Boating in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale: A Must-Boat Destination

 They call it the “Venice Of America” with good reason.  The waterways look like streets!  Fort Lauderdale has over 165 miles of navigable waterways and canals.  It’s home to more than 40,000 boats.  Cruising here allows you to see all sorts of interesting things in a relatively short distance.  Every year Fort Lauderdale hosts the world’s largest in-water boat show.

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the 48th edition of the world's largest boat show featuring more than 2 billion dollars worth of boats, yachts, superyachts, electronics, engines and thousands of accessories from every major marine manufacturer and builder worldwide. The show encompasses more than 3 million square feet of space, both on land and in water, at six sites, all connected by the Show Transportation Network.  SCHEDULE: Thurs. Oct 25, 10am - 7pm 

  From the helm, you can see extravagant mansions, the largest of the large mega-yachts, huge cargo ships, cruise ships, charming canals and downtown skyscrapers.   It has said that 80% of the world’s mega-yachts are sold through Fort Lauderdale.  In places you can see them rafted-up like cordwood.  The ones with the helicopter pads are the most interesting.

  Port Everglades hosts an interesting mix of large cruise ships, gambling ships and cargo carriers.
  Downtown Fort Lauderdale can be toured from the New River, as can many of the city’s neighborhoods.

BOAT TOUR SPECIFICS
  For this cruise, you will want to have both a nautical chart and a Fort Lauderdale city road map.  Because Fort Lauderdale has so many inland canals and bridges, sometimes it’s actually easier to refer to the wide area road map!
  Most of this route is slow-speed.  Fort Lauderdale has a lot of manatee zones.
  The route is well dredged and should accommodate most large boats.
  You’ll want to leave 5-6 hours for the cruise suggested below.  You can save 2-3 hours by turning around on the New River in Downtown and not proceeding down the New River’s South Fork.

The best ramp to use is the Southeast 15th Street ramp in Fort Lauderdale.  It has easy access to the Intercoastal Waterway, with no fixed bridges.    Most other Fort Lauderdale area ramps require you to pass under very short fixed bridges.  From the 17th Street Causeway Bridge, head north along the Intercoastal Waterway several miles until you reach the Oakland Park Boulevard Bridge.  You’ll see hundreds of great homes and the Bahia Mar Marina along this stretch. 

DOCKSIDE DINING
  Some nice casual restaurants with boat docks like Coconuts and Bahia Cabana. 

THE WATER TAXI ALTERNATIVE
  I noticed the water taxis during my cruise.  For $11 (ride all day) they go to many of the nice places mentioned here… and they offer a tour guide to point out the local specifics.  If you don’t feel like lugging your boat down to Fort Lauderdale, simply drive down are ride the water taxi.

I hope you enjoy cruising “America’s Venice!”  Fort Lauderdale is a great destination.  You won’t be disappointed!