Charleston marina company partners in purchase of Florida property

Hollie Moore // April 25, 2025//

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BlueWater Marinas and Bain Capital acquired Boathouse Marine Center.
The marina is located in Pompano Beach, near Hillsborough Inlet.
This is the second acquisition in the firms’ marina portfolio.
Partnership focuses on high-demand, storage-centric boating markets.

Charleston-based BlueWater Marinas has partnered with Boston-headquartered Bain Capital Real Estate to acquire a Florida dry-stack marina.

This is the second time the two companies have joined forces to acquire property.

The pair teamed up in 2024 to buy storage-centric marina properties in boating markets along the East Coast, with Boathouse Marine Center in Pompano Beach, Fla., being the second and most recent acquisition in the portfolio, according to a news release.

BlueWater and Bain Capital’s first asset was Harbor at Lemon Bay in Englewood, Fla., according to the release.

“Consistent with Bain Capital’s thematic, customer-oriented investment approach, 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,” Andrew Terris, a partner at Bain Capital, said in the release. “BMC represents a compelling opportunity to acquire an attractive asset in one of our highest conviction markets, and we look forward to building upon our partnership with the BlueWater team as we seek to assemble a best-in-class portfolio of marinas that is advantaged by high barrier-to-entry locations and BlueWater’s operational expertise.”

BMC is located near the Hillsborough Inlet in Pompano Beach, a submarket of Fort Lauderdale, which attracts year-round boating traffic, the release said.

Joe Miller and Dunston Powell led the BMC acquisition. The price of the purchase was not disclosed.

“Bain Capital is an outstanding, highly aligned partner,” Miller said in the release. “Their reputation precedes them, and we now understand why they are so highly regarded. We feel extremely fortunate to team with such a fine firm as we continue forward in the marina sector.”