Slips range from rental docks behind homes to famous resort marinas with facilities adequate for most yachts. Here are some examples.
City marinas: Fort Lauderdale operates three marinas — (800) FTL-DOCK — generally at rates that are more reasonable than some of the private marinas. The Las Olas Marina, at the East Las Olas Bridge on the ICW, is only a few blocks from the beach, the Beach Place Mall and many oceanfront restaurants. There is also a small mooring field south of the bridge, operated by the city.
The city’s two marinas up the New River are close to the cultural center of Fort Lauderdale, which includes the Broward County Performing Arts Center, the Museum of Discovery and Science, the Historical Society Museum, an IMAX theater, the Las Olas Riverfront Mall and the tree-shaded Las Olas Boulevard, with its internationally known shops and restaurants. These marinas are Cooley’s Landing, with slips perpendicular to the shore (dock at slack tide), and New River Downtown.
The city maintains floating docks on the New River throughout the Arts and Entertainment District on a first-come, first-served basis where you can tie your dinghy (and larger boats) for free during the day. This gives access to many of the good things that the city has to offer.
Miracle Mile: In this fabulous stretch of the ICW, you’ll find the Hall of Fame Marina, (954) 764-3975; The Bahia Mar Yachting Center, (800) 755-9558; Pier 66 Resort and Marina, (954) 728-3578; and the Lauderdale Marina, (954) 523-8507, to mention just a few. There are many other marinas in the area, and you can find them in an updated guidebook.
Fort Lauderdale is a resort destination, a jumping-off port for tropical cruising, a great place to take care of boat business and a boating experience of its own.
See related article:
November 2012 issue
