There are two known
anchorages in Ft. Lauderdale.
But, evidently, there is a 24 hour anchoring limit, which means that you can only anchor for 24 hours within city limits.
The "free" anchorage is at Lake Sylvia, which can be accessed from the
ICW (consult for exact location and approach). Lake Sylvia is a large circular basin surrounded by large waterfront homes. No
dinghy facilities or places to come ashore are nearby. The nearest places to bring a
dinghy or
tender to are a few waterfront restaurants near the mouth of the entrance to Lake Sylvia, but they are not free and will expect you to eat or drink there and you can't leave your dinghy there. Lake Sylvia is well protected though, so if the
weather is nasty you can drop an
anchor there and rest for a while. There is a sandbar in the middle of the entrance to the lake, so you must hug the eastern side of the channel to stay in deep
water. Once inside the lake there is more
depth.
The city
mooring field is on the south end of the Las Olas Bridge and features 10
mooring balls at $20 a night. You can hail the Las Olas Marina on the
VHF Channel 16, or call them at 954-828-7200. The moorings are available on a first come, first served basis. If you take a mooring you must dinghy over to the marina to fill out the paperwork. There is a dinghy
dock there, as well as comfort facilities. If there is no mooring available when you arrive, you may anchor on the outside of the mooring field overnight but you must pull anchor by noon the next day. The dinghy
dock is only available during the business hours of the Las Olas Marina, which are 8 am to 4:45 pm.
If you arrive during bad
weather and have to choose between the city mooring field and Lake Sylvia, the latter is much more protected from the elements and traffic from other
boats.
More ➥ Tips to arriving to Fort Lauderdale by boat