Bain Capital Real Estate and BlueWater Marinas have jointly acquired Boathouse Marine Center (BMC), a dry-stack marina located in the high-demand boating hub of Pompano Beach, Florida.
According to a press release, the private, off-market transaction marks the second asset for the strategic joint venture, which the two firms formed in 2024 to invest in storage-focused marina properties in premier boating destinations along the East Coast. Financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
BMC is situated in a prime location near the Hillsborough Inlet, offering close access to open water and serving a dense, affluent community within the broader Fort Lauderdale region.
Pompano Beach is well-known for its year-round boating activity and has long been considered one of the most active and supply-constrained markets in the country.
This makes the asset a highly desirable addition to the joint venture’s growing portfolio, which also includes Harbor at Lemon Bay in the Sarasota submarket.
Bain Capital Real Estate Partner Andrew Terris noted that the move reflects the firm’s broader investment strategy, which focuses on long-term trends and customer-driven sectors.
“The marina sector benefits from several long-term secular growth drivers, including very high structural supply barriers, increased consumer spending on experiences, and sustained demand for larger boats,” he said.
Terris emphasized that BMC offers a rare opportunity to secure a high-quality marina asset in a top-tier market, aligning with the venture’s goal of assembling a premier marina portfolio.
BlueWater Marinas, co-led by industry veterans Joe Miller and Dunston Powell, brings more than 110 years of combined experience in acquiring, developing, and operating marina assets.
Their previous success in building out a well-known portfolio under a different marina brand has laid the foundation for their latest partnership with Bain Capital.
Miller described the collaboration as both strategic and deeply aligned, calling Bain Capital “an outstanding, highly aligned partner” with a stellar reputation in the industry.
Bain Capital Real Estate, which has committed over $9 billion of equity across sectors since 2010, is known for targeting niche markets with strong fundamentals and significant growth potential.
BlueWater Marinas, based in Charleston, South Carolina, will continue its focus on acquiring and operating high-quality marina properties, including both dry and wet slip facilities, in competitive coastal markets.
This acquisition is significant for the boating industry because it reflects a growing trend of institutional investment in marina infrastructure, which has traditionally been fragmented and locally operated.
As demand for recreational boating surges and vessel sizes increase, well-capitalized players like Bain Capital and experienced operators like BlueWater Marinas are stepping in to meet the need for modern, service-oriented storage solutions.