Fort Lauderdale calls itself the yachting capital of the world and the claim is about the marine industry rather than the hire market: the yards, the brokers and the boat show. The day-rental market alongside it is large, motor-dominated and priced in blocks, and it runs on the Intracoastal and out through Port Everglades rather than on open water.
What the market publishes
Sailo's Fort Lauderdale page listed 1,115 boat rentals when it was read on 11 September 2026. A 40ft Sea Ray Sundancer of 2008 carrying 12 guests read 349 USD per 2 hours; a 37ft Sea Ray Sundancer of 2007 carrying 10 read 325. Both were marked Captain Available. The city's listing count is slightly larger than Miami's, which is unusual and reflects how much of the industry lives here.
Where a Lauderdale block actually goes
Up and down the Intracoastal past the houses and the yards, which is the point for most hirers, or out of Port Everglades into the Atlantic if the weather and the boat allow. The inlet is busy with commercial traffic and the ocean is open with no lee, so a great deal of hire here never leaves the waterway. Palm Beach thirty miles north runs the same pattern on a smaller scale.
Catamarans and larger groups
The catamaran listings here are aimed at parties and family groups who want deck space rather than passage-making, and they are priced above the cruisers of the same length. If the group is more than about twelve, the constraint is usually the captain's license rather than the boat: carrying more passengers for hire requires a differently certificated captain, and the listings that can do it are fewer and dearer.
What sits on top of the block
Fuel, which on a 40ft planing cruiser running the Intracoastal for two hours is a real number; the captain where one is mandatory rather than optional; gratuity; and dockage if you stop somewhere for lunch. Ask which of those are in the quoted figure before comparing two listings, because the listing rate is the least variable part of the total.
Questions people ask about catamaran rental Fort Lauderdale
How much is a boat rental in Fort Lauderdale?
Sailo listed 1,115 boats there on 11 September 2026, with a 40ft Sea Ray Sundancer at 349 USD per 2 hours and a 37ft at 325, both marked Captain Available.
Where do Fort Lauderdale rentals go?
Mostly up and down the Intracoastal past the yards and houses, or out through Port Everglades into the Atlantic when the weather and the boat allow.
Are catamarans more expensive in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes. They are sold on deck space for larger groups and priced above cruisers of the same length, and the passenger limit is often set by the captain's certification rather than the boat.