is one of the easiest big-boat entrances on the Florida coast — the port publishes a 42-foot depth for its inner entrance channel and turning basin, and puts itself less than one mile from the Atlantic shipping lane. Marinas seaward of the 17th Street Causeway bridge (Pier Sixty-Six's south docks, the Hilton basin) reach open water with no bridge at all.
The Intracoastal and the rivers. The ICW runs straight through town, and the New River winds from downtown out to the Marina Mile service corridor — its drawbridges open on demand on VHF 9 outside weekday rush hours (roughly 7:30–9:00 AM and 4:30–6:00 PM, per Marina Bay's approach notes), with closed clearances of 16 to 21 feet on the route.
The Bahamas. Fort Lauderdale is the traditional staging point for a crossing: fuel at the 15th Street docks, provision, watch the Gulf Stream weather window, and you're in Bahamian water the same day. Most of the offshore-capable boats we review — including the center consoles and power cats below — are bought with exactly this run in mind.
On the hook. For a night on the water without a slip, Lake Sylvia is the city's best-known protected anchorage. Florida's statewide rules apply — see the anchorage notes below.
- Lake Sylvia — Protected basin south of Las Olas IslesThe city's best-known protected anchorage. Statewide FWC rules apply: anchoring 14 or more days in any 30-day period requires Florida's free long-term anchoring permit (effective January 1, 2026).
- Lake Boca Raton — Boca Raton — the wide basin inside the Boca InletThe sandbar day-anchorage where the weekend fleet rafts up. Anchoring is generally permitted outside marked mooring/marina areas — the City of Boca Raton has closed it only by targeted temporary order — and Florida's 14-day FWC permit rule applies to long stays.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine CenterDescribes itself as the largest yacht building and repair facility in the country — a 65-acre yard with haul-out to 485 tons, which is a big part of why refit work concentrates on the New River. | New River / Marina Mile | 200 ft | Wet & transient slips 90–200 ft |
Chandleries & specialty suppliers
- West Marine — Fort Lauderdale Flagship — S. Andrews Ave marine districtWest Marine's largest flagship — over 50,000 sq ft, with a rigging shop it calls one of the East Coast's most experienced, running since 1993.
- Boat Owners Warehouse (BOW) — SR-84 marine corridor + a yacht division inside Lauderdale Marine CenterCalls itself the largest independent yacht and marine supply company in South Florida — founded 1979, 100,000 sq ft warehouse, 32,000+ parts.
- Sailorman New & Used Marine — S. Andrews Ave marine districtThe famous new/used/consignment marine emporium, trading since 1975 — the place to hunt hard-to-find parts. “It's not just a store, it's an adventure.”
- Lewis Marine Supply — SW 32nd St, off SR-84Wholesale distributor to the trade since 1956 — 400+ manufacturers, 40,000+ products, worldwide export desk.
- Headhunter Inc. — Marine industrial district off SR-84Fort Lauderdale manufacturer of marine plumbing and sanitation systems — trusted by yacht builders since 1982, and it services what it builds.
- Dometic Marine — Broward support center — N. Andrews Ave, Pompano BeachThe marine air-conditioning giant's Broward customer support center — where A/C questions on half the yachts in this county end up.
On the Fort Lauderdale calendar
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) — late October into early November; the 2026 show runs October 28 through November 1. The show describes itself as the largest in-water boat show in the world: roughly 90 acres of exhibit space across seven locations, more than 1,300 boats, and over 100,000 attendees, with Bahia Mar Yachting Center as its home marina. It is owned by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, the trade body for the region's 142,000 marine jobs. If you're shopping seriously, this is the one week of the year the whole market floats in one place — and slips everywhere on this page book out around it.
Show season doesn't end there: the Miami and Palm Beach boat shows both run within a short cruise of these docks each winter, which is why serious South Florida buyers can compare more boats in ninety days here than anywhere else on earth.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Fort Lauderdale
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fort Lauderdale a good place to buy a used yacht?
It's the best place in the country to be a buyer. The inventory density means you can see three comparable boats in a day instead of three states, the survey and sea-trial infrastructure is unmatched, and the fall boat show puts more than a thousand vessels in the water at once. Minted Yachts is based here — the showings, surveys and sea trials in our reviews mostly happen on these docks, and we're glad to walk them with you.
Why is Fort Lauderdale called the Yachting Capital of the World?
The county's official tourism authority backs the nickname with numbers: 300 miles of navigable inland waterways in Greater Fort Lauderdale, more than 100 marinas, more than 50,000 registered yachts, and about 2,000 superyacht visits a year. Add the service side — crew training, provisioning, brokerage, and yards like Lauderdale Marine Center, which describes itself as the country's largest yacht repair facility — and no other city concentrates as much of the yachting economy in one place.
Which Fort Lauderdale restaurants can I get to by boat?
More than a dozen on this stretch alone. Inside the city: 15th Street Fisheries at Lauderdale Marina, Southport Raw Bar (free dockage on its canal), Coconuts on the New River Sound, the Boathouse at the Riverside up the New River, and Shooters on the Intracoastal, which offers complimentary dockage. Heading north you add Cap's Place — an island restaurant with its own launch — The Cove in Deerfield, Deck 84 in Delray, and the Boynton trio of Prime Catch, Banana Boat and Two Georges. Our Dock & Dine guide maps the whole run with each venue's own dockage policy.
Where do I buy boat parts and supplies in Fort Lauderdale?
The State Road 84 and South Andrews corridor is the parts district: West Marine's 50,000-square-foot flagship, Boat Owners Warehouse (the region's largest independent supplier, with a yacht division inside Lauderdale Marine Center), Sailorman's legendary new-and-used emporium for hard-to-find gear, and Lewis Marine for trade and export supply. Specialists cluster nearby too — Headhunter builds and services marine sanitation systems in town, and Dometic's marine air-conditioning support center is up the road in Pompano.
Can I anchor overnight in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes — Lake Sylvia, the protected basin just south of the Las Olas Isles, is the city's best-known anchorage. Florida's statewide rules apply: as of January 1, 2026, a vessel anchored 14 or more days within any 30-day period needs the state's free long-term anchoring permit from FWC. For a night or a weekend on the hook before a Bahamas run, it remains one of the most convenient stops on the coast.
Where can I dock a 100-foot yacht in Fort Lauderdale?
Comfortably, in several places: Pier Sixty-Six Marina takes vessels from 40 to 400 feet with a 30-foot maximum draft, Las Olas Marina publishes slips to 315 feet, Bahia Mar Yachting Center docks yachts to 300 feet, Hall of Fame Marina's North Dock handles yachts to 170 feet, and Sunrise Harbor accepts 60 to 200 feet. The Hilton's 17th Street basin adds 850 feet of superyacht face dock with 17.5 feet at mean low water. Availability is the real constraint, especially around the fall boat show — ask us early.
Where do yachts get serviced and refit in Fort Lauderdale?
The New River corridor — Marina Mile — is the refit district. Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center's 65-acre yard hauls yachts up to 485 tons, and Harbour Towne Marina in Dania Beach runs a 100-ton lift with a full service yard. Getting up the New River is part of local knowledge: the drawbridges open on demand on VHF channel 9 outside weekday rush hours, with closed clearances of 16 to 21 feet en route.
When is the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show?
Late October into early November each year — the 2026 show runs October 28 through November 1. FLIBS calls itself the largest in-water boat show in the world, with more than 1,300 boats on display across roughly 90 acres of exhibit space, and Bahia Mar Yachting Center is its home marina. If you're shopping seriously, it is the single best week of the year to compare boats in person.