floating composite and fixed concrete decked slips and face docks
Live Aboards Allowed:
yes
Total number of slips/berths:
198
Dockside Power Connections:
30/50 amp power hookups available
30/50 Amp Notes:
$6.00/per night - 30 amp hookup, $9.00/per night - 50 amp hookup
Dock. Fresh Water Connections:
Available.
Showers:
Available. Climate Controlled
Laundromat:
Available.
Swimming Pool:
Available.
Restaurant:
many nearby
Restaurant Recommendations:
Sailors Return (772) 872-7250
Provisioning Possibilities:
Convenience/variety store on-site, or take courtesy shuttle bus until May 15th Tuesday or Friday to Publix supermarket
LPG (Propane) Availability:
Available. Take courtesy shuttle bus Tuesday or Fridayuntil May 15th to Nautical but Nice Store for LPG tank refill 1 3/4 miles away nesday or Saturday to Publix supermarket
Waste pump-out:
Available.
Wi-Fi Internet Access:
Free WiFi Available
Fuel Availability:
Gas & Diesel Available
Fuel Notes:
ethanol free
Fuel Prices (All Taxes Included)
Reporting Date:
April 15, 2024
Fuel Notes:
ethanol free
Gasoline Price:
$4.99 (All Taxes Included)
Diesel Price:
$4.25 (All Taxes Included)
Share:
Reviews from Cruisers (20)
Johnny Kolwyck- November 19, 2017 - 7:38 pm
Checking on mooring field in Stuart fl for Monday 11/20/17 thru 11/25/17
We have been docked here for two months, which is the first time we have spent this much time at a dock. The staff here is extremely helpful. The location puts us adjacent to downtown which offers many shops and restaurants. There have been many examples of the staff going above and beyond for us. This comes from their focus on customer service. Thanks to Sam and the team for a great experience. Will and Sonia Jansen
Convenient and easy location to get in and out of. Well maintained, good Wifi, water and electric above average, very clean restrooms and showers, crew lounge and bicycles are provided for. Dockage rates are high for short term and transit accommodations please note they charge an additional nightly fee for electric. Free pump out service for your holding tanks offer once per week dockside or at the main fuel docks on demand. Water pressure is very high please use caution. Our dockage was for a 60ft MY on B Dock.
Excellent staff. Clean facility. Nice area with very good restaurant options. Highly recommended. I stayed on a mooring with one night on the face wall.
We will never stay at this marina, EVER! I booked a month in advance because we have a 50 ft. cat with 27 ft. beam and we need advance reservations due to our size. I was told that we would be in slip D-2 and it had a slip with no power in front of it which they don’t rent so there would be PLENTY of room. I called the night before to make sure our reservations were in order, which they were NOT. The dockmaster said he did not know why but they had us in a slip much too small. He said he would remedy this and we could still have our spot. After dealing with all the wakes in the River and the small opening for the bridge by the marina we called and said we were heading in and they said they would meet us. After going down between the docks with only a few feet on each side we saw there was a boat in our spot and they tried to get us to go even further down where there was very little room and we could barely turn around it was so tight. After they said we were right that there was no way we would fit in there. We moved on and got a spacious spot at Loggerhead marina with competent caring staff. So, if you are going to stay there don’t bother making reservations since they don’t honor them. They acted like they did not even care that they caused us so much trouble. Also there is a busy bridge with loud car noise right next to the marina so you might not get any sleep. Such a disappointment!
We see some of you returning from the north. The Sunset Bay Moorings are alive and well and about half full. Stuart has much to offer – close shopping, close restaurants, public transportation(the moorings have private for free also) and good entertainment. The mooring offers fine facilities – lounge, outside seating with tables, ship’s store and a great riverside walking path to downtown. Join us and have a great winter! Other things that are of interests to cruisers are arts and crafts shows, beautiful public parks, music in the downtown area on many most Sundays and a Sunday green market, all within a comfortable walking distance. There is also limo and bus transportation available to the West Palm Beach airport. Fred and Elaine DeFoor
Lots of good comments regarding this marina and staff here. I moved over here in January from another local marina with intent on making this my permanent home port but am leaving after 4 months. Some good points to be aware of … some not so good. Sunsets are to die for here. Locals and tourists line up on the seawall by the restaurant to watch and photograph them. Pricing was considerably more expensive here for a lift slip than where we came from. But given the resort-like feel, the proximity to my house, nice ship’s store for sundries, cleanliness and the comments here about staff we felt this was a good move and that the $250 more per month we would pay would be worth the cost increase. The lifts are brand new and there are 10 or 12 of them at the marina. I had to adjust the bunks to my specifications after the staff told me that the bunks could not be tilted (they can be). They are a bit slow and have no automatic raise/lower feature enabled, but there is a good 8 feet of water under them. The current happens to run in-line with the lifts so getting on and off even in a cross-wind is easy. For transients, this is definitely one of the better marinas in Stuart in terms of facilities, boat access and nearby amenities. Note the comments above with other posters really reflect and center around the transient and live-aboard populations. Fuel pricing is competitive with the other local marinas. The problem of boats running the Okeechobee waterway at speed parallel to the fuel dock has been resolved with a “Slow, Minimum Wake Zone”. For locals, parking is incredibly limited and gets way worse during weekends when the Sailors Return restaurant gets wound up. The marina started using a valet parking service in an attempt to deal with what they even admit is a very poor parking lot design with small spaces and too few spaces. At first the valets were best described as rude and confrontational with the paying marina partrons and restaurant customers but that seems to have been ironed out. A parking permit sticker is made available to marina patrons and we get priority handling without the attitude from the valets. My experience with the staff was mixed. Some were among the most customer-oriented and customer-friendly people I have conducted business with. Others not so much … with some pretty surprising authoritarian and uncaring attitudes toward the paying customer from a few. Once in a while is just a bad day but there are a couple of guys there that just do not get it and it is recurring enough to be noticed. One example of staff not meeting my expectations: We had one recurring issue with dock people driving their three wheel electric scooters at high speed on the narrow docks. Even after repeatedly asking the offending staff guys to slow down, the behavior continued. The Harbormaster did tell me after complaint to him that he would slow them down, but it did not happen. After nearly being hit on the narrow dock while getting some supplies from my dock box once too often, we decided to move on. You cannot hear these scooters coming so be aware of this safety issue especially of you end up on the “A” dock that has the fuel dock at the end. Be told “coming through!” as the dock boy flies by is just not acceptable. Another example of staff not meeting expectations: Last weekend while I was not there, my son was reportedly told by one of the staff that he was not allowed to wash our boat due to South Florida Water Management District regulations forbidding water use. I was not there to see who actually said this but that was incorrect. When I talked to the Harbormaster about this and to point out that SFWMD does not have a rule forbidding boat or car washing, he agreed and stated that he did not ask people to not wash boats. He did state that the marina has high water bills and that they are asking people to conserve water. I suspect something got lost in interpretation with one of the staff when this issue was discussed with them. So… *some* staff is great and “gets” it. Others I am not so sure I would say do. Ultimately, we just did not feel we were getting the value and service expected for the *premium* price charged us. Granted there are a good 300 slips here and our experience needs to be taken in light of how many seem happy. We were disappointed to have to leave but decided it was for the best for us. I hold no ill will with Sunset Bay Marina and wish them luck. They just have a few things to work on as I suspect they have back-slid a bit since opening. Bill Barrett
We have been at Sunset Bay for 2 weeks now and will most likely be here another week. What a pleasant surprise this marina has been! We are on a mooring. The staff is great; facilities are excellent and easy walk to town make this the best overall marina situation that we have experienced since we left home in NC. Highly recommend it even if you planning to continue South; it is worth getting off of the AICW and take time to enjoy this marina. Pat Kenefick
There is no doubt that Sunset Bay is the BEST marina in the Stuart area. It was opened in 2009 so is not yet in many cruiser’s guides. Everything is new, great facilities, although mostly transient, it would pay to book ahead as many people come in for an overnight, then stay for 2 weeks. There is also a mooring field. Keith and Laurie Rawlings M/V “KenBane”
As Assistant Harbormaster at Sunset Bay Marina I can tell you that our marina is always available to transients and since we opened last year we have not had to turn down, due to lack of availability, any transients who have wished to come in on a daily basis. We offer side to ties on our fixed docks for transients of all size vessels from 25′ to 125′. We have, however, had to put those who own vessels under 40′ and who wish to have a long term dockage on a waiting list as all of our slips that accommodate those size vessels filled up almost as soon as we opened last year. We are trying to accommodate these vessels on our waiting list as soon as slips become available. The Okeechoobee Waterway traffic problem that we have had in the past has been addressed as the entire area surrounding the mooring field and the marina has just recently been designated as a no-wake zone by the State of Florida and slow no-wake signage has been installed. As far as the “bum boat” goes, unfortunately we do not have one but we have always personally patrolled our mooring field several times each day with our carolina skiff and constantly offer assistance to our mooring field guests in any way we possibly can, helping them with provisions, etc. We apologize for any misunderstandings that may have occurred. Ruth Conrad
8 March 2010. It looked like it would have been a great marina but available only to folks who book six months in advance. When we asked for a one-night transient dock, we were told to come back in June! There were empty slips and a big inside protected fuel dock that no one was on. Something wrong here. Obviously no transient slips were reserved, despite the Waterway Guide claim of there being 60. This was the first marina we encountered that had nothing available for transients, keeping in mind our size usually guarantees a spot can always be found for us. The facilities for the mooring field were excellent but as noted by others, it is completely open to high speed waterway traffic, subject to gunnel-to-gunnel rolling and wet dinghy rides. And why is there no bum boat available for such a large mooring field? Two of the three other marinas in the area also claimed to be filled, with only the Harborage Yacht Club and Marina having transient places available. One said they don’t take sailboats despite the visible masts. For short term stayers like ourselves, Stuart wasn’t that attractive of a place. We anchored up the North Fork after the first rolly day on a mooring, moved to Harborage for a day for provisioning, walking over the bridge, cabbing back. Fair winds and following seas, Austin Whitten S/Y “Discovery II”, Vancouver 27
Heads up! Be alert when refuelling here; best to request tha they refuel on the inside of the fuel dock. Wind, and more likely wakes from passing larger boats can, & will, wreak havoc with your boat. We lost part of a rub rail in spite of lots of fenders & people pushing off. Great place otherwise. Chris Cantrell
Julie and John Stocksdale- March 23, 2010 - 11:42 am
I agree with Lois’s comments and add that the facility includes a large mooring field, with all the amenities available for boaters on the moorings. There are clean showers, new washers & dryers, bikes, cruisers’ lounge with a printer for our laptops, and friendly service. All this for only $10/night. The location in downtown Stuart is another plus: restaurants, shops, Publix, farmers’ market every Sunday, music on the Riverwalk. We stopped for a day or two, but will stay for a couple of weeks.
As I travelled the distance up the St. Lucie River to Sunset Bay Marina, I wondered if it was going to be worth the extra mileage – it was! One of the few places with floating docks – which were excellent. CLEAN washrooms/showers/laundry. Store with marine supplies. And yes the restaurant was excellent, both in terms of food and service. And that is one of the two key attractions to this facility – it has everything but it is all about SERVICE. They specialize in that. Assistance with docking and experienced advice. There’s get acquainted parties, bbqs and other activities for both long term and transient boaters to enjoy. I was only there one night but it is definitely a place I would visit again, maybe even for the long term!
We are at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart. It is also very friendly, has a pumpout boat that visits with a phone call, and not rafting up on mooring balls! Get togethers three nites a week if you want and sparkling new, clean facilities. Lots of stuff available within walking distance. Great prices too. As of today it is almost full to capacity which is wonderful considering (from what we have heard) some fought adding docks and updating the buildings because its a bit off the ICW and they thought it would not attract enough cruisers. They were wrong!! This place is full and operating just fine at capacity. The only downside at this point is that this area should be a no wake zone! We got here late and are on one of the outside moorings and get quite a bit of wake from passing boats. Im not sure why it is not a no wake zone since its between two bridges and nears a marina with hundreds of boats. Would suggest picking up a ball closer in if you can. Sami and Barry Shreve
Jean Thomason (DOVEKIE)- December 13, 2009 - 8:50 pm
I don’t think I can add to the nice things that have already been posted except to say they were nice enough to let us hang at the fuel dock to walk to Publix and to do laundry (laundry room has 5 washers and 6 dryers!) before we went to our mooring. I certainly would return to Sunset Bay in the future! The mooring field is nicely laid out. A first class operation!
Repeating comments I posted elsewhere on this site, in reply to a “where to stay” request: “We’re currently moored at Sunset Bay Marina, on the south fork of the St. Lucie River, in Stuart. Moorings are $10 / day or $240 / month. There are slips but they’re booked for the winter. The location is about 7-8 miles off the ICW. Boats drawing 7′ or more may be challenged at the river entrance and in the river itself (we draw 6′ and found some “skinny bits” at the entrance, while following the marked channel). That being said, the marina is a great place to be, with excellent facilities, helpful staff, and easy walking access to Stuart’s shops as well as a Publix, etc. about a half mile along US1. We stopped here to ride out some weather, with the plan of moving on to a marina in North Palm Beach for a Christmas break. Instead we’ll leave the boat here for the break, and are glad we found Sunset Bay Marina.”
This is a great place to stay. It’s a marina where you will stay longer than you intended because you will not want to leave. The facilities are new and very well maintained. The staff is professional and cannot do enough for you. The permanent residents are particularly friendly. Every one makes you feel like family. Coincidentally, the marina is very convenient to the town. We are eager to return when the restaurant has opened. Walt & Ellen Solomons Vessel Rachel
If your are staying at Sunset Bay for less than 4 nights expect to PAY… $76.00 per day for 32 as of 07/20/09, better to use there mooring field $12.00 per day if Sunset happens to be a stop… new docks and OK amenities know close shopping without transportation. John Connon S/V LOROLI – Watkins-32
Subject: Sunset Bay Marina & Anchorage Cruising News: I’ve been docked at the NEW Sunset Bay Marina & anchorage, Stuart, FL for a few months now and want you to know what a well run place this is. They sell gas and diesel and you might want to include them in your report. The Harbormaster is Buzz Billue with Sam Portolese and Ruth Conrad as Assistant Harbormaster’s. They have pumpout and sell gas and diesel at reasonable prices. Please give them a call at 772-283-9225 or fax: 772-283-7361. And, by the way, thanks for publishing my sunrise photo Best regards, Dick Harding aboard HMS TURTLE
The moorings have gone back down to $10 per day or $240.00 a month. There is free wifi, a nice boater’s lounge, new showers, new laundry facilities and a new waterfront restaurant next door. The restaurant is opening in October. The marina is full but they have a waiting list. They still take transients for short term stays. We walked a short 10 minute walk to the grocery store and to downtown Stuart. They also have a public bus that takes you to just about any store you need to go to. All in all it’s a great place to stay and the staff is the best you’ll find anywhere. J. Berry S/V Lil Rain
I was one of the first long term dockers at Sunset Bay. I could go on and on about how pristine the faciity is and how professionally run it is but the the biggest asset of the marina is the staff. I have stayed at many marinas but have never had the pleasure of having such a friendly and capable staff as Buz, Sam and Ruth. From day one, they made me feel like I had been there for years. The icing on the cake is the magnificant restaurant, Sailor’s Return. The restaurant is owned and operated buy Bob Davis. Bob has a very colorful cullinary background and will soon have Sailor’s Return known as the best restaurant in Stuart. Clay Thomasson
lies on the northwesterly reaches of the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, off the Okeechobee Waterway, hard by the southeasterly mouth of Kitching Cove
Kudos to Indiantown Marina for extradinary accommodation of boats evacuating Hurricane Matthew from the east, with wet water slips and haul outs. The staff worked non-stop for 3-4 days to help all in need. Locks were backed up hours with boats and all were able to get to Indiantown safe haven.
$2.50 per foot per night (November 1st-April 30th),$2.25 (May-October 31st)
Boat/US Dockage Discount:
Available. 10% Discount
SeaTow Dockage Discount:
Available. 10% Discount
Type of dockage:
fixed concrete decked slips and face docks
Live Aboards Allowed:
yes
Monthly Dockage Rate:
$14.00/ft/month march 1st- Oct. 31st, $16.00/ft/month- Nov. 1st-April 30th
Total number of slips/berths:
240
Dockside Power Connections:
30/50/100 amp power hookups available
30/50/100 Amp Notes:
$3.00/per night - 30 amp hookup, $6.00/per night - 50 amp hookup, $15.00/per night - 100 amp hookup
Dock. Fresh Water Connections:
Available.
Showers:
Available. Climate Controlled
Laundromat:
Available.
Restaurant:
several nearby
Restaurant Recommendations:
The Hideaway,Firestone, City Tavern are within walking distance
Provisioning Possibilities:
On-site ship’s store has some provisions or take taxi to Publix supermarket .9 mile away
LPG (Propane) Availability:
Available. Take taxi to Teco Gas (239) 690-5508 for LPG tank refill or exchange 1 1/2 miles away, or take taxi to Balgas (239-278-3111) for tank refill or exchange, 3 miles away
Waste pump-out:
Available.
Wi-Fi Internet Access:
Free WiFi Available
Fuel Availability:
Gas & Diesel Available
Fuel Notes:
90 octane/ethanol free
Fuel Prices (All Taxes Included)
Reporting Date:
April 15, 2024
Fuel Notes:
90 octane/ethanol free
Gasoline Price:
closed due to hurricane
Diesel Price:
closed due to hurricane
Any Quantity Discount:
Available. 5 cents off per gallon -1000 gallons or more
Over the last ten years I’ve visited the Ft Myers Yacht Basin on several occasions as I’ve cruised the cut to the AICW but I’d not visited there in the last year or so, boy have they done a nice remodeling of the cruisers men’s and ladies restroom/showers. This morning I talked to Brian the manager and complemented them on the nice upgrade to the facilities. This marina is a great location if you’re east or west bound thru the cut, fuel and ships store prices are very good, the location is within walking distance to Ft Myers historical district including several great pubs, eating choices and even a very highly acclaimed theatre is just a couple blocks away. Try it! you will not be disappointed. Ralph Winkler Punta Gorda, FL
We have difficulty entering marinas because we can’t maneuver easily. We visit most marinas once, and most we decide we cannot return to because they are more suited to boats with twin reversible engines and bow thrusters. This marina graciously and cheerfully allows us to tie up on their outside wall. We are headed there for our 4th stay on the way home to the Apalachicola area. It is the only marina we have been in more than once. With all the amenities and fun things close by, what’s not to like? MV Santa Catalina de Guale Tim and Lisa Keith-Lucas
Very helpful, and friendly staff. Well protected marina right within walking distance of many taverns, restaurants and shops. Showers are air conditioned and clean.
Hello to all of those transiting the beautiful Okeechobee Waterway. For current conditions on the waterway, please allow the staff at the City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin to assist you. We will be happy to provide tidal, lock schedule, weather and any other impacting information in order to help you make it through. We can be reached at 239-321-7080, yachtbasin@cityftmyers.com, llustig@cityftmyers.com and channel 16 when closer. We are open 8 to 6 and are here to serve you. Thank you, Leif Lustig Marina Manager
Oops, I neglected to add that the pricing of $1/foot is the weekly winter rate for transients. Nightly winter rate is $1.95/ft. From May 1 – Oct 31, it’s $0.90/ft/week and $1.70/ft/night. Julie
S/V Jolie and her crew are making our annual stop at Ft Myers City Yacht Basin. Last night the marina put on a customer-appreciation event, with a catered sunset cruise on a local tour boat. We continue to be impressed by the fine service and love being right in the heart of historic downtown Ft Myers. Shops, restaurants, galleries, theater and more are close by and there’s even a free trolley that goes to Publix. The new pricing structure includes $1/foot for transients. Julie
Go to the Ft Myers City Yacht Basin. Great staff, great downtown, great facilities. NO PROBLEM with live aboard but there was a $75 per month live aboard fee. we lived aboard and cruised SW FL for 4 years. Fantastic. Bob Barry
The City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin, located on the Caloosahatchee River, has a free dinghy dock. The marina is located in a downtown location and a Publix is .8 mile from the marina. Susan Dunham
We were live-aboards here for over 2 years and loved it! Dock personnel are the most qualified, helpful, responsive, and friendly of ANY marina we have been in. They will even have someone stand by after hours to recieve and help you if you call ahead. They generally have the lowest price in the area on fuel and are very diligent in maintaining clean, filtered fuel…no water or algea contamination. Tell Leif and Wendy “Hi” from Ron and Connie!
We passed this marina on our way to Sanibel. About 30 min later we were hit by a ferocious thunderstorm, winds gusting 40 and us in a narrow winding channel for the first time. A call to Ft Myers sea tow confirmed the same all the way to Sanibel. We turned around and called the Ft Myers Yacht Basin, were talked in close then lost comms prob due to the constant lightning. As we passed the breakwater, I saw a lone figure waiting on the end of the dock in foul weather gear. He helped us dock in the height of the storm and we were tied up tight. Stayed the night. Staff were very helpful and friendly. As it was Sunday night, most of the restaurants and businesses were closed. Clean facility, nice laundry, great showers. Dale
I liked the setup at Ft Myers City Marina, and a few other places, the docks are all plumbed with PVC vacuum pipes, each slip has a valve and quick coupler. For every couple of docks there is a dock box with vacuum hose, when you want to pump out you get the hose, connect it to the quick coupler and your blackwater fitting, open the valves and pump out rinse the hose when done (please), and return to the dock box, no scheduling, moving around, or waiting. I find the process is made simpler if you have the quick coupler adapter that screws into the blackwater deck plate, I had one for my Camano but haven’t been able to find one which matches the threads on the my Monk. Steve
There are two excellent marinas in Ft. Myers. We have stayed at both. Fort Myers Municipal Yacht Basin is close to downtown and the busy waterfront. Legacy Harbor Marina, (formerly Centennial Harbor) is a couple of blocks from downtown but closer to a new Publix and closer to the Edison Home. The Post Office is midway between the two. If you plan to leave your boat unattended then Legacy looks more secure but we left our boat for six weeks at the Yacht Basin with no problem. The Fort Myers area is convenient to Southwest Florida Airport (RSW) where you may book a flight or rent a car. There is taxi service to the airport. Alan Lloyd Great Loop Navigation Notes
Subject: mooring field city of Fort Myers Cruising News: The city of Fort Myers mooring field on the ICW advised us that they will only allow sailboats on their mooring balls. Does anyone know why trawlers or power boats are not allowed? Since Fort Myers Beach mooring balls are available to everyone, it does not seem to be a Lee county or Florida issue. Barbara
Subject: Ft. Myers Yacht Basin Cruising News: Ft. Myers Yacht Basin now has a unique floating full service hair salon on site. They do great haircuts and give deep discounts to marina guests. The salon is called Rumours and is adjacent to the dockmaster’s building between D and E docks. The phone number is 239-332-3174 Susan Cargill
Gulf Harbour Marina has just updated the Fuel dock, we have new state of the art dispenser, new fuel piping, hose reels, we are very excited with the grand opening as today. Annie Wilson
Reviews from Cruisers (20)
Checking on mooring field in Stuart fl for Monday 11/20/17 thru 11/25/17
We have been docked here for two months, which is the first time we have spent this much time at a dock. The staff here is extremely helpful. The location puts us adjacent to downtown which offers many shops and restaurants. There have been many examples of the staff going above and beyond for us. This comes from their focus on customer service. Thanks to Sam and the team for a great experience.
Will and Sonia Jansen
Convenient and easy location to get in and out of. Well maintained, good Wifi, water and electric above average, very clean restrooms and showers, crew lounge and bicycles are provided for. Dockage rates are high for short term and transit accommodations please note they charge an additional nightly fee for electric. Free pump out service for your holding tanks offer once per week dockside or at the main fuel docks on demand. Water pressure is very high please use caution. Our dockage was for a 60ft MY on B Dock.
Excellent staff. Clean facility. Nice area with very good restaurant options. Highly recommended. I stayed on a mooring with one night on the face wall.
We will never stay at this marina, EVER! I booked a month in advance because we have a 50 ft. cat with 27 ft. beam and we need advance reservations due to our size. I was told that we would be in slip D-2 and it had a slip with no power in front of it which they don’t rent so there would be PLENTY of room. I called the night before to make sure our reservations were in order, which they were NOT. The dockmaster said he did not know why but they had us in a slip much too small. He said he would remedy this and we could still have our spot. After dealing with all the wakes in the River and the small opening for the bridge by the marina we called and said we were heading in and they said they would meet us. After going down between the docks with only a few feet on each side we saw there was a boat in our spot and they tried to get us to go even further down where there was very little room and we could barely turn around it was so tight. After they said we were right that there was no way we would fit in there. We moved on and got a spacious spot at Loggerhead marina with competent caring staff. So, if you are going to stay there don’t bother making reservations since they don’t honor them. They acted like they did not even care that they caused us so much trouble. Also there is a busy bridge with loud car noise right next to the marina so you might not get any sleep. Such a disappointment!
We see some of you returning from the north. The Sunset Bay Moorings are alive and well and about half full. Stuart has much to offer – close shopping, close restaurants, public transportation(the moorings have private for free also) and good entertainment. The mooring offers fine facilities – lounge, outside seating with tables, ship’s store and a great riverside walking path to downtown. Join us and have a great winter!
Other things that are of interests to cruisers are arts and crafts shows, beautiful public parks, music in the downtown area on many most Sundays and a Sunday green market, all within a comfortable walking distance. There is also limo and bus transportation available to the West Palm Beach airport.
Fred and Elaine DeFoor
Lots of good comments regarding this marina and staff here. I moved over here in January from another local marina with intent on making this my permanent home port but am leaving after 4 months. Some good points to be aware of … some not so good.
Sunsets are to die for here. Locals and tourists line up on the seawall by the restaurant to watch and photograph them.
Pricing was considerably more expensive here for a lift slip than where we came from. But given the resort-like feel, the proximity to my house, nice ship’s store for sundries, cleanliness and the comments here about staff we felt this was a good move and that the $250 more per month we would pay would be worth the cost increase.
The lifts are brand new and there are 10 or 12 of them at the marina. I had to adjust the bunks to my specifications after the staff told me that the bunks could not be tilted (they can be). They are a bit slow and have no automatic raise/lower feature enabled, but there is a good 8 feet of water under them. The current happens to run in-line with the lifts so getting on and off even in a cross-wind is easy.
For transients, this is definitely one of the better marinas in Stuart in terms of facilities, boat access and nearby amenities. Note the comments above with other posters really reflect and center around the transient and live-aboard populations.
Fuel pricing is competitive with the other local marinas. The problem of boats running the Okeechobee waterway at speed parallel to the fuel dock has been resolved with a “Slow, Minimum Wake Zone”.
For locals, parking is incredibly limited and gets way worse during weekends when the Sailors Return restaurant gets wound up. The marina started using a valet parking service in an attempt to deal with what they even admit is a very poor parking lot design with small spaces and too few spaces.
At first the valets were best described as rude and confrontational with the paying marina partrons and restaurant customers but that seems to have been ironed out. A parking permit sticker is made available to marina patrons and we get priority handling without the attitude from the valets.
My experience with the staff was mixed. Some were among the most customer-oriented and customer-friendly people I have conducted business with. Others not so much … with some pretty surprising authoritarian and uncaring attitudes toward the paying customer from a few. Once in a while is just a bad day but there are a couple of guys there that just do not get it and it is recurring enough to be noticed.
One example of staff not meeting my expectations: We had one recurring issue with dock people driving their three wheel electric scooters at high speed on the narrow docks. Even after repeatedly asking the offending staff guys to slow down, the behavior continued. The Harbormaster did tell me after complaint to him that he would slow them down, but it did not happen.
After nearly being hit on the narrow dock while getting some supplies from my dock box once too often, we decided to move on. You cannot hear these scooters coming so be aware of this safety issue especially of you end up on the “A” dock that has the fuel dock at the end. Be told “coming through!” as the dock boy flies by is just not acceptable.
Another example of staff not meeting expectations: Last weekend while I was not there, my son was reportedly told by one of the staff that he was not allowed to wash our boat due to South Florida Water Management District regulations forbidding water use. I was not there to see who actually said this but that was incorrect.
When I talked to the Harbormaster about this and to point out that SFWMD does not have a rule forbidding boat or car washing, he agreed and stated that he did not ask people to not wash boats. He did state that the marina has high water bills and that they are asking people to conserve water. I suspect something got lost in interpretation with one of the staff when this issue was discussed with them.
So… *some* staff is great and “gets” it. Others I am not so sure I would say do.
Ultimately, we just did not feel we were getting the value and service expected for the *premium* price charged us. Granted there are a good 300 slips here and our experience needs to be taken in light of how many seem happy. We were disappointed to have to leave but decided it was for the best for us.
I hold no ill will with Sunset Bay Marina and wish them luck. They just have a few things to work on as I suspect they have back-slid a bit since opening.
Bill Barrett
We have been at Sunset Bay for 2 weeks now and will most likely be here another week. What a pleasant surprise this marina has been! We are on a mooring.
The staff is great; facilities are excellent and easy walk to town make this the best overall marina situation that we have experienced since we left home in NC.
Highly recommend it even if you planning to continue South; it is worth getting off of the AICW and take time to enjoy this marina.
Pat Kenefick
There is no doubt that Sunset Bay is the BEST marina in the Stuart area. It was opened in 2009 so is not yet in many cruiser’s guides. Everything is new, great facilities, although mostly transient, it would pay to book ahead as many people come in for an overnight, then stay for 2 weeks. There is also a mooring field.
Keith and Laurie Rawlings
M/V “KenBane”
As Assistant Harbormaster at Sunset Bay Marina I can tell you that our marina is always available to transients and since we opened last year we have not had to turn down, due to lack of availability, any transients who have wished to come in on a daily basis. We offer side to ties on our fixed docks for transients of all size vessels from 25′ to 125′. We have, however, had to put those who own vessels under 40′ and who wish to have a long term dockage on a waiting list as all of our slips that accommodate those size vessels filled up almost as soon as we opened last year. We are trying to accommodate these vessels on our waiting list as soon as slips become available.
The Okeechoobee Waterway traffic problem that we have had in the past has been addressed as the entire area surrounding the mooring field and the marina has just recently been designated as a no-wake zone by the State of Florida and slow no-wake signage has been installed.
As far as the “bum boat” goes, unfortunately we do not have one but we have always personally patrolled our mooring field several times each day with our carolina skiff and constantly offer assistance to our mooring field guests in any way we possibly can, helping them with provisions, etc.
We apologize for any misunderstandings that may have occurred.
Ruth Conrad
8 March 2010. It looked like it would have been a great marina but available only to folks who book six months in advance. When we asked for a one-night transient dock, we were told to come back in June! There were empty slips and a big inside protected fuel dock that no one was on. Something wrong here.
Obviously no transient slips were reserved, despite the Waterway Guide claim of there being 60. This was the first marina we encountered that had nothing available for transients, keeping in mind our size usually guarantees a spot can always be found for us.
The facilities for the mooring field were excellent but as noted by others, it is completely open to high speed waterway traffic, subject to gunnel-to-gunnel rolling and wet dinghy rides. And why is there no bum boat available for such a large mooring field?
Two of the three other marinas in the area also claimed to be filled, with only the Harborage Yacht Club and Marina having transient places available. One said they don’t take sailboats despite the visible masts. For short term stayers like ourselves, Stuart wasn’t that attractive of a place. We anchored up the North Fork after the first rolly day on a mooring, moved to Harborage for a day for provisioning, walking over the bridge, cabbing back.
Fair winds and following seas,
Austin Whitten
S/Y “Discovery II”, Vancouver 27
Heads up! Be alert when refuelling here; best to request tha they refuel on the inside of the fuel dock. Wind, and more likely wakes from passing larger boats can, & will, wreak havoc with your boat. We lost part of a rub rail in spite of lots of fenders & people pushing off. Great place otherwise.
Chris Cantrell
I agree with Lois’s comments and add that the facility includes a large mooring field, with all the amenities available for boaters on the moorings. There are clean showers, new washers & dryers, bikes, cruisers’ lounge with a printer for our laptops, and friendly service. All this for only $10/night. The location in downtown Stuart is another plus: restaurants, shops, Publix, farmers’ market every Sunday, music on the Riverwalk. We stopped for a day or two, but will stay for a couple of weeks.
As I travelled the distance up the St. Lucie River to Sunset Bay Marina, I wondered if it was going to be worth the extra mileage – it was! One of the few places with floating docks – which were excellent. CLEAN washrooms/showers/laundry. Store with marine supplies. And yes the restaurant was excellent, both in terms of food and service. And that is one of the two key attractions to this facility – it has everything but it is all about SERVICE. They specialize in that. Assistance with docking and experienced advice. There’s get acquainted parties, bbqs and other activities for both long term and transient boaters to enjoy. I was only there one night but it is definitely a place I would visit again, maybe even for the long term!
We are at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart. It is also very friendly, has a pumpout boat that visits with a phone call, and not rafting up on mooring balls! Get togethers three nites a week if you want and sparkling new, clean facilities. Lots of stuff available within walking distance.
Great prices too. As of today it is almost full to capacity which is wonderful considering (from what we have heard) some fought adding docks and updating the buildings because its a bit off the ICW and they thought it would not attract enough cruisers. They were wrong!! This place is full and operating just fine at capacity.
The only downside at this point is that this area should be a no wake zone! We got here late and are on one of the outside moorings and get quite a bit of wake from passing boats. Im not sure why it is not a no wake zone since its between two bridges and nears a marina with hundreds of boats. Would suggest picking up a ball closer in if you can.
Sami and Barry Shreve
I don’t think I can add to the nice things that have already been posted except to say they were nice enough to let us hang at the fuel dock to walk to Publix and to do laundry (laundry room has 5 washers and 6 dryers!) before we went to our mooring. I certainly would return to Sunset Bay in the future! The mooring field is nicely laid out. A first class operation!
Repeating comments I posted elsewhere on this site, in reply to a “where to stay” request:
“We’re currently moored at Sunset Bay Marina, on the south fork of the St. Lucie River, in Stuart. Moorings are $10 / day or $240 / month. There are slips but they’re booked for the winter. The location is about 7-8 miles off the ICW. Boats drawing 7′ or more may be challenged at the river entrance and in the river itself (we draw 6′ and found some “skinny bits” at the entrance, while following the marked channel). That being said, the marina is a great place to be, with excellent facilities, helpful staff, and easy walking access to Stuart’s shops as well as a Publix, etc. about a half mile along US1.
We stopped here to ride out some weather, with the plan of moving on to a marina in North Palm Beach for a Christmas break. Instead we’ll leave the boat here for the break, and are glad we found Sunset Bay Marina.”
This is a great place to stay. It’s a marina where you will stay longer than you intended because you will not want to leave. The facilities are new and very well maintained. The staff is professional and cannot do enough for you. The permanent residents are particularly friendly. Every one makes you feel like family. Coincidentally, the marina is very convenient to the town. We are eager to return when the restaurant has opened.
Walt & Ellen Solomons
Vessel Rachel
If your are staying at Sunset Bay for less than 4 nights expect to PAY… $76.00 per day for 32 as of 07/20/09, better to use there mooring field $12.00 per day if Sunset happens to be a stop… new docks and OK amenities know close shopping without transportation.
John Connon
S/V LOROLI – Watkins-32
Subject: Sunset Bay Marina & Anchorage
Cruising News: I’ve been docked at the NEW Sunset Bay Marina & anchorage, Stuart, FL for a few months now and want you to know what a well run place this is. They sell gas and diesel and you might want to include them in your report. The Harbormaster is Buzz Billue with Sam Portolese and Ruth Conrad as Assistant Harbormaster’s. They have pumpout and sell gas and diesel at reasonable prices. Please give them a call at 772-283-9225 or fax: 772-283-7361. And, by the way, thanks for publishing my sunrise photo
Best regards,
Dick Harding
aboard HMS TURTLE
The moorings have gone back down to $10 per day or $240.00 a month. There is free wifi, a nice boater’s lounge, new showers, new laundry facilities and a new waterfront restaurant next door. The restaurant is opening in October. The marina is full but they have a waiting list. They still take transients for short term stays. We walked a short 10 minute walk to the grocery store and to downtown Stuart. They also have a public bus that takes you to just about any store you need to go to. All in all it’s a great place to stay and the staff is the best you’ll find anywhere.
J. Berry
S/V Lil Rain
I was one of the first long term dockers at Sunset Bay. I could go on and on about how pristine the faciity is and how professionally run it is but the the biggest asset of the marina is the staff. I have stayed at many marinas but have never had the pleasure of having such a friendly and capable staff as Buz, Sam and Ruth. From day one, they made me feel like I had been there for years. The icing on the cake is the magnificant restaurant, Sailor’s Return. The restaurant is owned and operated buy Bob Davis. Bob has a very colorful cullinary background and will soon have Sailor’s Return known as the best restaurant in Stuart.
Clay Thomasson