The Marina Acquisition Boom
Marina ownership in the United States is consolidating faster than ever. Private equity firms, REITs, and platform operators have discovered what family marina owners have known for decades: waterfront real estate with recurring revenue and high barriers to entry is an exceptional asset class.
We've tracked every acquisition for the past two years. The pace is accelerating, and a few names keep showing up.
The Top Acquirers
Safe Harbor Marinas (Blackstone Infrastructure)
Safe Harbor changed hands again in April 2025 when Blackstone Infrastructure acquired the platform for $5.65 billion from Sun Communities — a 2.7x return for Sun in under five years. Safe Harbor now operates 150+ marinas and shipyards, making it the largest marina operator in the Western Hemisphere.
Recent acquisitions include Front Street Shipyard in Maine, Port Annapolis in Maryland, and Los Suenos Marina in Costa Rica — their first international deal. Safe Harbor isn't just buying marinas anymore; they're acquiring superyacht yards (Rybovich, Savannah Yacht Center) and service operations (Jarrett Bay Boatworks) to vertically integrate the boating ecosystem.
Suntex Marina Investors
Suntex is the most prolific acquirer by deal count — 26 transactions in our database across 66 properties in 15 states. In February 2022, they absorbed Westrec's entire 32-marina portfolio for $400M in partnership with Centerbridge Partners, instantly doubling their footprint.
Suntex targets a different profile than Safe Harbor: full-service resort-style marinas with fuel, dining, and lodging. Recent deals include Faro Blanco Marina in the Keys ($540K/slip) and Prime Marina Miami in Coconut Grove ($132K/slip).
Bain Capital / BlueWater Marinas
BlueWater, backed by Bain Capital, has closed 5 deals in the past 18 months — all mid-market coastal properties. Their most recent: Kent Narrows Boatel in Maryland ($16M, 375 slips) and Boathouse Marine Center in Pompano Beach ($16.1M). They're targeting the $5M-$20M sweet spot that's too small for Safe Harbor and too expensive for local operators. Smart strategy — this is the most inefficient part of the market and where the best risk-adjusted returns probably are.
The New Wave
- TopSide Marinas: 5 acquisitions in our database — building a Great Lakes and Midwest portfolio including Bay Harbor in Michigan and Bay Marine of Chicago
- Monument Marine Group: Quietly assembling a New England portfolio — St. Augustine Marine Center ($19.8M) and Harbor Lights Marina in Rhode Island
- Bowline Marinas: 4 deals in the Southeast — Shem Creek Marina in Charleston, Lake Oconee in Georgia
- Stonepeak Infrastructure: Entered the market in 2025 with a $700-800M acquisition of Southern Marinas' 15-property portfolio
For the full picture — who's buying, what they're paying, and where the money is coming from — see our deep dive on the $13B consolidation wave. Or track every deal as it happens on our transaction database.