Marina Mandate

Once only a second thought, marinas are now a property owner’s prime consideration.

This article was written by J. Michael Welton. Photography courtesy of the resorts.

Docks, slips, and marinas now trump living space in some the newest and most exclusive waterfront resort communities that are being developed these days.

“We’ve found in the last three years that the home is the afterthought,” says Tina Necrason, executive vice president of residential at Montage International. “People are looking for the right place to put their yacht.”

And they have choices. Montage Cay in the Abacos offers 47 slips in a deepwater marina that can accommodate yachts up to 110 feet. It’s part of a 53-acre resort and residential community located 45 minutes from Fort Lauderdale and accessible by boat, ferry, seaplane, or helicopter. Purchase a home there, and there’s the option to purchase a slip. Marina membership includes power, fresh water, dockmaster/harbormaster, valet service, and in-yacht dining.

North of Miami next to Golden Beach, Shell Bay is a private club and residential destination now under construction on 150 acres, with a 48-slip marina capable of tying up 110-foot yachts. There’s an 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman, a 12-acre practice facility, and a nine-hole, Par 3 course.

A 20-story tower will layer on 108 residences, plus four single-family homes on the marina. They’ll all be served by Auberge, the uber-chic hotel brand that hosts upscale clientele in Cabo, Napa Valley, and Santorini. “There’ll be in-room dining and a concierge–everything you get in a five-star resort,” says developer Alex Witkoff, co-CEO of the Witkoff Group.

In Charleston, South Carolina, the 22-acre Waterfront Daniel Island is the last multi-use parcel on an island between the Cooper and Wando Rivers in Charleston Harbor. Homes face the Wando and can be accessed by boat or bridge. And it’s a half-hour from downtown.

More than 900 linear feet face directly onto the waterfront. The first of six development phases is now complete, with 58 homes, a restaurant, a waterfront park, a gourmet market, and a private pool. Two public docks serve the property–one for sailboats and schools, and another for power boats and clubs. “You can dock by the hour,” says Harriette Calder, project manager at The Waterfront Daniel Island. “And owners can moor out in front of their residences in the river.”

A team of land planners from New York’s Hart Howerton sited the community’s buildings with water vistas for as many residences as possible. One view is out to the Wando, while three others open up to tidal marshes. The planners turned their buildings to follow water and marsh, creating L-shaped structures in the process. “We tried to be as thoughtful as possible,” she says. “We maximized the views, space, and scale.”

While landscape architects and engineers from the Charleston office of Thomas & Hutton created intimate spaces and courtyards between buildings, local architects aimed for a Lowcountry look and feel with native exterior finishes like tabby stucco. “It’s all become a backdrop for photos and Instagram images,” she says.

For the Shell Bay residences, Witkoff recruited Miami-based Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, known for hospitality work for the Four Seasons and other upscale hoteliers. Interiors are by AvroKO, also in Miami, who’s completed high-end projects across South Florida and the Keys. Landscape architects are Palm Beach-based Nievera Williams, whose work has appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, and Traditional Home.

Shell Bay’s marina is one of the only private clubs where owners can pull up in their yachts, then play a round of golf. “We’re trying to create a secluded enclave for a life well-lived,” Witkoff says. “It’s healthy and performance-based–there’s a gym, or you could just wake up and take your boat out for a spin.”

Montage Bay in the Abacos offers 47 single-story, standalone residences, 18 of them three- and four-bedroom villas that are fully furnished. Another 29 estate residences are located on sites that range from a quarter to a full acre. They’re five to seven bedrooms, each also fully furnished.

The residences were designed by Robert C. Glazier and Gensler Architects, with interiors by the Design Agency. Close to half have been sold to date, with completion scheduled by the end of 2025. Soon to come is a two-story, five-star hotel with 50 all-suite accommodations and five over-water single suites.

Significantly, these are the only residences on the island, which is a private Montage property. Each is tailored to yacht owners. “You pull up in your boat, walk in your front door, then walk out the back door and you’re on the beach that’s private to the island,” she says.

There may be better ways to tie up a yacht–but it’s hard to imagine how.

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