Marina rates in South Florida range from $18/foot/month at a basic municipal marina to $100+/foot/month at a full-service mega yacht facility on the Intracoastal. That spread is enormous, and the cheapest option is rarely the best value. What you're really paying for is access to the services, infrastructure, and security that keep your boat safe and make your time on the water enjoyable.
Before you sign a slip agreement, evaluate these factors. A marina that saves you $200/month in slip fees but doesn't have adequate electrical service for your boat, or sits in a tidal creek that's too shallow at low water, is going to cost you far more in the long run.
Know your boat's draft — loaded, not on the spec sheet — and add at least 2 feet of clearance. Ask the marina for their controlling depth (the shallowest point in the channel and basin) at mean low water (MLW). Don't take their word for it without checking. Look at NOAA charts and tidal data for the area. Talk to other boaters at the marina.
Silting is common in protected basins. A marina that had 8 feet of water five years ago might have 6 feet now if they haven't dredged. Dredging is expensive ($50,000-$500,000+) and requires permits that can take years to obtain. Ask when the marina was last dredged and what their maintenance plan is.
For sailboats with deep keels or motor yachts with 5+ foot drafts, tidal range matters significantly. A marina with 7 feet MLW and a 3-foot tidal range gives you 7 feet at the worst case. The same marina at a location with a 1-foot tidal range gives you 7 feet almost all the time. Factor this into your decision.
Electrical service is one of the most common mismatches between boats and marinas, and getting it wrong can damage your onboard systems or leave you unable to run air conditioning.
If the marina only has 30A service and your boat needs 50A, a step-down adapter is not a real solution for extended stays. You'll be tripping breakers every time the AC compressor kicks on. Either upgrade the pedestal (if the marina allows and the wiring supports it) or find a slip with the right service. For electrical questions and installations, a qualified marine electrician can assess your needs.
Some marinas include electricity in the slip fee; others meter it separately. Metered power typically runs $0.12-$0.25/kWh. A 50-foot yacht running two AC units in a Florida summer can use $400-$800/month in electricity. Factor this into your total cost comparison between marinas.
An on-site fuel dock is a significant convenience. Check the fuel prices — marina fuel is typically $0.50-$1.50/gallon higher than road diesel. Some marinas offer a discount for slip holders. If the marina doesn't have fuel, find out where the nearest fuel dock is and whether the approach is straightforward. Fueling at a busy commercial dock during shrimp boat rush hour with a 60-foot yacht is not ideal.
Also ask about fuel quality. Marinas with high turnover sell fresher fuel, which matters for diesel engines. Fuel that sits in underground tanks for months develops water condensation and biological growth. Treat every fill-up with biocide regardless — as we discuss in our diesel maintenance guide.
Federal law prohibits discharging untreated sewage in most US waters. Your marina needs a functioning pump-out station, and it needs to actually work. Broken pump-out stations are frustratingly common. Ask how many pump-out stations the marina has, how often they're serviced, and whether there's a portable pump-out service as backup.
Some marinas offer dockside pump-out service where a staff member comes to your slip on a schedule (weekly or bi-weekly). This is worth a premium in slip fees for the convenience alone.
Marina WiFi is notoriously unreliable. Metal boats, fiberglass with metallic radar reflectors, and interference from hundreds of devices on neighboring boats make consistent connectivity a challenge. If you work remotely or rely on internet access, ask current slip holders about the actual performance, not the marketing speed.
Consider supplementing with your own cellular hotspot or Starlink Maritime ($250/month for the service, $2,500 for the hardware). Starlink has transformed connectivity for liveaboards and cruisers.
Your boat is a significant investment sitting in a semi-public space. Evaluate the marina's security with specific questions:
Marinas in urban areas and near public parks tend to have more security issues than private facilities behind residential communities.
If your marina has its own travel lift, routine maintenance becomes much simpler. You can schedule a haul-out without moving your boat to another facility. Check the lift capacity (rated in tons), the maximum beam it can handle, and the yard's work rules (owner work allowed vs. full-service only).
Even if you don't haul frequently, having a lift on-site is valuable for emergencies — a prop entanglement, bottom damage, or through-hull failure that needs immediate attention.
Every marina requires proof of liability insurance, but the minimums vary significantly: $100,000 at some small facilities, $500,000-$1,000,000 at larger marinas and yacht clubs. Some marinas also require pollution liability coverage or specific named-storm/hurricane coverage.
Review the insurance requirements before signing a slip agreement. If the marina requires coverage levels higher than your current policy, get a quote for the upgrade before committing. Insurance costs typically increase $200-$800/year for each $250K increase in liability limits.
If you plan to live on your boat, this is a make-or-break factor. Many marinas prohibit liveaboards entirely. Others limit the number of liveaboard slips (often 10-25% of total slips) and maintain waiting lists. Liveaboard fees add $100-$500/month on top of the base slip rate.
Liveaboard-friendly marinas typically offer better shore facilities: laundry, showers, package receiving, and sometimes a clubhouse or lounge area. Some provide mail service and a physical address for legal purposes.
When something breaks — and it will — you want service providers nearby. Being located near a concentration of marine businesses means shorter response times and lower travel charges from mechanics, electricians, and other trades. Fort Lauderdale's Marina Mile, for example, has dozens of marine service providers within a few miles, from diesel shops to electronics installers to canvas makers.
Remote marinas in rural areas offer peace and lower rates but can mean long waits and expensive travel charges when you need a technician. Find service providers in your area through the YSN service directory.
Before signing, visit the marina in person and check:
In 2026, marina slip rates in Southeast Florida range from $18-$35/foot/month at municipal and basic private marinas, $35-$60/foot at mid-range facilities with good amenities, and $60-$100+/foot at premium mega yacht marinas. A 45-foot slip at a mid-range facility runs roughly $1,575-$2,700/month before electricity and liveaboard fees. Annual contracts are typically 10-15% cheaper than month-to-month.
Yes, especially for annual commitments or during off-season (May-September in Florida). Marinas with high vacancy rates are more willing to negotiate. Ask about move-in specials, referral discounts, or bundled pricing that includes electricity and pump-out service. Multi-year contracts sometimes offer steeper discounts but lock you in.
Your slip agreement likely contains a hurricane plan section. Read it carefully. Most marinas require you to remove your boat or secure it according to their specifications by a certain deadline (usually when a hurricane watch is issued). If you can't be there, designate a "hurricane buddy" or hire a captain to move or secure your boat. Some marinas charge a hurricane preparation fee ($200-$1,000) for staff to add extra lines and fenders. See our detailed hurricane preparation guide.
Yacht clubs offer social benefits (dining, events, reciprocal privileges at other clubs) that commercial marinas don't. However, they typically require an initiation fee ($5,000-$50,000+), monthly dues ($200-$800), and minimum food/beverage spending. The total cost is often higher than a comparable commercial slip, but the community and reciprocal cruising benefits can be worth it if you're socially inclined and travel to other ports where partner clubs exist.