Boat care on the water in Miami
Biscayne Bay is Miami's main boating water, fed by the Miami River and reached from the Atlantic through Government Cut at the bay's south end. Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove is the largest wet-slip marina on the entire US East Coast, 587 wet slips from 30 to 135 feet plus 225 mooring buoys; Miamarina at Bayside runs 125 slips from 55 to 230 feet downtown at the west end of Government Cut; Crandon Park Marina sits out on Key Biscayne; the Venetian Marina & Yacht Club, 222 slips to 130 feet, is home of the Miami International Boat Show.
Biscayne Bay is a state-designated Outstanding Florida Water, and Miami-Dade DERM monitors 87 bay and tributary sites every month for dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and salinity: the open-water sites meet or beat state and federal recreational-use standards. Miami-Dade County counts more than 75,000 registered recreational vessels, and the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show (spread across the Miami Beach Convention Center, Pride Park and multiple marinas) carries an estimated $1.34 billion combined annual economic impact.
The NW 5th Street bridge over the Miami River closes to just 12 feet, and boaters report the real mid-span clearance can run closer to 8.5 feet, low enough that it opens roughly every 10 minutes during business hours just to keep river traffic moving. That's a sharp contrast to the Rickenbacker Causeway bridge connecting the mainland to Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, a fixed 76-foot span that never opens for anyone.
Manatees are regularly spotted near the river's Brickell Avenue bridge, close enough to downtown that boat traffic, construction and wildlife share the same narrow channel. Between a low, frequently-opening bridge upriver and a tall fixed one at the bay's edge, Miami's waterways run two completely different clearance problems depending on which direction a boat is headed.
Water conditions: Miami-Dade DERM monitors 87 Biscayne Bay/tributary sites monthly; the Bay is a state-designated Outstanding Florida Water and open-water sites meet or beat state/federal recreational-use standards.
- Biscayne Bay
- the Miami River
- Government Cut
Marinas and docks around Miami
We come to the boat in Miami: dock, lift or slip.
- Dinner Key MarinaCoconut Grove, 587 wet slips 30-135 ft, largest wet-slip marina on the US East Coast
- Miamarina at Bayside125 slips, 55-230 ft, downtown
- Crandon Park MarinaKey Biscayne
- Venetian Marina & Yacht Club222 slips to 130 ft, home of the Miami boat show
Listed for location only, not an affiliation.
The visit, step by step
- 01
Free inspection
We look first and tell you straight what we found.
- 02
Hull schedule
Every 2-3 weeks in summer, 3-4 in winter. It depends on the boat.
- 03
Zincs
Swapped at about half their life, with a zinc report.
- 04
Props
Pulled by our divers; repairs go to F&J.
Miami questions
How clean is Biscayne Bay's water?
Miami-Dade DERM samples 87 sites across Biscayne Bay and its tributaries every month; the Bay is a state-designated Outstanding Florida Water and its open-water sites meet or beat state and federal recreational-use standards.
Where's the biggest marina in Miami?
Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove, 587 wet slips from 30 to 135 feet plus 225 mooring buoys, the largest wet-slip marina on the entire US East Coast.
Where does 6 Feet Under dive boats in Miami?
Anywhere on Biscayne Bay, the Miami River or near Government Cut, hull cleaning, zinc replacement, prop and dock work as described on the services page.
Why does the Miami River's 5th Street bridge open so often?
It closes to only about 12 feet (sometimes closer to 8.5 feet mid-span), so it opens roughly every 10 minutes during the day just to let river traffic through.