World’s Fastest Automated Dry Stack for Sale

Colliers | US has listed F3 Marina Fort Lauderdale, the world’s fastest automated dry stack marina, for sale. The 59,000-square-foot hurricane-rated facility is located at 1335 Southeast 16th Street in Fort Lauderdale – the boating capital of the world.

F3 Marina Fort Lauderdale is home to the first-of-its-kind automated marine crane system that lifts and stores or retrieves boats in under five minutes. The computerized system maximizes storage capability and minimizes boat retrieval time – boasting a significant advancement in the marina industry.

Matt Putnam, Andrew Cantor and Dan Grovatt of Colliers’ Leisure Property Advisors team are representing F3 Marina in the sale. Colliers has launched the formal marketing campaign for the listing and will begin accepting offers in late May.

F3 Marina Fort Lauderdale was built in 2021 and has been described as the as “the ‘Ritz Carlton’ of dry stacks” by founders David Behnke and John Matheson. As the world’s tallest dry stack marina, the 130-foot-high building provides secure indoor storage for 254 vessels on racks that are six tiers high. Amenities include an upscale private lounge, indoor covered parking, on-site high-speed fueling, storage rentals and a retail ship store.

The computerized marine crane system uses an overhead crane to hoist vessels up to 47 feet long, 13 feet beam and 20 feet high with a weight limit of 30,000 pounds. The automated system has been likened to Carvana’s vehicle vending machine for the boating industry. The boat lift retrieves boats from the wet well and places them in their reserved rack location in less than five minutes. There are 21 wet slips for the staging process, which increases efficiency and reduces cycle time.

The project was developed by F3 Marina under Behnke and Matheson, who have an extensive commercial real estate background. The duo purchased the land in 2018 and spent several years working with the city to gain the necessary approvals and design the facility. During this time, they also purchased a license for the patented-lift-technology that reduced the time it historically took to retrieve or return a boat by more than half.

The project was designed by architect RINKA of Milwaukee and built by Florida-based Miller Construction. The building is made of structural steel and precast concrete and is designed to withstand winds from a Category 5 hurricane.

Founded in 2012, F3 Marina specializes in the management and financial turnaround of marinas worldwide and is the premier developer of dry stack marinas in the United States. The company is a leader in professional marina management and consulting services with services including all aspects of waterfront development and management, including marinas and adjacent upland property, such as multifamily, office and retail.

For more information on the offering of F3 Marina Fort Lauderdale, contact Matt Putnam at matt.putnam@colliers.com.