Harbortown Marina is located north of downtown Fort Pierce. We also strongly recommend that you consider nearby Fort Pierce City Marina, and not just because this latter facility is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR. They are also an absolutely first-class, city run marina in every way, shape and fashion!

I left my boat here while visiting friends in Vero Beach. The cost for the slip, with power (monthly rate) was the same as staying at a mooring at Vero Beach Municipal Marina. Of course, this only works if you have access to a car. Great staff, nice restaurant, and yes, the docks do need some attention. If you look at an unprotected piling (most are wrapped with some material that hide the damage), you wonder how they stand up to the stress.
HB Koern

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Harbortown Marina (Fort Pierce)

This little anchorage lies just north of what used to be the Jones Fruit Dock, but only Waterway veterans will remember that place. For everyone else, let’s just say that it lies north of Vero Beach. This a great spot to drop the hook, but swinging room is a bit skimpy, and may only be appropriate for vessels 32 feet and smaller.

We stop here almost every time we pass by, including Mar 31, 2010. We usually anchor about halfway up behind the island, but this time a little more to the south, about 150 feet south of a buoy midstream. We had our usual quiet night but in the morning, pulled up a heavy chain attached to an old mooring and caught on our anchor. I had seen two moorings here in previous years and wondered where one of them went ‘“ now we know! So be aware that there have been moorings midstream behind the island and there is the possibility of catching one with your anchor. Other than that it’s a delightful, protected spot.
Jean Thomason (DOVEKIE)

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Anchorage Directory Listing For The Secluded Anchorage

Sailfish Marina of Stuart is the first facility that will come abeam to the west, after entering Manatee Pocket!

We are staying a couple nights at Sailfish Marina, just off the ICW, in the Manatee Pocket, near Stuart, Fla. They give a Boat US discount off on fuel. They give 25% off their slips, making it only $1.50 per foot, very reasonable for Fla. The washer and dryer are only $1.00 each. For reservations, call 772-283-1122 for Kay, the office manager. The owners Jan and Butch Bayley are very helpful too.
Cindy Shue

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Sailfish Marina of Stuart

The new (at least to yours truly) anchorage described below by Captains John and Angie will be found just south of the old Jones Fruit Dock location (for Waterway veterans that remember this venerable stopover). This is one of the new overnight havens for which we have had input here on the Net, with which I am completely unfamiliar. Anyone else dropped the hook here. If so, please click the “Comment on This Posting/Marina/Anchorage/Bridge” link below, and share your experiences.

You missed the best anchorage in this area, at about MM 947 behind the small spoil islet. We went in just N of flashing red marker `112’³ and never saw less than 8 ft. We were there recently in March on a Sat. with 6 other boats, four left late in the day. The ICW was busy and noisy during the day, but no wakes reached us. Protected from most directions of wind except S.
John and Angie

I e-mailed Captains John and Angie, and asked for more details on the location of this anchorage. They were kind enough to forward the reply below:

Hi Claiborne
The `spoil islet’ is on the W side of the ICW and the anchorage is on the W side of it.
N 27deg 43.3min W 80deg 23.9min
Thanks for all that you do to share good cruising info.
John and Angie
m/v Snow Bird
Leopard 37 powercat

Seldom have we gotten just a quantity of good messages concerning a newly minted marina facility as those we have received over the last six months for Sunset Bay Marina. If you don’t already know, this facility has risen on the site of the old City of Stuart pier, later a mooring field known as Southpointe Anchorage. Sunset Bay is found just upstream of the old Roosevelt Bridges, on the South Fork of St. Lucie River.

As I traveled 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!
Lois Lipton

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.
Julie and John Stocksdale

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Sunset Bay Marina