What BlueWater Marinas does

BlueWater Marinas is a Charleston, South Carolina-based marina ownership, development, and operating platform that acquires and manages premier coastal marina real estate along the U.S. East Coast. Founded in 2022 by the former principals and management team of Atlantic Marina Holdings and PORT 32 Marinas, the company runs a portfolio of 15+ marina properties spanning Massachusetts to Florida that together comprise more than 4,000 wet and dry slips and over 140,000 square feet of marine commercial space. In 2024, BlueWater formed a strategic joint venture with Bain Capital Real Estate to fund the continued acquisition and operation of high-quality, storage-centric marina assets in supply-constrained boating markets.

The company's core product is marina real estate operations, with dry storage (vertical rack storage with crane retrieval and valet launch), wet slip rentals, and full-service marine operations as the platform base. Layered revenue streams include boat club memberships, marine service and repair, fuel dock operations, boat sales through an authorized Grady-White dealership, seasonal and climate-controlled winter storage, and commercial space leasing to marine service tenants such as OneWater Sales & Service. Operating locations are operated under the historical PORT 32 sub-brand (Naples, Tampa, Jacksonville, Palm Beach Gardens, Tierra Verde, Fort Lauderdale, Marco Island, Cape Coral) alongside newly acquired independent brands including Bayside Marine, Kent Narrows Boatel, Glyn's Marine, Boathouse Marine Center, and Harbor at Lemon Bay. Several retained development projects, including PORT 32 Palm Beach Gardens' modernization into a 460-slip state-of-the-art drystack and the entitled Harborage Club Fort Lauderdale concept (up to 330 climate-controlled dry slips), indicate active asset enhancement alongside acquisition.

BlueWater generates revenue from a mix of recurring subscription-style rentals (seasonal/annual slip leases, boat club memberships, commercial leases), transactional revenue (boat sales, fuel, service and repair), and property-level operating income. The go-to-motion targets individual recreational boaters and boat club members in premium East Coast boating markets, with customer acquisition driven through individual marina websites, the corporate site, LinkedIn presence, and direct contact channels. Under the Bain Capital JV structure, capital intensity is supplied by a large private equity sponsor with deep real estate expertise while BlueWater provides industry knowledge and on-property operating teams, enabling an aggressive acquisition-led growth strategy.

Name

BlueWater Marinas

Legal name

BlueWater Marinas, LLC

Website

https://bw-marinas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BlueWater Marinas is a Charleston-based marina ownership and operating platform that acquires and manages premier East Coast marina properties via a 2024 joint venture with Bain Capital Real Estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marina Operations and Marine Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930), Boat Dealers (441222)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Marina & Waterfront Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAK)

Keywords

• Marina operations
• Boat storage services
• Wet slip rentals
• Marine service repair
• Boat club memberships

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Dry and Wet Slip Rentals: Annual, seasonal, and short-term rental of dry storage and wet slip marina berths
2. Boat Sales: Authorized dealer for boat brands such as Grady-White, generating revenue through new boat sales
3. Marine Service and Repair: Full-service departments offering boat maintenance, winterization, commissioning, and repairs
4. Boat Club Memberships: Flexible boat club memberships providing access to vessels without ownership
5. Commercial Space Leasing: Leasing of marine commercial space to service tenants including OneWater Sales & Service
6. Fuel Sales: Fuel dock operations at select marina locations

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BlueWater Marinas acquires, develops, and operates a portfolio of premier coastal marina properties along the US East Coast under a joint venture with Bain Capital Real Estate. Its core services include dry boat storage (including climate-controlled indoor drystack), wet slip rentals, marine service and repair, fuel dock operations, boat club memberships, boat sales (including authorized Grady-White dealership), winter storage, and boat rentals offered across owned marina locations from Massachusetts to Florida.

Product overview

BlueWater Marinas operates a portfolio of premier marina properties along the East Coast, offering a unified platform of marine services across owned and managed locations. The portfolio includes both acquired brands (Bayside Marine, Kent Narrows Boatel, Glyn's Marine, Boathouse Marine Center, Harbor at Lemon Bay, PORT 32 locations) and realized properties. Core services center on dry storage (vertical rack storage with valet launch), wet slip rentals, and full-service marine operations. Add-on services include boat club memberships, marine service/repair, boat sales, fuel services, and seasonal storage. The company forms a platform-plus-modules architecture where the core marina portfolio is augmented by value-added services (boat clubs, brokerage, fuel, repairs) across premier boating markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PORT 32: Former company and retained brand name for a series of marina properties acquired by BlueWater, including PORT 32 Naples, PORT 32 Tampa, PORT 32 Jacksonville, PORT 32 Palm Beach Gardens, PORT 32 Tierra Verde, PORT 32 Fort Lauderdale, PORT 32 Marco Island, and PORT 32 Cape Coral.

Products and services

• Dry Storage Services Premium dry boat storage services across the marina portfolio, including climate-controlled indoor drystack facilities. Boats are stored vertically in racks, retrieved via crane, and launched via valet service at locations along the US East Coast.
• Wet Slip Rentals Traditional wet slip dockage rentals providing direct water access from berthed boats at various marina locations along the US East Coast, available on annual, seasonal, and short-term basis.
• Marine Service and Repair Full-service marine departments and repair facilities covering hauling, launching, winterization, spring commissioning, outboard service, hull maintenance, repairs, and general boat service for boat owners at multiple marina locations.
• Boat Sales Sales of new boats, including authorized Grady-White dealership at Bayside Marine, plus used boat sales and brokerage services at select marina locations.
• Fuel Services Fuel dock services available at multiple marina locations including PORT 32 Tierra Verde, PORT 32 Naples, PORT 32 Tampa, PORT 32 Fort Lauderdale, Harbor at Lemon Bay, and Ripley Light Marina.
• Boat Club Memberships Flexible subscription-based boat club memberships offered at select locations including Boathouse Marine Center, Harbor at Lemon Bay, PORT 32 Naples, and Ripley Light Marina, providing members with access to boats without ownership or maintenance responsibilities.
• Winter Storage Seasonal winter storage services including climate-controlled heated storage at Kent Narrows Boatel and winter storage capabilities at Glyn's Marine and other locations for boat owners in northern climates.
• Boat Rentals Boat rental services offered at Harbor at Lemon Bay, PORT 32 Marco Island, and PORT 32 Cape Coral locations for visitors and locals seeking short-term boat access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $600 million in marina transactions and development under Joe Miller's leadership
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Grady-White BoatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBayside Marine operates as an authorized Grady-White boat dealer, selling new boats at the Duxbury, Massachusetts location.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IGY Marinas: International premium marina operator with luxury yacht-focused facilities and club-style services. Comparable in serving high-end boaters and operating premium slips, mega-yacht berths, and ancillary services at supply-constrained coastal locations.
• Safe Harbor Marinas: Largest owner and operator of marinas in the US, also pursuing a buy-and-build rollup strategy with institutional capital backing. Comparable in storage-centric offering, premium coastal markets focus, and multi-brand platform approach.
• OneWater Marine: Public boat dealer and marina services company that is also a commercial tenant of BlueWater (leases space at PORT 32 Naples, Marco Island, Cape Coral). Comparable in marine retail and marina services.
• MarineMax: Public recreational boating and marina company combining boat sales, marinas, and finance/insurance services. Comparable in offering an integrated platform spanning slips, service, and boat sales to recreational boaters.
• Oasis Marinas: Regional marina management and acquisition platform focused on the US East Coast and Gulf Coast. Comparable storage-centric model and operational focus on premiumizing independent marinas.
• Suntex Marina Partners: One of the largest US owners and operators of recreational marinas with a similar East Coast/Southeast focus, multi-brand portfolio strategy, and recurring storage-centric revenue model. Most directly comparable in business model and asset class.

Broad incumbents

• Brunswick Corporation: Diversified marine manufacturer (boats, engines, parts) with growing marina services exposure through Brunswick Boat Group and Freedom Boat Club. Adjacent to BlueWater via boat manufacturing, propulsion, and boat club operations.
• West Marine: Largest US specialty retailer of marine parts, accessories, and supplies serving recreational boaters. Comparable end-customer base and ecosystem participant, though product retail rather than marina operations.

Others

• BoatUS (GEICO Marine): Largest US boating association offering insurance, towing, and member services to recreational boaters. Comparable customer base but operates as an enabling service provider rather than a marina owner.

Regional players

• Morningstar Marinas: Marina owner-operator with notable presence in the Southeast US, having previously acquired Golden Isles Marina from BlueWater's founders in 2007. Comparable storage-centric marina operations in overlapping Florida/Georgia geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bluewater-marinas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BlueWater Marinas