Hull Cleaning, Dock & Seawall Divers in Coral Gables, FL

The Coral Gables Waterway runs inland from Biscayne Bay, and the city takes it seriously enough to run four tide stations on it that log water levels every 15 minutes. A stormwater outfall on a connected canal pushes fresh water into it, which is one reason the county lists the waterway as one of four major winter manatee gathering sites in Miami-Dade. Fresh water and still canals mean soft growth: slime and a heavy waterline band rather than the hard barnacle crust of open bay water.

The canals have fixed bridges, and the city publishes 18 clearances, from 7 feet at Pisano Avenue to 21 feet at Isla Dorada Boulevard. That decides which boats can live where, and it means many Gables boats rarely leave their canal, so nothing knocks the growth off between our visits. Docks and moorings here need a Public Works permit and county environmental (DERM) approval, and the shoreline mangroves are protected by state law.

Our regular stops are the private docks of Cocoplum, where the city monitors tides and mangrove water levels, Gables Estates, and Gables by the Sea, plus Matheson Hammock Park & Marina on Old Cutler Road. Matheson is county-run, with a marina for boats up to 50 feet, fuel and ramps with 210 trailer spaces; boats in its wet slips sit in open bay water and foul faster than the canal boats. ZIP codes 33143, 33146 and 33156 cover the waterfront.

Red, black and white mangroves line much of the Gables shoreline, and trimming them without a county-certified trimmer draws fines, so we clean the dock and leave the trees alone. Pilings, floating docks and lifts are cleaned with non-abrasive cavitation, no pickaxes or chisels, and every cleaning includes a multi-point inspection. We have not found a Coral Gables seawall height ordinance, so a seawall inspection here is about the wall's condition and the documentation a lender wants for a Gables Estates or Cocoplum sale.

Call 561-666-3716 or send the form with the boat's length, the canal or marina it lives on, and whether the hull is painted. If your dock is behind a fixed bridge or a gate, mention it; the divers call ahead and text you right before the visit. Cocoplum, Gables Estates, Gables by the Sea and Matheson Hammock are all monthly stops, and you don't need to be home.