Marine Surveyor Serving Fort Lauderdale, FL

Fort Lauderdale surveys schedule around constraints that do not apply elsewhere in Florida. Sea trials typically run east through Port Everglades to open water, with route adjustments for USCG security zones and cruise ship traffic. Vessels negotiating the SE 17th Street Causeway need bridge openings, scheduled every half hour during peak periods and restricted during morning and evening rush hour. The 17th Street fixed span clears 56 feet, so taller air drafts must be staged before passage. On the New River, the Andrews Avenue, FEC Railroad, and Davie Boulevard bridges all factor into sea trial routing for vessels staged west of downtown.

Pre-purchase haul-outs are typically scheduled at Lauderdale Marine Center on State Road 84, Playboy Marine, or Harbour Towne Marina in the Dania Cut. Lauderdale Marine Center accommodates yachts up to 220 feet on its dual Travelift. Smaller center consoles and bay boats are usually handled at Marina Bay or Roscioli on shorter lifts. Lead times for haul-out scheduling can run a week or more during high season (November through April), so coordinating the survey date with the yard reservation matters.

Fort Lauderdale’s recreational fleet runs larger than the Florida average. Pre-purchase surveys here regularly cover 40 to 70-foot boats, 70 to 110-foot motor yachts staged in the SE 17th Street and Las Olas basins, and superyachts at Lauderdale Marine Center or Bradford for refit completion inspections. Catamarans surveys are common at Harbour Towne Marina. Center console and dayboat surveys cluster around the Lauderdale Marina on Cordova Road and the 17th Street basin.

In-water surveys must account for Fort Lauderdale’s tidal range (1.5 to 2.5 feet typical) and current speed in the New River and Intracoastal, both of which affect engine load testing and trim during a sea trial. Surveys at exposed Atlantic-side berths must also account for wind chop and swell, which influence safety equipment and stability observations.