Wet slips · Manatee River · Bradenton, FL
Boat Slips for Rent on the Manatee River in Bradenton
Blenker rents boat slips by the month on the Manatee River in Bradenton, on two docks: the West Dock, slips W1 to W21, with power included, and the East Dock, slips E1 to E20, without power. Both docks belong to the boat yard at 2504 88th St Ct NW, on the same property as the travel lift.
Blenker Boatworks & Marina is family owned, and a boat in one of its slips is moored at a working boat yard. To ask about an opening, give the office the boat's length, beam and draft, and say whether it needs power.
Why Blenker
What sets Blenker's slips apart
A boat yard behind the dock
The travel lift, the bottom-paint work and the repair work share the property with the slips. When a boat at the dock is due for a haul-out, a bottom job or outboard service, that work is done at the same yard.
Power on the West Dock is part of the rate
West Dock slips W1 to W21 include power in the monthly rate instead of listing it as an add-on. The East Dock, E1 to E20, is the no-power option for boats that do not need it.
On the Manatee River in Bradenton
The docks sit on the Manatee River at 2504 88th St Ct NW, Bradenton. NOAA's Coast Pilot 5 places the river's mouth on the south side of Tampa Bay, just east of Anna Maria Sound.
The same rate on both docks
Both docks are billed at the same monthly rate per foot, with the same 25-foot minimum and the same tax rule. Ask which dock has a suitable opening for your boat.
Rates in plain view
The slip rates, the minimum length and the tax rule are posted on this page, and the slip estimator turns a boat's length into a monthly figure before the first phone call.
Published rates
What it costs
Both docks are billed monthly by the foot, tax applicable. Each line shows its own minimum length.
- West Dock (W1–W21)power included
- $25/ft/month
- East Dock (E1–E20)no power
- $25/ft/month
- Dry storage23ft min
- $25/ft/month
Rates as published by the yard. The quote is where the price for your boat is set.
Wet slips
West Dock or East Dock?
The West Dock is numbered W1 to W21 and the East Dock E1 to E20. The yard has not said how many are open, so availability is a phone call.
Power included
West Dock
Slips W1 – W21 · 21 slips
$25/ft/month
25 ft minimum · billed monthly · tax applicable
No power
East Dock
Slips E1 – E20 · 20 slips
$25/ft/month
25 ft minimum · billed monthly · tax applicable
- 25ft minimum on all wet slips
- Monthly billing, tax applicable
- Availability: call the office
Where the docks sit: the Manatee River empties into the south side of Tampa Bay, just east of Anna Maria Sound (NOAA, U.S. Coast Pilot 5, chapter 5, 2026 edition, read October 10, 2026). For depths, bridge clearances and current channel conditions use the current chart and the Local Notice to Mariners; this page gives none. Coast Pilot 5, chapter 5
On land
Dry storage and trailer storage
Dry storage is $25/ft/month with a 23-foot minimum, and trailer storage is an additional monthly charge, stored off-site. The dry storage page has the size rule, the drive times for a trailer boat and how to ask for a space.
If you are choosing between a slip and dry storage, the question to answer first is how you reach the water: a slip puts the boat in it, and dry storage keeps it on land.
Length estimator
Estimate your boat
Type your boat's length. The estimator applies each line's own minimum length and labels the monthly lines per month. It is an estimate for planning, not a quote.
Wet slip, either dock
30 ft × $25/ft/month$750per month
tax applicable · West Dock: power included; East Dock: no power
An estimate for planning only. It uses your boat's length, rounded up to a whole foot, and the line's minimum length where one applies. It leaves out tax, fees, repairs found along the way and anything a quote lists on a separate line. The written quote is the price. Rates as published by the yard. The quote is where the price for your boat is set.
Before you agree to a price
What to get in writing before you take a slip
Ask for these points on paper before the boat moves in:
- The dock, the slip number and whether shore power comes with it.
- The length the slip is billed on, with the 25-foot minimum for a shorter boat.
- The monthly rate and the tax added to it.
- The slip's limits for length, beam and draft.
- The billing date, the terms for a late payment and how either side ends the arrangement.
- Any charge beyond the slip rate, such as utilities other than the West Dock's included power.
- The marina rules that apply to you, such as checking in at the office on arrival.
How a slip is arranged
Measure, choose a dock, ask, check in
Measure the boat
Write down the length overall, the beam and the draft, and decide whether the boat needs shore power.
Choose a dock
The West Dock, slips W1 to W21, includes power; the East Dock, slips E1 to E20, does not. Both docks have a 25-foot minimum, and on the West Dock a shorter boat is charged for 25 feet. Ask whether the East Dock takes a boat under 25 feet.
Ask for an opening
Phone during office hours, or send the quote form below with the three measurements, and ask which slip fits and from what date.
Check in, then monthly billing
The marina's posted rules ask every arrival to check in at the office. The slip is billed monthly by the foot, and tax applies to every monthly charge.
“Great marina, awesome place to hang with friends and family”
Google review · June 2018 · 4.3 on Google, 95 reviews
Questions about marina slips
How much does a boat slip cost in Bradenton?
On the Manatee River in Bradenton, the West Dock is $25/ft/month with power included and the East Dock is $25/ft/month without power, each billed monthly with a 25-foot minimum plus tax. Slip prices across Florida vary with the marina, the size of the slip and what comes with it, so compare the per-foot rate, the billed length, power and tax side by side.
How much does it cost to keep a boat in a slip each month?
Multiply the length the slip is billed on by the per-foot monthly rate, then add tax; the billed length is never less than 25 feet. Before the boat moves in, ask which day of the month the bill is due and what happens if a payment is late.
Which dock has power, and is it extra?
The West Dock, slips W1 to W21, includes power in its monthly rate, and the rate stays the same if the power goes unused. The East Dock, slips E1 to E20, has no power option.
What size boat fits a Blenker slip?
Both docks have a 25-foot minimum. On the West Dock a shorter boat is charged for 25 feet. Call with your length, beam and draft to check which slip fits, and mention a pontoon or any other wide hull.
Are any slips open right now?
Ask the office, because openings change as boats come and go. Give the boat's length, beam and draft on a call to (941) 794-5500 and ask which dock has room.
Is a boat slip worth it?
A slip suits a boat that goes out often: it stays in the water, tied up and ready, with no launch before each trip. A hull that lives in the water needs antifouling bottom paint to slow marine growth, and Blenker does bottom jobs at the same yard. For a boat that sits idle for long stretches, compare the slip with dry storage on land.
What is the difference between a boat dock and a boat slip?
A dock is the walkway structure on the water; a slip is one numbered berth along it where a single boat ties up. At Blenker, the West Dock holds slips W1 to W21 and the East Dock holds slips E1 to E20.
Can I live aboard my boat in a slip at Blenker?
Ask the office whether living aboard is allowed before booking a slip, and get the terms in writing.
Related at the yard
- Dry storage and trailer storageStorage out of the water: the minimum length, trailer storage and how to ask for a space.
- Haul-outThe travel lift, for boats that need to come out of the water.
- Outboard serviceInterval service for engines on boats kept at the docks.
- Boat detailingWhat a detail usually covers, and what to tell the office about the boat.
- Fuel dock and Fuel ClubMarina fuel at the yard's own dock, and the Fuel Club sign-up form.
- Published ratesSlips, dry storage and every other published line, with an estimator.
- Contact and directionsThe address, the hours and the office phone.
- Photos from the yardThe docks and the water.
Get a quote
Tell us about the boat
Length, beam and draft, whether you need power, and when.
Tell us what your boat needs.
Call the office during Mon–Fri 9:30am–4:00pm, or send the quote form with your boat's length, type and what it needs.