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Yachts and waterfront in Miami, Florida

Miami, Florida

Yacht Survey, Haul-Out & Due Diligence in Miami

Miami concentrates two very different things in one market: a deep-water megayacht berthing and brokerage scene on Biscayne Bay, and a working refit and haul-out corridor several bridges upriver.

That split is the single most important scheduling fact for a Miami buyer. Where the yacht lies is often not where it can be lifted, and the Miami River imposes real air-draft and bridge-timing constraints between the two.

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Buying a Yacht in Miami: What This Page Covers

Miami is two markets wearing one name. Along Biscayne Bay and Watson Island you find deep-water megayacht berthing, brokerage inventory and show-season traffic. Several bridges upriver, on the Miami River, you find the working side: shipyards, travelifts, paint sheds and the trades that actually service what the bay displays.

For a buyer that separation is the single most consequential planning fact. The berth where a yacht is lying is frequently not the place it can be lifted, and moving between the two means bridge openings, air-draft limits and a transit that consumes part of your survey day. A pre-purchase programme in Miami therefore gets sequenced backwards: confirm which yard can physically lift the vessel, confirm the vessel can reach that yard, and only then book the surveyor.

This page separates what Miami publishes from what it merely advertises. Lift capacities, dockage limits and bridge clearances are held as three distinct datasets, because conflating them is how buyers arrive at a yard that cannot take their beam. Every figure states what it measures, links to the exact page it came from, and carries its own verification date. Where a specification is not published anywhere defensible, we say so and ask the yard on your behalf rather than filling the gap with a plausible number.

Buyer snapshot

Miami Yacht Survey — Quick Facts

Only figures with defensible sourcing appear here. Each value states what it measures, links to the exact page it came from, and carries its own verification date.

Largest confirmed travelift

100 tons

A 100 BFMII Marine Travelift installed at RMK Merrill-Stevens on the Miami River, per the lift manufacturer's own announcement.

100 tonsIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026

Megayacht berth capability

550 ft LOA

Maximum LOA published on IGY's own marina map for Yacht Haven Grande Miami at Island Gardens, Watson Island. A dockage figure, not a lift limit.

550 ft LOASource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Brickell Ave bridge clearance

23 ft closed

Closed vertical clearance on the Waterway Guide bridge record. The yard's own timetable states 24 ft — both figures are shown in the logistics section rather than averaged.

23 ft closedIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026

Deep-water draft at berth

27 ft

Maximum draft published for Yacht Haven Grande Miami — relevant when staging a deep-draft yacht for viewing or sea trial.

27 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Published local survey rate

$20 per foot

One surveyor serving South Florida, including the Miami area, publishes a pre-purchase rate of $20 per foot. One company's price, not a Miami average.

$20 per footSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Port of Miami navigation

Regulated area

The Port of Miami entrance is a federally regulated navigation area, which constrains movements and sea-trial routing near Government Cut.

Regulated areaSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Planning a Survey in Miami?

Tell us the yacht, its size and where it is lying, and we'll map the survey, haul-out and sea-trial sequence.

Plan My Due Diligence

Cost

Yacht Survey Cost in Miami

Two separate classes of evidence. A published price from one local provider is not the same thing as national industry guidance, so InspectMyYacht never blends them into a single local 'average'.

Published price from one local provider

Published Survey Fees — South Florida Provider

Offshore Marine Surveyors — Fort Lauderdale-based, publishes South Florida service coverage

Pre-purchase survey
$20 per footSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Condition & valuation (insurance) survey
$10 per footSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Appraisal
$15 per footSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Damage survey / consulting
$100 per hourSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

This is one company's published price list, and the company is based in Fort Lauderdale with a stated South Florida service area rather than a Miami address. InspectMyYacht found no Miami-headquartered surveyor publishing a numeric tariff, and does not invent one.

United States — industry guidance

U.S. Industry Pricing Guidance

Geographic scope: United States / general industry guidance

Pre-purchase survey guidance

approximately $20–$40 per footIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026

General United States industry guidance, not a local rate, local average or quotation. Larger, older or more complex vessels commonly cost more.

What Does a Yacht Survey Cost in Florida?

Published provider pricing varies substantially with vessel size, age, construction, complexity, engine count, number of systems, agreed scope, haul-out, sea trial and travel. The figures below are each provider’s own published rate — presented as examples, never blended into a single “Miami average”.

Published provider rate

Sun Coast Marine Surveying

Published Florida pre-purchase rate — one company, not a market average

Pre-purchase survey
$40–$60 per footSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

The company states the rate depends on vessel size. Treat it as one provider's published upper-tier pricing, not a Florida norm.

Published provider rate

CalypsoSea Marine Surveyors

Published rate for vessels up to 50 ft — one company, not a market average

Vessels 50 ft and under
$24–$32 per footSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Minimum fee
$450 minimumSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

A minimum fee matters on smaller vessels: below roughly 15–18 ft the per-foot rate stops governing the invoice.

Published provider rate

Wilson Yacht Survey

Published rate basis — figures quoted per vessel

Rate basis
Quote required

The company publishes how it prices — vessel length plus agreed scope — but no per-foot figure is published on that page, so InspectMyYacht publishes none.

Current published provider rates show a wide range, commonly starting in the mid-$20s per foot and reaching $40–$60 per foot depending on provider, vessel and scope. That range is deliberately not compressed into an average, because no defensible city-level average exists.

Haul-Out Cost in Miami

InspectMyYacht does not publish a local haul-out price range for this market. Yards quote short-haul survey lifts against the specific vessel — LOA, beam, draft, displacement, underwater gear and lay-day requirements — and published rate cards are rarely available. Any per-foot figure quoted without those inputs is guesswork, so we ask the yard directly on your behalf.

Sea Trial Cost

No verified local hourly rate for captain or technical sea-trial support has been published for this market. Sea-trial support is arranged per vessel, and quoted once the engines, systems and trial duration are known.

Request Yacht Due Diligence Help

Related reading: what a yacht survey costs, what a survey actually includes and pre-purchase yacht survey scope.

Haul-out infrastructure

Yacht Haul-Out Facilities in Miami

Miami's survey-haul capacity sits almost entirely on the Miami River. Lift capacities below come from each lift's own source record; dockage limits and general yard capabilities are kept in separate tables and never presented as lift limits.

RMK Merrill-Stevens (South Yard / Miami Superyacht Center)

Miami River, Miami, Florida

The largest publicly documented lifting capability in the Miami market, operating both mobile travelifts for conventional survey hauls and a shiplift for substantially larger vessels. The yard also publishes its own Miami River bridge and tide timetable, which is unusual and genuinely useful when planning a haul.

Haul-Out Equipment

100 BFMII Marine Travelift

Capacity from the lift manufacturer's announcement. Per-lift LOA and beam limits are not published — confirm with the yard for your vessel.

Capacity
100 tonsIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Max LOA
Confirm with yard
Max Beam
Confirm with yard
Existing Marine Travelift

Retained alongside the newer 100-ton unit per trade press. Useful for smaller survey hauls.

Capacity
70 tonsIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Max LOA
Confirm with yard
Max Beam
Confirm with yard
Shiplift

A shiplift, not a travelift. Relevant only to large-yacht and commercial docking, and quoted very differently to a short survey haul.

Capacity
2700 tonsIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Max LOA
Confirm with yard
Max Beam
Confirm with yard

Facility Capabilities

Published bridge and tide timetable
Yes — yard-publishedSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Superyacht refit services
StatedSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Facility and service information. These are not lift limits or dockage limits.

  • Refit
  • Paint
  • Mechanical
  • Survey hauls
  • Large-yacht docking

The yard does not publish numeric dockage limits (LOA, beam or draft alongside), so none are shown here. Absence of a published figure is not the same as absence of capability.

Jones Boat Yard / Jones Superyacht Miami

3399 NW South River Drive, Miami, FL 33142

A long-established Miami River yard close to Miami International Airport, which matters for overseas buyers flying in to attend a survey. Its capability is centred on a floating drydock rather than a mobile travelift.

Haul-Out Equipment

Floating drydock

Both figures come from an industry directory listing, not the yard's own site. Treat as indicative and confirm directly before scheduling.

Capacity
1600 tonsIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Max LOA
240 ftIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Max Beam
Confirm with yard

Facility Capabilities

Refit and maintenance operations
StatedSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Facility and service information. These are not lift limits or dockage limits.

  • Drydocking
  • Refit
  • Maintenance
  • Miami River location

The drydock figures above are third-party. InspectMyYacht could not confirm them on the yard's own pages, so they are flagged rather than promoted to official status.

Wider Miami yard capacity

Miami River corridor, Miami, Florida

Beyond the two yards above, InspectMyYacht could not verify a third Miami-area facility publishing genuine haul-out lift specifications. Several Miami River businesses are service, sales or dealer operations rather than haul-out yards, and are not listed here as if they could lift your yacht.

One consequence for buyers: Miami survey-haul slots are concentrated in very few facilities, and Fort Lauderdale — roughly 25 nautical miles north, with far deeper haul-out capacity — is a routine alternative for a Miami-lying yacht.

We will add further Miami yards to this page only once their own published lift specifications can be cited.

Market notes

Miami's haul-out market is shallow in the number of facilities, not in capability. Two yards carry almost all documented lifting capacity, and both sit upriver of restricted bridges.

Several Miami River businesses market yacht services without publishing lift specifications. InspectMyYacht does not list a facility as a haul-out option on the strength of marketing language alone.

Where a yacht lies in Biscayne Bay but must be lifted upriver, the transit itself — bridges, timing, pilotage — belongs in the survey plan rather than being treated as an afterthought.

Compatibility

Before Booking a Survey Haul

Travelift tonnage alone does not determine whether a yacht can be hauled. Give the yard the vessel's actual geometry and lifting characteristics before you book a slot.
  • LOA
  • Beam
  • Draft
  • Displacement
  • Approximate lifting weight
  • Hull type
  • Number of shafts
  • Propeller arrangement
  • Stabilizers
  • Underwater appendages
  • Known lifting points

A yacht weighing less than a lift's published tonnage may still be incompatible because of beam, sling position, underwater gear, yard geometry or lift configuration. Confirm suitability with the specific facility, for the specific vessel. See our haul-out guide.

Scope

What Should a Pre-Purchase Yacht Survey Cover?

Depending on the vessel and the scope agreed with your surveyor, an inspection may address the following areas.
  • Hull
  • Deck
  • Superstructure
  • Structural condition
  • Machinery spaces
  • Propulsion
  • Fuel systems
  • Electrical systems
  • Generators
  • Freshwater systems
  • Steering
  • Electronics
  • Navigation systems
  • Safety and fire systems
  • Bilges and pumps
  • Through-hulls and seacocks
  • Visible corrosion
  • Stabilizers
  • HVAC
  • Running gear

Not every surveyor includes every item. Scope is agreed in advance and varies with vessel type, size, age and accessibility.

Sea trial

Miami Yacht Sea Trial Checklist

A sea trial is the one opportunity to observe machinery and systems under load before closing.
  • Engine start and idle
  • Acceleration
  • Cruise RPM
  • Operating temperature
  • Oil pressure
  • Exhaust behaviour
  • Steering
  • Transmissions
  • Vibration
  • Trim systems
  • Stabilizers
  • Thrusters
  • Generators under load
  • Navigation equipment
  • Autopilot
  • Alarms
  • Charging systems
  • HVAC under load

A general marine survey is not automatically a substitute for a dedicated engine survey.

Specialists

When Additional Specialists May Be Needed

Where a general survey identifies a concern — or where the vessel's value makes the risk material — buyers commonly add specialist inspections.
  • Engine technician
  • Engine diagnostic scan
  • Oil analysis
  • Coolant analysis
  • Generator inspection
  • Electrical specialist
  • Rigging specialist
  • Corrosion specialist
  • Thermal imaging
  • Composite specialist
  • Ultrasonic testing where appropriate

InspectMyYacht coordinates and plans these inspections with independent professionals. We do not perform surveying or engineering services ourselves.

Dockage

Major Miami Marinas for Yacht Viewings & Sea Trials

These are marina and dockage records. They are not haul-out yards, and their vessel-accommodation figures are never presented as lift capacities.

Yacht Haven Grande Miami at Island Gardens

Watson Island megayacht berthing with no fixed bridges between the berth and the ocean — the natural staging point for viewing or sea-trialling a large yacht in Miami.

Berths
50Source ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Maximum LOA
550 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Maximum draft
27 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Maximum beam
Not publicly specified
  • Megayacht viewings
  • Sea-trial staging
  • No fixed bridges

These are dockage figures published on the marina's own map. They describe what can berth here, not what can be lifted anywhere in Miami.

Miami Beach Marina

A large marina at the south end of Miami Beach with direct access to Government Cut, frequently used as a sea-trial departure point.

Slips
385Industry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Linear dockage
1,475 ftIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Approach depth
12 ftIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Dockside depth (MLW)
13 ftIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
  • Ocean access
  • Sea-trial departure
  • Transient dockage

Figures here come from a third-party marina directory rather than the marina's own site, and are labelled accordingly.

Rickenbacker Marina, Virginia Key

A large wet and dry storage marina on Virginia Key, relevant to mid-size sportfish and cruiser transactions.

Maximum LOA (wet slips)
120 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Maximum draft
9 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Vessel capacity
Up to 200 vesselsSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Site-wide maximum LOA
Confirm with facility
  • Mid-size vessels
  • Wet and dry storage
  • Bay access

The operator's wet-slip page states 120 ft while its homepage states vessels up to 100 ft. Both are the operator's own pages, so no single figure is published here — confirm for your vessel.

Dinner Key Marina, Coconut Grove

The City of Miami's large Coconut Grove marina, useful context for where mid-size brokerage inventory lies in the bay.

Wet slips
587Source ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Maximum LOA
Not publicly specified
Maximum draft
Not publicly specified
  • City-operated
  • Coconut Grove
  • Mid-size inventory

An older archived city page states 582 slips. The current official page figure is used above; the legacy figure is not blended into it.

Geography

Where Yacht Purchase Activity Clusters in Miami

Two functionally different kinds of area: places where yachts are marketed and viewed, and places where they are lifted and worked on.

Where yachts are lifted

Miami River

The working corridor: RMK Merrill-Stevens, Jones Boat Yard and a dense band of service businesses. Reaching it means transiting bascule bridges with restricted rush-hour openings.

Where yachts are viewed

Watson Island / Island Gardens

Miami's dedicated megayacht berthing address, positioned for brokerage viewings and immediate ocean access via Government Cut.

Sea-trial staging

Miami Beach

Deep water and no fixed bridges to the ocean, which makes it a practical departure point for trials on larger vessels.

Where yachts are viewed

Coconut Grove

Dinner Key and Bayshore Landing hold substantial mid-size inventory, with shallower bay water than the Beach or Watson Island.

Where yachts are viewed

Virginia Key / Rickenbacker

Large wet and dry storage capacity serving sportfish and cruiser transactions up to roughly 100–120 ft.

Show and event activity

Downtown / Brickell

The Venetian / Sea Isle area anchors boat-show activity that concentrates brokerage, surveyor and captain availability into a few weeks each year.

Logistics

Miami Yacht Movement & Access Constraints

Practical local factors that affect getting a yacht from its berth to a lift and out for a sea trial.

Miami River bridge clearances

23 ft closed (Brickell Ave)Industry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026

The yard's own timetable lists 24 ft for the same bridge, and 21 ft for South Miami Avenue with a 75 ft fixed People Mover crossing. Because two current sources disagree by a foot, both are cited and neither is averaged. Any yacht with meaningful air draft must plan the river transit explicitly.

Bridge opening restrictions

Closed 07:35–08:59 and 16:45–17:59 weekdaysIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026

Miami River draws open on signal outside weekday rush-hour windows. A survey haul booked for early morning can fail purely because the yacht cannot reach the yard in time.

Government Cut and Port of Miami

Regulated Navigation AreaSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Government Cut is Miami's deep-draft ocean access and the port entrance is federally regulated. Cruise and cargo traffic influences sea-trial timing. No controlling-depth figure is published here because none could be confirmed against an official source.

Biscayne Bay outside the channels

Outside dredged channels the bay is broadly shallow with extensive grass flats. Routing between a Coconut Grove berth and the river or the ocean is a genuine planning question for a deeper-draft yacht, and InspectMyYacht attaches no invented depth figure to it.

Workflow

Yacht Purchase Due Diligence in Miami

An eight-step sequence from listing review to the decision made before closing.
  1. 1

    Review yacht and listing

    Specification, history, equipment and asking price.

  2. 2

    Collect documents and maintenance history

    Service records, invoices, engine hours and prior survey reports where available.

  3. 3

    Select an independent marine surveyor

    Experience with the vessel type and size, and no commercial interest in the sale.

  4. 4

    Determine specialist inspections

    Engine, electrical, rigging or structural specialists where the vessel warrants it.

  5. 5

    Confirm haul-out facility compatibility

    Lift tonnage alone is not enough — beam, draft and underwater gear all matter.

  6. 6

    Conduct in-water and out-of-water inspection

    Accessible structure and systems afloat; hull and running gear with the yacht lifted.

  7. 7

    Conduct sea trial

    Systems and machinery observed under operating conditions.

  8. 8

    Review findings before closing

    Commercial outcomes typically fall into proceed, renegotiate or walk away.

Possible commercial outcomes

  • Proceed
  • Renegotiate
  • Walk away

These are commercial options, not legal advice. What happens next depends on your purchase agreement.

Timing

Miami Survey & Sea-Trial Seasonality

Calendar anchors that genuinely affect survey, haul-out and sea-trial scheduling in this market.

Miami International Boat Show

Dates not yet published

The show reliably concentrates brokerage activity, and surveyor, captain, technician and marina availability tighten around it. InspectMyYacht is not publishing 2027 dates here because they could not be confirmed on the show's own site — only on a partner booking page.

Atlantic Hurricane Season

June 1 – November 30Source ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Insurance conditions, yard availability, storm-storage demand and named-storm haul-out priority all shift during the official season. Build schedule contingency into any survey and haul-out booking made inside these dates.

Buying a Yacht in Miami?

Tell us the yacht, size and current location. InspectMyYacht will help you map the survey, haul-out, sea trial and specialist inspections required before closing.

What do you need?

InspectMyYacht is not a surveyor, yard or marina. We help buyers plan and coordinate independent surveyors, haul-out facilities, sea trials and specialist inspections.

FAQ

Miami Yacht Survey FAQ

Where can a yacht actually be hauled out for a survey in Miami?

Survey hauls in Miami are concentrated on the Miami River, principally at RMK Merrill-Stevens, which operates a 100-ton Marine Travelift alongside an older 70-ton unit and a 2,700-ton shiplift, and at Jones Boat Yard, which uses a floating drydock. Because that capacity is narrow, buyers whose yacht cannot easily transit the river frequently haul in Fort Lauderdale instead.

Why do Miami River bridges matter to a survey booking?

Every haul-out yard of consequence sits upriver of bascule bridges that do not open during weekday rush-hour windows, and whose closed clearances are in the low twenties of feet. A yacht with air draft above that must have an opening, and the openings are time-restricted. That is a scheduling constraint, not a formality.

How much does a pre-purchase yacht survey cost in Miami?

One surveyor publishing rates for South Florida, including Miami, lists $20 per foot for a pre-purchase survey, $10 per foot for a condition and valuation survey and $100 per hour for damage work. Separately, general United States industry guidance puts many pre-purchase surveys around $20–$40 per foot. The first is one company's price; the second is national guidance. Neither is a Miami average.

Does a travelift's tonnage tell me whether my yacht can be hauled?

No. Beam, draft, sling placement, underwater gear, stabilisers and yard geometry all decide compatibility. A yacht comfortably inside a lift's published tonnage can still be unsuitable. Give the yard LOA, beam, draft, displacement and running-gear details before you book a slot.

Where should a Miami sea trial start from?

Practically, from a berth with no fixed bridges to open water — Miami Beach Marina or Watson Island both give direct Government Cut access. Starting from an upriver berth spends trial time on bridge transits rather than on observing machinery under load.

Is InspectMyYacht a surveyor or a yard?

No. InspectMyYacht plans and coordinates independent surveyors, haul-out facilities, sea trials and specialist inspections for buyers. We do not survey vessels, own yards or represent sellers, and we have no commercial interest in whether you complete a purchase.

Guides

Before you book a Miami survey

Guide

How Much Does a Yacht Survey Cost?

How survey fees are usually structured, and the additional costs buyers forget.

Read guide: How Much Does a Yacht Survey Cost?

Guide

How to Choose an Independent Yacht Surveyor

Experience, independence, accreditation, insurance and report quality.

Read guide: How to Choose an Independent Yacht Surveyor

Guide

Do You Need a Haul-Out for a Yacht Survey?

Why underwater areas usually require a lift, and how haul-outs are arranged.

Read guide: Do You Need a Haul-Out for a Yacht Survey?

Methodology

Sources Used on This Page

InspectMyYacht separates haul-out equipment specifications from marina dockage limits and general yard capabilities. Every figure links to the exact page it came from, official sources are preferred over third-party sources, and where a value cannot be confirmed it is omitted rather than inferred.

There is no page-wide verification claim. Each value is verified individually against its own source page, and its verification date is shown beside the figure it belongs to.

InspectMyYacht does not own, operate, employ or represent any yard, marina or surveyor listed on this page, and is not itself a certified surveyor. More about our methodology

Other Florida yacht survey locations: Florida hub · United States

Nearby markets

Other Yacht Markets Near Miami

Yachts move. If the vessel you are buying is lying in a neighbouring market, or would be hauled there, start with that market's constraints instead.

Fort Lauderdale

The deepest concentration of large-yacht lift capacity and refit yards in the state.

Palm Beach & Riviera Beach

Large-yacht service capability concentrated around Riviera Beach and the Port of Palm Beach.

Stuart

Sportfish and custom-build territory on the St. Lucie River, with real depth constraints.

Know What You’re Buying Before You Close

InspectMyYacht will help you plan the surveyor, haul-out, sea trial and specialist inspections for your Miami purchase.

Plan My Due Diligence