Ft Lauderdale

[Gulliver Dark]

Hey there! Longtime lurker and I am finally in position to be a liveaboard. I am moving to Ft Lauderdale in July/August and would love to detach from land and find a marina in Ft Lauderdale. Probably easier said than done.

A bunch of questions, but I'll start with this: is it even feasible to find a location to do this in the Ft Lauderdale area? Or is there a waitlist a mile long for any slots to do this?

Thanks in advance!

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by Gulliver Dark

Hey there! Longtime lurker and I am finally in position to be a liveaboard. I am moving to Ft Lauderdale in July/August and would love to detach from land and find a marina in Ft Lauderdale. Probably easier said than done.

A bunch of questions, but I'll start with this: is it even feasible to find a location to do this in the Ft Lauderdale area? Or is there a waitlist a mile long for any slots to do this?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Gulliver,

There are some liveaboard-friendly marinas in the Fort Lauderdale area. First one that springs to mind is Lighthouse Point Marine, not sure of their waiting list. There are also a few areas that allow liveaboards behind private residences, but that's a little spottier. I live in the area, though not on my boat yet, so if there's anything specific I can try and help you with, just drop me a PM. At the very least we can go drink beer (or other beverage of choice) together...

In the meantime, I tried a google search, and found quite a few interesting possibilities - https://www.google.com/search?q=live...DYaymQH__aiQCQ

Regards,
David

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Gulliver.

[Hudson Force]

Gulliver, We've spent some time at Marina Bay Marina that is listed on Davidhoy's link. This marina and others that are up the New River off the ICW have the better rates, but there is the twin spans of the I-95 fixed bridges that limit your vertical clearance to 55 feet.

I would suggest that you include the Hollywood area just south of the Port Everglades inlet in your search for liveaboard slips.

[Gulliver Dark]

Thanks for the advice! I tried some googling, but I wasn't sure if it was worth calling a bunch of marinas. I found some news articles about liveaboard laws not being great in the area, so I was concerned. I'll start calling some of those marinas this week. The boats I'm looking at are usually just above 55ft, so that isn't great - any suggestions for something that would fit below that, but still be comfortable to live in? I'll look in Hollywood, too.

[Jeanneau 45.2]

I recently departed Fort Lauderdale after spending two weeks there. The city has several municipal marinas and the one I stayed at (Las Olas) allows live aboards. There are also several anchorages that are secure, but the issue is extremely limited shore access Truth is, unless you have a mega yacht and pay for the privilege of docking (e.g. Bahia Mar) the town is not very cruiser friendly. I suggest you consider looking north (much cheaper and friendlier) at either Fort Pierce or Vero Beach. Fort Pierce has a "Class A" channel to/from the ocean. Vero Beach has an excellent FREE bus service which picks up at the Marina and goes all over the town. The marina is walking distance to the beach. Mooring balls are super cheap and the pump out boat makes "house calls". Alan

[Gulliver Dark]

Just to clarify, I'm looking 36-41 length, more than 55ft clearance is all. Definitely not a megayacht.

[CSY Man]

Plenty liveaboard docks at Hendricks Isle and Isle of Venice in Fort Lauderdale.
Drive up and down those 2 streets and look for signs.
Also loot in Waterfront News, Classifed Section.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Jeanneau 45.2

.....
................. Truth is, unless you have a mega yacht and pay for the privilege of docking (e.g. Bahia Mar) the town is not very cruiser friendly. I suggest you consider looking north (much cheaper and friendlier) at either Fort Pierce or Vero Beach. ................

Alan is absolutely correct about the costs and amenities of Vero Beach. It's a wonderful stop for cruisers, but I would not say that Fort Lauderdale isn't cruiser friendly. Sure, If you are on the ICW with the tourist strip and the tiki bars, - big boats and big money glitz; then, you will be paying much more for what doesn't amount to much. Up the New River to the town center, Cooley's Landing and beyond prices and access are not a problem. Lauderdale is a boater friendly town, but don't come by boat to present yourself as a tourist. When they built the Yankee Clipper Hotel on the beach in the shape of a ship, all of us locals had a different connotation of "Yankee Clipper"!

[zboss]

Las olas marina has begun major reconstruction. They are removing a large part of the connected parking lot and building a bunch more slips. Then they will build a parking garage. So... unless you like dirt and noise, you may want to consider staying away for now.

[Gulliver Dark]

I called some places today and it seemed like there were a few that were doable, though not all. I think Fort Pierce is a little far as I'll need to be in Miami regularly in a year or two, so I think maybe even the Hollywood area would be better than some I called in Fort Lauderdale.

Thanks for all the help everyone! I'd ask for help looking for a good boat but I know thats a tricky subject. If you do have thoughts, my budget ranges between 30-45k depending on how much repair is needed and how much I think I'm willing to be thrifty.

[Cheechako]

A lot of the homes and apartment building in the Los Olas area rent slips. Many of them you need to be pretty shallow draft, but I stayed in one with 6-5 draft. Take the dingy around the area in the finger waterways and look for signs facing the water. I had a great one, sewer pump out and hot tub on site!

[sunsailove]

Hi there. In regards to live aboard marinas in SFL, are there any closer to sailing waters, less inland? I like to go for a sail after work and don't have time to motor in and out for lengthy periods.

[CSY Man]

Originally Posted by sunsailove

Hi there. In regards to live aboard marinas in SFL, are there any closer to sailing waters, less inland? I like to go for a sail after work and don't have time to motor in and out for lengthy periods.

Sure, this marina is only 15 mins from Port Everglades, you can live on the boat as well, great place.

Bahia Mar Yachting Center – In the Heart of Fort Lauderdale