Miami, FL

Most visiting vessels in Miami are powerboats, accounting for over 90% of reservations and nearly all linear feet reserved across local marinas. These boats are larger on average—55 feet LOA compared to 47 feet for sailboats—and stay for shorter stretches, about 10 nights per visit.

Sailboats, while representing only about 7% of total reservations, tend to stay longer—averaging 15 nights—and show longer lead times for bookings.

Overall, Miami’s mix of large, transient powerboats and smaller, longer-stay sailboats reflects a harbor built for both movement and mooring, balancing high-turnover weekend traffic with extended visits from cruising sailors.

Miami’s boaters frequent destinations up and down the East Coast and across the Bahamas, with strong travel patterns between South Florida, the Carolinas, and the Northeast, reflecting both proximity cruising and seasonal migration.

The most common connections are within Florida itself—Jupiter and Palm Beach lead the list with over 1.8 million linear feet reserved, followed by Boca Raton and Pompano Beach. Outside the state, Sag Harbor, Charleston, and Newport stand out as popular northern destinations, mirroring the travel habits of snowbird boaters who split time between Miami and the Northeast.

Average daily rates (ADR) that Miami boaters pay in other destinations range widely by—from around $1 per foot in smaller harbors like St. Simons Island and St. Augustine to more than $14 per foot in New York City. The Bahamas show up prominently too, with higher ADRs and longer stays, underscoring Miami’s role as a launch point for extended island cruising.

In short, Miami marinas serve a community that doesn’t stay still for long—linking South Florida’s waters to a network of high-value, high-traffic harbors across the Atlantic coast.