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Fort Lauderdale · Intracoastal Waterway

Yacht rental in Fort Lauderdale, the Venice of America

165 miles of calm, mansion-lined canals and the same transparent prices as our Miami fleet. Captain and fuel included — you get an exact all-in quote before you pay a cent.

Check availability See transparent prices
from $330/hr40–49 ft yacht, 4h min
165 milesof navigable canals
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Plan your day on the water

No prepayment online. We reply within 1 hour, 9am–9pm ET.

⚓ USCG-licensed captains🧾 Transparent all-in pricing₿ Crypto accepted (BTC · ETH · SOL · USDT)🌤 Free weather reschedule

Why charter here

Yacht rental in Fort Lauderdale — calm water, same fleet, same rates

Yacht rental in Fort Lauderdale starts at $330 per hour for a 40–49 ft yacht with a licensed captain and fuel included — the exact same rate we charge in Miami, from the same vetted partner fleet. Fort Lauderdale is 40 minutes north, but it is a different kind of day on the water. Miami is open bay, sandbar raft-ups and skyline. Fort Lauderdale is 165 miles of protected canals and the Intracoastal Waterway: flat water, slow cruising speed, and waterfront estates sliding past on both sides. If anyone in your group worries about seasickness, this is the charter to book.

The nickname "Venice of America" is not marketing — it is geography. The city is cut through with residential canals feeding into the New River and the Intracoastal, and nearly every mile of it is no-wake or near-flat water. A 40 ft yacht barely rocks here. You cruise past megayacht docks and hundred-million-dollar homes, anchor near the beachfront for a swim, and you are back at the marina without ever crossing rough open water unless you ask for it.

Calmer than Miami

Protected canals and the Intracoastal mean flat water almost every day of the year. Wind that chops up an open bay barely registers here — good for kids, grandparents and anyone with a nervous stomach.

Mansion scenery on tap

Fort Lauderdale's waterfront estates line the Intracoastal and the New River. You do not have to go looking for the postcard route — the postcard route is the route.

Same prices, zero markup

Our canonical price table applies in both cities. A 40–49 ft yacht is $330/h whether you board in Fort Lauderdale or Miami. Captain, fuel, ice and sound included in every quote.

Fort Lauderdale has 165 miles of navigable inland waterways — more canal frontage than Venice, Italy. Nearly all of it is calm, protected water, which is why locals send first-time charter groups here when anyone on board is prone to seasickness.

The fleet

Yacht charter Fort Lauderdale — four sizes, one honest price each

Category-level pricing that matches our on-site calculator. What you see is what the quote says.

Sport boat 24-29 ft for boat charter in Fort LauderdaleUP TO 10 GUESTS

Sport boat 24–29 ft

👥 10⚓ captain🔊 sound

Nimble enough for the narrow canals, quick enough for the beachfront.

$190/hr 3h min
Quote
40-49 ft yacht rental in Fort Lauderdale on the IntracoastalUP TO 12 GUESTS

Yacht 40–49 ft

👥 12🛏 cabin🔊 sound

The workhorse: cabin, shaded deck, and room for twelve on the Intracoastal.

$330/hr 4h min
Quote
50-59 ft yacht charter in Fort Lauderdale near Las OlasUP TO 13 GUESTS

Yacht 50–59 ft

👥 13🛏 cabins🔊 sound

More deck, more shade, a proper swim platform for the beachfront anchorage.

$450/hr 4h min
Quote
60-79 ft luxury yacht rental in Fort Lauderdale canalsUP TO 13 GUESTS

Yacht 60–79 ft

👥 13🛏 cabins🔊 sound

The flagship class — the size the Intracoastal was made to show off.

$700/hr 4h min
Quote

Every private charter includes a USCG-licensed captain, fuel, ice and water, a cooler and bluetooth sound. Not included: catering, gratuity (15–20% is customary) and jet ski add-ons from $120/h per ski. Need something smaller or a pontoon for a low-key canal cruise? See boat rental in Fort Lauderdale — pontoons start at $140/h. Browse every category on the full fleet page.

Prices

Fort Lauderdale yacht charter prices — 4, 6 and 8 hours

Totals below are the real math: hourly rate × duration. Captain and fuel already inside. Deposit 30% holds your date.

CategoryRate4 hours6 hours8 hours
Sport boat 24–29 ft (up to 10)$190/h$760$1,140$1,520
Yacht 40–49 ft (up to 12)$330/h$1,320$1,980$2,640
Yacht 50–59 ft (up to 13)$450/h$1,800$2,700$3,600
Yacht 60–79 ft (up to 13)$700/h$2,800$4,200$5,600

Four hours is the minimum on yachts and the right call for a first charter: enough time for the mansion route, a swim stop and a slow return. Six hours adds a real anchorage lunch; eight turns it into a full day with a sunset finish. Competitor sites here quote "from" prices with no duration attached — ours are totals you can hold us to, and the same numbers power the calculator on our prices page. Pay in USD by card or crypto, whichever is easier for your group.

Two timing notes worth money. Weekdays book easier and feel emptier on the water than Saturdays, at the same rate — if your dates are flexible, a Tuesday charter is the quiet-luxury version of the identical trip. And January through April is peak season across South Florida, with March the busiest month of all; for a spring date, lock your boat two to three weeks out rather than gambling on last-minute availability. Groups over 13 guests can't legally sail on a standard private yacht, so if the birthday list keeps growing, plan around a party catamaran from $900/h instead of splitting across two boats.

Sample route

The classic 4-hour Fort Lauderdale charter

Every route is the captain's call on the day — tides, bridges, traffic — but a first-timer's afternoon usually looks like this.

  1. 1:00 PM — MARINA

    Board and briefing

    Meet your captain at a marina on the Intracoastal Waterway, load your cooler (BYOB is fine on private charters), and get the ten-minute safety rundown while the ice and water we stock go into the cooler.

  2. 1:20 PM — INTRACOASTAL

    Mansion row at no-wake speed

    Slow cruise past the waterfront estates and megayacht docks that made Fort Lauderdale famous. This stretch is flat, protected water — cameras out, drinks poured, nobody holding the rail.

  3. 2:10 PM — NEW RIVER & LAS OLAS

    Into the canals

    Wind through the New River and the canals near the Las Olas waterfront, where the city's "Venice of America" nickname earns itself. Downtown towers on one side, private docks on the other.

  4. 3:00 PM — BEACHFRONT

    Anchor and swim

    Out through the inlet to anchor off the beachfront, or at a calm sandbar spot if conditions and tide line up. Swim platform down, floats out, music on — this is the long stop of the day.

  5. 4:30 PM — RETURN LEG

    Golden-hour cruise back

    An unhurried run back up the Intracoastal as the light goes soft on the water. Dock at 5:00 PM with everyone already planning the six-hour version.

Want the open-bay version of this day — sandbars, Monument Island, skyline? That is our home turf: see yacht charter in Miami, or go straight to a Miami boat party if the goal is less cruise, more celebration.

Conditions

Boat charter Fort Lauderdale weather — live and honest

South Florida is a year-round boating town. Peak season runs January–April, the flattest weeks are November–December, and summer rain is usually a 30-minute interruption, not a lost day.

🌤 South Florida conditions right now

Live data · Open-Meteo marine forecast · score = our captains' go/no-go heuristic

The canals give Fort Lauderdale a built-in weather hedge: on days when wind makes open water sloppy, the Intracoastal and the New River stay glassy, and your captain simply weights the route inland. If conditions are genuinely unsafe, the captain calls it and you reschedule free — 48 hours' notice or more whenever possible, no fees, no fine print.

Honest comparison

Miami or Fort Lauderdale — which charter should you book?

We run the same fleet standards and the same prices in both cities, so this is purely about the day you want.

Fort LauderdaleMiami
VibeRelaxed cruise — canals, mansions, slow waterScene and energy — sandbars, skyline, raft-ups
WaterCalmest in South Florida; protected almost everywhereOpen Biscayne Bay; flat most days, choppier in wind
SceneryWaterfront estates, New River, Las Olas, beachfrontSkyline, Star Island, Haulover and Nixon sandbars
CrowdsLighter, even on weekendsBusy sandbars and anchorages, especially Saturdays
Best forFamilies, mixed-age groups, first-timers, seasick-proneBirthdays, bachelorettes, parties, sandbar days
PricesIdentical — same canonical rates, same inclusions, same 30% deposit

The honest answer: if your group wants to swim at a packed sandbar with music in every direction, book yacht rental in Miami. If your group wants calm water, remarkable real estate and a swim off the beachfront without the crowd, Fort Lauderdale wins. Forty minutes apart, one fleet standard, zero price difference — pick the water, not the discount.

FAQ

Fort Lauderdale yacht rental questions, answered straight

How much does a yacht rental in Fort Lauderdale cost?

A 40-49 ft yacht runs from $330 per hour with a 4-hour minimum, so plan on $1,320 for a private charter. That total includes a USCG-licensed captain, fuel, ice, water, a cooler and bluetooth sound. Bigger yachts start at $450/h (50-59 ft) and $700/h (60-79 ft).

Are your Fort Lauderdale prices the same as Miami?

Yes. Same vetted partner fleet standards, same canonical rates: sport boats from $190/h, yachts from $330/h. You do not pay a premium for cruising the canals instead of Biscayne Bay, and every quote is all-in before you commit.

Where do Fort Lauderdale charters depart from?

From marinas along the Intracoastal Waterway and the New River; we confirm the exact dock with your quote. Most pickups are minutes from Las Olas and the beachfront, so you spend your hours cruising, not commuting.

How many guests can join a private yacht charter?

Most private yachts carry a maximum of 12-13 guests under USCG rules. Groups larger than 13 need an inspected vessel - ask us about party catamarans that take up to 65 guests from $900/h.

Can we bring our own alcohol on board?

Yes. BYOB is allowed on every private charter, and the drinking age on the water is 21, same as on land. Ice, water and a cooler are already on board - you bring the rest.

What happens if the weather turns bad?

You reschedule for free. If the captain calls conditions unsafe, we move your charter to another day at no cost - just give us 48 hours or more when you can. South Florida rain is usually brief, and the canals stay calm in wind that would chop up open water.

Can the yacht cruise the canals past the mansions?

Yes - the Intracoastal Waterway and the New River are the signature Fort Lauderdale route, lined with waterfront estates and megayacht docks. Your captain plans the exact route around bridge clearances and tides for the boat you book.

How far is Fort Lauderdale from Miami?

About 25 miles - roughly a 40-minute drive. If you are staying in Fort Lauderdale, charter here for calm water and canal scenery; if you want sandbar raft-up culture, our Miami charters run daily from the same fleet at the same prices.

Get your Fort Lauderdale quote in under an hour

Date, guests, hours — we reply with an exact all-in total, 9am–9pm ET. 30% deposit holds the boat; weather reschedules are free.

Check availabilityEmail [email protected]

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