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Yachts and waterfront in Tampa / St. Petersburg, Florida

Tampa & St. Petersburg, Florida

Yacht Survey, Haul-Out & Due Diligence in Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay is the strongest haul-out market on Florida's Gulf coast for the size of vessel most buyers actually purchase, and unusually, the yards here publish the figure that matters most: beam.

Two St. Petersburg yards state travelift capacity and maximum beam together — 94 tons at 26 ft and 55 tons at 20 ft. Beam, not tonnage, is what most often stops a haul, so a market that publishes it is a market you can plan in.

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Buying a Yacht in Tampa Bay: What This Page Covers

Tampa Bay is, for survey planning purposes, the most straightforward Gulf Coast market in Florida — mainly because its principal haul-out yards publish beam limits alongside tonnage. Beam is what actually stops a lift, and a market where you can check it in advance is a market where a survey haul can be booked with confidence.

Capacity is concentrated in St. Petersburg, particularly around the Salt Creek yards, rather than spread evenly around the bay. Above roughly 100 tons the market jumps straight to commercial shipyard dry-docking with no intermediate tier, so large-yacht buyers should establish availability before committing to a schedule.

The bay itself is the other planning factor. It is an active commercial port with pilot-managed traffic, and the transit from an inner-bay berth to open water is long compared with an inlet market — so agree with the surveyor and captain whether sea-trial time starts at the dock or offshore. For a tall rig, check the live air-gap reading for the Sunshine Skyway rather than a nominal clearance figure. Every number on this page states what it measures, links to its own source page and carries its own verification date; covered slips and slip-side lifts are never presented as haul-out capability.

Buyer snapshot

Tampa Bay 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 published travelift

94 tons

Published by Progressive Marine Service in St. Petersburg, together with a 26 ft beam limit for the same lift.

94 tonsSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Published beam limit

26 ft

The maximum beam published for that same 94-ton travelift. Beam is the constraint that most often prevents a haul.

26 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Second yard capacity

55 tons / 20 ft beam

Published by Embree Marine Service on Salt Creek, St. Petersburg, for vessels stated as 70 ft and above in length.

55 tons / 20 ft beamSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Large-vessel dry dock

311 ft x 79 ft

Floating dry dock dimensions published by Gulf Marine Repair at Port Tampa Bay — a commercial shipyard operation, not a survey-haul travelift.

311 ft x 79 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Published survey rate

$26–$30 per foot

Pre-purchase rate published by one surveyor that states Tampa coverage, with an $850 minimum. One company's price, not a Tampa Bay average.

$26–$30 per footSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Skyway Bridge air gap

Live NOAA sensor

Tampa Bay publishes real-time air gap under the Sunshine Skyway — genuinely useful for a tall-rig sailing yacht sea trial.

Live NOAA sensorSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Planning a Survey in Tampa Bay?

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

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Cost

Yacht Survey Cost in Tampa Bay

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 — Provider Covering Tampa

Marshall Marine Surveying — Publishes a Tampa service page and a public rate card

Pre-purchase survey
$26–$30 per foot ($850 minimum)Source ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Insurance survey
$22–$26 per foot ($750 minimum)Source ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Appraisal
from $750Source ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

One company's published rates, and the published band is stated for particular vessel types and ages. Other Tampa Bay surveyors quote per vessel without publishing figures — this is not presented as a market rate.

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 “Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay

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 Tampa Bay

Survey-haul capacity here sits mainly in south St. Petersburg, with a long-established multi-lift yard across the bay at Palmetto and a commercial shipyard at Port Tampa Bay for genuinely large vessels. Lift figures, dockage and general capabilities are kept in separate tables.

Progressive Marine Service

1351 Bay St. SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

The largest publicly stated travelift capacity in the immediate St. Petersburg area, and one of the few yards anywhere in Florida that publishes tonnage and beam limit in the same breath.

Haul-Out Equipment

Travelift

Capacity and beam limit both published by the yard. Maximum LOA is not published — confirm it for your vessel.

Capacity
94 tonsSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Max LOA
Confirm with yard
Max Beam
26 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Facility Capabilities

Engine service
Listed serviceSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Fibreglass work
Listed serviceSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

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

  • Short hauls
  • Bottom work
  • Engine service
  • Electronics
  • Fibreglass

The published 26 ft beam limit is the number to check first for a catamaran or a wide-bodied motor yacht. Tonnage alone would not reveal the constraint.

Embree Marine Service

201 16th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (Salt Creek)

A full-service Salt Creek yard, close to Progressive, which also publishes a lift capacity together with a beam limit and an indicative length.

Haul-Out Equipment

Travelift

The yard states 55 tons, 20 ft beam and '70 ft plus' length. Because the length figure is stated loosely rather than as a maximum, no LOA limit is published here.

Capacity
55 tonsSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Max LOA
Confirm with yard
Max Beam
20 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Facility Capabilities

Shore power
50/30 amp serviceSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Site security
24/7Source ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

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

  • Full-service yard
  • Short hauls
  • Bottom work

Two capable yards within a few streets of each other makes Salt Creek the practical centre of gravity for a Tampa Bay survey haul.

Snead Island Boat Works

Palmetto, Florida (lower Tampa Bay / Manatee River)

A long-established yard at the southern end of the bay operating multiple lifts across two haul-out locations — relevant when St. Petersburg slots are full, or when a yacht lies at the Bradenton end of the bay.

Haul-Out Equipment

Lift fleet (four lifts, two haul-out locations)

The yard publishes the number of lifts but not per-lift capacities. Trade press reports a fleet ranging roughly 15–75 metric tons, which is not a per-lift specification and so is not shown as one.

Capacity
Confirm with yard
Max LOA
Confirm with yard
Max Beam
Confirm with yard

Facility Capabilities

Lifts on site
Four liftsSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Haul-out locations
TwoSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Reported fleet capacity range
15–75 metric tonsIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Short hauls for surveys
Stated serviceSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

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

  • Short hauls for survey and inspection
  • Wash and block
  • Commissioning
  • Transport preparation

This yard explicitly lists short hauls for surveys and inspections as a service, which is exactly the operation a pre-purchase inspection needs.

The reported capacity range describes a fleet, not a single lift. Ask which lift is assigned to your vessel and what its individual limits are.

Gulf Marine Repair, Port Tampa Bay

Port Tampa Bay, Tampa, Florida

A commercial shipyard with a floating dry dock, included because it defines the ceiling of this market — and because a dry dock is a fundamentally different operation from a survey haul.

Haul-Out Equipment

Floating dry dock

Published dimensions: 94.8 m / 311.02 ft length overall and 24.2 m / 79.40 ft breadth. Lifting tonnage is not published on the pages reviewed.

Capacity
Confirm with yard
Max LOA
311 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Max Beam
79.4 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Facility Capabilities

Vessel types served
Commercial vessels, USCG cutters, large yachtsSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

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

  • Dry docking
  • Repair
  • Conversion

A dry dock is quoted and scheduled as a shipyard docking, not as an hourly survey haul. For a typical pre-purchase inspection this is the wrong instrument, however impressive the dimensions.

Market notes

Tampa Bay is the most straightforward Gulf-coast market to plan a survey haul in, largely because two St. Petersburg yards publish beam limits alongside tonnage.

Capacity is concentrated below roughly 100 tons. Above that the market jumps straight to commercial shipyard dry-docking, with no middle tier.

At least one prominent local marina property has changed hands for redevelopment, so haul-out availability in this market should be confirmed rather than assumed from older listings.

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

Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay 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.

Harborage Marina, St. Petersburg

A protected downtown St. Petersburg basin adjacent to the Salt Creek yard cluster — convenient when survey, haul and viewing all need to happen in the same few days.

Slip length range
30 ft to over 200 ftIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Breakwater
1,000 ft fixed breakwaterIndustry source ↗Third-partyVerified Aug 22, 2026
Maximum draft
Not publicly specified
  • Near haul-out yards
  • Protected basin
  • Viewings

Directory-sourced dockage figures. A slip-length range is not a lift limit.

Marina Pointe, Tampa

A modern deep-water basin in Tampa's Westshore Marina District, on the Tampa side of the bay.

Vessel range
35–100 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Slips
Not publicly specified
Maximum draft
Not publicly specified
  • Tampa side
  • Deep-water basin
  • Viewings

Dockage record published by the operator.

Westshore Yacht Club Marina, Tampa

A private club marina in south Tampa with substantial wet-slip capacity.

Wet slips
147Source ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Vessel range
40 ft to over 100 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Maximum draft
Not publicly specified
  • Tampa side
  • Club marina
  • Larger vessels

Published by the marina's managing company. Dockage only.

Tampa Convention Center Marina

Downtown Tampa dockage that publishes a dock-by-dock depth map — unusually transparent, and directly useful when staging a deeper-draft yacht.

Depth (deep berths)
18 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Depth (shallower docks)
7–10 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Largest slip shown
150 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
  • Downtown Tampa
  • Published depths
  • Event dockage

Depths vary by dock section on the official map. The figures above are section depths, not a single marina depth.

Maximo Marina, St. Petersburg

A large redeveloped marina in south St. Petersburg close to the Skyway and the Gulf approaches.

Vessel accommodation
Up to 100 ftSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
Haul-out lift
None publishedSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026
  • Covered slips
  • South St. Petersburg
  • Gulf access

Marketed as a covered-slip marina. No travelift capacity is published, so it is not part of a haul-out plan.

Geography

Where Yacht Purchase Activity Clusters in Tampa Bay

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

Salt Creek, St. Petersburg

Progressive and Embree sit within a few streets of each other, forming the practical haul-out centre of the bay for survey work.

Where yachts are viewed

Downtown St. Petersburg

The municipal marina and Harborage basin, with a concentration of brokerage offices — and walking distance to the yards.

Where yachts are viewed

Westshore Marina District, Tampa

Marina Pointe and Westshore Yacht Club serve the Tampa side of the bay for larger-vessel berthing and viewings.

Where yachts are lifted

Palmetto / Manatee River

Snead Island Boat Works at the southern end of the bay, with four lifts and two haul-out locations.

Commercial shipyard

Port Tampa Bay

Gulf Marine Repair's floating dry dock — the market's upper limit, and a different kind of operation from a survey haul.

Logistics

Tampa Bay Yacht Movement & Access Constraints

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

Sunshine Skyway air gap

Live NOAA PORTS sensorSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Every vessel entering or leaving Tampa Bay from the Gulf passes under the Skyway. NOAA publishes a real-time air-gap reading at the bridge, which is the correct figure to check for a tall rig rather than a nominal clearance. Pilots' guidance also covers transit practice for the crossing.

Main channel depth and pilotage

38 ft 3 in plus tide (pilots' guideline)Source ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Tampa Bay is a deep commercial port with an actively pilot-managed main channel. Commercial traffic influences movement windows, which matters when scheduling a sea trial around a survey haul on the same day.

Long run to open water

USACE Tampa Harbor projectSource ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

Unlike an inlet market, Tampa Bay puts a substantial channel transit between most berths and the Gulf. Build genuine transit time into a sea trial plan, and agree in advance whether trial time is measured from the dock or from open water.

Gulf passes

John's Pass and Pass-a-Grille are used by smaller craft for direct Gulf access. No official controlling depth was confirmed for either in this pass, so InspectMyYacht publishes no figure — consult current charts and local knowledge.

Workflow

Yacht Purchase Due Diligence in Tampa Bay

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

Tampa Bay Survey & Sea-Trial Seasonality

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

St. Petersburg Power & Sailboat Show

Dates not yet published

Held each January at the Mahaffey Theater waterfront and billed as the largest show on Florida's Gulf coast. Exact calendar dates are not published here because the official site did not surface them in this pass — check the show's own overview page.

Suncoast Boat Show, Sarasota

April 23–25, 2027Source ↗Verified Aug 22, 2026

A regional spring show at Marina Jack in Sarasota. It draws Gulf-coast brokerage activity and tightens professional availability in the wider region rather than in Tampa Bay specifically.

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 Tampa Bay?

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

Tampa Bay Yacht Survey FAQ

Where can a yacht be hauled out for survey in Tampa Bay?

The practical options are in south St. Petersburg: Progressive Marine Service publishes a 94-ton travelift with a 26 ft beam limit, and Embree Marine Service publishes a 55-ton travelift with a 20 ft beam limit. Snead Island Boat Works at Palmetto operates four lifts across two haul-out locations and explicitly lists short hauls for surveys.

Why does this page emphasise beam rather than tonnage?

Because beam is what usually stops a haul. A yacht can sit well inside a lift's tonnage and still not fit between the slings or the yard's travel path. Tampa Bay is one of the few markets where the yards publish beam limits alongside capacity, which makes it much easier to establish compatibility before booking.

Can a 150 ft yacht be hauled in Tampa Bay?

Not on the travelifts described here. Gulf Marine Repair at Port Tampa Bay operates a floating dry dock of about 311 ft by 79 ft, but that is a commercial shipyard docking, quoted and scheduled quite differently from a short survey haul. For a large yacht, confirm scope and cost with that yard directly before assuming a survey haul is available.

How much does a yacht survey cost in Tampa or St. Petersburg?

One surveyor publishing Tampa coverage lists $26–$30 per foot for a pre-purchase survey with an $850 minimum, and $22–$26 per foot for an insurance survey. General United States industry guidance separately puts many pre-purchase surveys around $20–$40 per foot. The first is one company's published price; the second is national guidance. Neither is a Tampa Bay average.

What should I know about a Tampa Bay sea trial?

Two things: the transit is long compared with an inlet market, and the bay is an active commercial port with pilot-managed traffic. Agree whether trial time starts at the dock or in open water, and for a tall rig check the live NOAA air-gap reading for the Sunshine Skyway rather than relying on a nominal clearance figure.

Is a marina with covered slips or boat lifts a haul-out option?

No. Covered slips and slip-side lifts are berthing arrangements. An out-of-water pre-purchase inspection needs the yacht ashore with the hull washed and running gear accessible, which is a travelift or dry-dock operation at a working yard.

Guides

Before you book a Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay

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.

Miami

Bayfront megayacht berthing plus a working Miami River haul-out corridor behind bridges.

Palm Beach & Riviera Beach

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

Know What You’re Buying Before You Close

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

Plan My Due Diligence