Boat Basin Dredging
Boat Basin & Marina Dredging
Depth restoration for private slips, commercial marinas, and yacht basins.
Marinas and yacht basins carry a different set of constraints from residential canals: tenants depend on operating slips, insurance requires documented depths, and any downtime costs revenue. We phase basin dredging so most slips stay operational, and we produce the as-built surveys your insurer and lender want to see.
What's included
- Phased dredging so most slips stay wet and rentable during the project
- Yacht basin and mega-yacht slip clearance to 10+ feet where permit allows
- Documented pre- and post-dredge bathymetry for insurance and lender files
- Spoil dewatering and off-site disposal at approved upland sites
- Coordination with fuel-dock, lift, and seawall work in a single mobilization
How the project runs
- Step 1 — Basin bathymetry
Full-coverage single-beam or multibeam survey. We deliver a color depth map you can use for tenant communication.
- Step 2 — Phasing plan
Slip-by-slip schedule so tenants get advance notice and the marina stays operational through most of the work.
- Step 3 — Permits & disposal
FDEP, USACE, and county coverage plus an approved disposal path — critical for basins where volumes exceed 500 cubic yards.
- Step 4 — Production dredging
Hydraulic dredge for fine sediment, mechanical for consolidated material. Turbidity curtains around active work.
- Step 5 — As-built delivery
Signed post-dredge survey and PDF for your records. We also flag any areas that will need re-dredging in the next 3 to 7 years.
FAQ
- How long does marina dredging take?
- A private residential basin usually takes 3 to 10 working days on the water. A full commercial marina depends on volume and phasing — most projects run 3 to 8 weeks including mobilization and demobilization.
- Can you dredge under docks and finger piers without removing them?
- In most cases yes. Small hydraulic cutter heads reach under fixed docks. For very tight geometry or heavily fouled piles we may recommend selective dock removal, but this is uncommon.
- What depth is standard for yacht basins?
- Standard yacht basins are permitted to 6 to 8 feet at mean low water; mega-yacht basins to 10 to 12 feet where the original permit allows. We never dredge past permitted depth — that voids the permit and triggers restoration orders.
Related glossary
Get a free site survey
Tell us about your project and we'll schedule a no-cost on-water survey.