Long considered to be the yachting capital of America, Florida is home to over 900,000 private watercraft, or around 8% of all registered vessels in the country. There’s everything from day-boats, go-fast cigarette boats, sportfishers, luxury superyachts, trawlers and catamarans represented in the Sunshine State, with a vibrant sales and chartering culture on full display. Boasting a stunning 1,350 miles of coastline, an endless variety of lakes and wetland ecosystems as well as access to both the Atlantic and the Gulf, it’s not difficult to see why Florida stands out from the crowd. A popular destination for boating trips, Florida has an edge over its rivals thanks to its year-round warm climate, with the average December high in Tampa hovering around 74 degrees.
The Florida Intracoastal is must-visit destination for any enthusiastic boater. A 3,000 mile inland waterway connecting towns, cities and suburbs, it’s the perfect place for yachters who like to take things easy. If you wish to embark on something a little more ambitious then there are plenty of access points for your offshore cruisers, flybridge yachts or sportfishing yachts to head out into the Gulf or the Atlantic for genuine bluewater exploration. Alternatively, island-hop all your way down the 125 mile-long Florida Keys network from Key Largo to Key West for beautiful destinations and plenty of fun. And one of the most iconic boating experiences in Florida has to be an airboat ride through the Everglades, where alligators, manatees, panthers and pythons can be spotted stalking through the mangroves.
The state boasts over 1,000 marinas, plenty of which are attached to resort towns and popular vacation spots, handy for boaters who are also interested in visiting this state’s major attractions. The largest marina in the state is Maximo Marina located in St. Petersburg, which has 623 slips, while the biggest marina on Florida’s Atlantic Coast is the Dinner Key Marina, with 587 slips, positioned just steps away from Miami’s upscale Coconut Grove neighborhood. There are 36 yacht clubs in Florida, with the oldest such institution the St. Augustine Yacht Club dating from 1873.
This sun-kissed peninsula is also a hub of industry activity, boasting over $6.4 billion in boating-related sales in 2024. Florida is home to a sequence of the most prestigious yacht shows in the nation, like the annual Miami Boat Show or FLIBS, the world’s biggest on-the-water boat show. There are also at least 864 boat-building firms based down here, with every conceivable type of watercraft constructed in-state. Yacht owners are typically driven towards sportfishing vessels like Viking or Hatteras, Flybridge brands like Princess, Azimut, or Galeon, or center-console brands like Scout.
Since 1964, SI Yachts has been helping our clients through the processes of buying and selling boats, many times it's their 10th or more boat sale with us. We take service very seriously and we are able to retain some of the best service talent in the industry giving us an incredible advantage when it comes making sure our customers enjoy their boating lifestyle. When you buy a yacht from us, our Florida-based mobile service team is just a phone call away. With an office located in Jupiter, Florida, SI Yachts has a true north-to-south connection for our seasonal cruising clients.
