Entry 01First watch · Slips & Marinas4 min
Fort Lauderdale calls itself the Venice of America, and the city says it has about 165 miles of navigable waterways. That is a lot of water, but a slip near the Intracoastal Waterway or the New River is still something boat owners shop for carefully. Private marinas set their own prices and rarely publish them, so the clearest public example of how dockage is priced comes from the city’s own marine facilities rate card.
How dockage is priced
Almost every marina prices a slip by the foot of boat length, per night. The City of Fort Lauderdale’s rate card, which covers Cooley’s Landing and the New River/Downtown Docks, makes the structure easy to see: a daily rate, a cheaper monthly rate, a three-month rate and an annual rate, each quoted per foot per day. The longer you commit, the lower the per-foot price.
Three rules on the city’s card change the arithmetic. Dockage is billed at a minimum of 35 feet at all facilities, so a 28-foot center console pays for 35. At Cooley’s Landing, the rate is based on the vessel’s overall length or the slip size, whichever is greater. And every rate is subject to Florida sales tax of 7 percent.
A worked example with the city’s summer 2026 rates
The city’s sheet for June 1 through September 30, 2026 lists these rates for the two smallest length bands, per foot per day. The card notes that rates change on October 1, so treat these as an illustration of the structure, not a quote.
| Boat length | Daily | Monthly | 3-month | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 to 39 feet | $2.25 | $2.03 | $1.91 | $1.20 |
| 40 to 49 feet | $2.30 | $2.07 | $1.96 | $1.24 |
For a 35-foot boat, one night at the daily rate is 35 x $2.25 = $78.75, or about $84.26 with the 7 percent tax. Thirty nights at the monthly rate is 35 x $2.03 x 30 = $2,131.50 before tax. A full year at the annual rate is 35 x $1.20 x 365 = $15,330 before tax. A 40-foot boat on the monthly rate comes to 40 x $2.07 x 30 = $2,484 for 30 nights.
Utilities are a separate line
Power is not included in the slip rate. The city charges utilities per foot per day by the size of the connection, and the charge covers electric, water, trash and Wi-Fi:
- No electrical service: $0.07 per foot per day
- Single 30 amp: $0.12
- Single 50 amp: $0.25
- Single 100 amp: $0.42
- 208-volt three-phase: $0.56; 480-volt three-phase: $0.79
On a 35-foot boat, 30 nights on a 30 amp cord adds 35 x $0.12 x 30 = $126; on 50 amp it adds $262.50. When you compare marinas, ask whether the quoted price includes power, water and taxes, because the difference can be several hundred dollars a month.
Deposits, departures and the fine print
The city’s annual rate requires a non-refundable deposit equal to 31 days of dockage with utilities. An early-departure surcharge of 3.5 percent applies to stays that end before the booked period. Check-out time is noon, and a late check-out is charged at the day dockage rate. There is a $50 key deposit for the comfort station.
Tip: Ask any marina for the full rate card in writing, including tax, utilities and the cancellation or early-departure terms, before you pay a deposit.
Read the storm clause
Florida law shapes what a slip contract can say about hurricanes. Under section 327.59 of the Florida Statutes, a marina generally may not require boats to leave after a hurricane watch or warning is issued, so that owners are not forced to put their own safety at risk to move a boat. The same law lets a marina provide by contract that, if you do not promptly remove your vessel after a tropical storm or hurricane watch, the marina may move and secure it and charge you a reasonable fee. Read that clause, and decide in advance whether your boat stays or goes. Hurricane Plans for Boats in Fort Lauderdale: What Florida Law Lets Marinas Do and How to Prepare covers the plan itself.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is the price per foot of my boat’s length or of the slip, and what is the minimum length billed?
- What do power, water and pump-out cost, and are they metered or flat?
- Is sales tax included in the quote?
- What deposit is required, and is any of it refundable?
- What happens if I leave early or need to extend?
- Can I live aboard, even part time? See Living Aboard a Boat in Fort Lauderdale: What Florida Law Says and What to Ask a Marina.
- What does the contract say about tropical storm and hurricane watches?
Paperwork the marina will want
Expect to show the vessel’s registration or documentation. In Florida, a vessel operated, used or stored on state waters generally has to be registered with the county tax collector unless it falls under an exemption; Florida Boat Registration: Who Needs It, What It Costs by Length and How to Display the Numbers explains the classes and fees. If you are new to the area, compare the city’s own facilities in Fort Lauderdale’s City Marinas: Cooley’s Landing and the New River Downtown Docks and weigh a wet slip against dry storage in Dry Stack or Wet Slip in Fort Lauderdale? How to Choose Where Your Boat Lives.