Miami · Biscayne Bay

Miami Boating Guides, written by captains

Everything we know about Biscayne Bay — sandbars, routes, seasons, party rules — in plain English. No brochure talk, just what actually works on the water.

Guides

Boating in Miami, explained by people who do it daily

Most Miami boating guides read like they were written by a marketing team that has never left the dock. These don't. Every guide below comes from the captains and crew who run our charters on Biscayne Bay — the people who know which sandbar empties out by 5 PM, why a Tuesday beats a Saturday, and what marine patrols actually check for.

Whether it's your first boat rental in Miami or you're planning a boat party for 40 people, start here. Each guide answers the real questions first — then gets into the detail: tides, routes, budgets, rules. When you're ready to get on the water, a private charter starts at $140 per hour with a licensed captain and fuel included, payable by card or crypto.

One promise across all of them: the numbers are real. The prices in these guides are the same ones on our prices page and in our quotes — no "starting from" games where fuel and crew appear at checkout. If a guide says a pontoon runs $280 for two hours at the sandbar, that is what the sandbar trip costs. We update each guide when the season, rules, or rates change.

Quick answer: a private captained boat in Miami starts at $140/hour (2-hour minimum) for a 10-guest pontoon; party catamarans take up to 65 guests from $900/hour. Every Come Yachts charter includes a USCG-licensed captain and fuel.

The library

Pick the guide for what you're planning

Five guides, zero fluff. Start with the one that matches your day.

Haulover Sandbar: The Complete Guide

The full playbook for Miami's most famous raft-up spot: where the shallow flat sits in north Biscayne Bay, how the tide changes everything, and the etiquette regulars expect. Read it before your first anchor-drop.

Miami Boat Party Guide

How to plan a boat party in Miami that actually works: boat sizes, guest caps, and budgets from a $280 pontoon run to a 65-guest party catamaran. Covers BYOB, music, and the mistakes that sink first-timers.

Best Time to Boat in Miami

Month-by-month honesty about Miami weather, crowds, and demand — including why November and December usually bring the flattest water. Plus how our free weather-reschedule policy takes the risk out of booking ahead.

Miami Yacht Routes

The routes our captains actually run: Millionaire's Row, Star Island, the downtown skyline, the sandbars, and sunset loops. What you'll see on each, how long it takes, and which boat fits which route.

Florida Boat Party Rules

The legal side in plain English: the 12–13 passenger cap on private yachts, why bigger groups need an inspected vessel, drinking at 21, and what patrols look for. Know this before you invite 20 friends.

Read enough. Ready to get on the bay?

Tell us your date and group size — we'll match you to the right boat, from a $280 pontoon run to a 65-guest party catamaran. We reply within 1 hour, 9am–9pm ET.

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