Boating

Boating from Hendricks Isle and Isle of Venice: Routes, Bridges & Clearances

By Glen Primak, GLEN PRIMAK GROUP · Updated October 24, 2026

The short answer

Hendricks Isle and Isle of Venice are finger isles that run north from East Las Olas Boulevard. Boats leave from the north end of the canals and head east to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Boats from both the Hendricks Isle and Isle of Venice canals reach the Intracoastal, per Glen Primak, local agent. At the south end, Hendricks Isle and Isle of Venice Drive each cross a short, low road bridge just north of Las Olas Boulevard. The National Bridge Inventory lists the Isle of Venice Drive span (built 2016) with no navigation control on the waterway, and lists the Hendricks Isle Drive span over the Las Olas canal (built 1962) the same way, so treat the south end as closed to boats.

Once on the ICW, the usual way to the ocean is south to Port Everglades, through two bascule (opening) bridges. There are no fixed bridges on that route.

Sources: 33 CFR 117.261 (eCFR, current); Federal Register 2026-00932; Coast Pilot 4, Ch. 12 (Oct 18, 2026 ed.); USCG Federal Register 2012-8873 (Las Olas 24 ft).

Step by step: from the isles to the Atlantic

1. Leave the canal at its north end. Depth, width and turning room differ by canal and by dock, and deeper-draft boats may need to time the tide. Check depth at your slip and along the canal at low tide before you commit to a boat.
2. Head east to the ICW. The canals open into the waters south of Sunrise Key, near where the Middle River joins the Intracoastal. Boats from both canals reach the ICW this way, per Glen Primak, local agent. Check the controlling depth on a current NOAA chart before you plan a route.
3. Turn south to the East Las Olas Bridge (ICW mile 1064.0). Coast Pilot 4 lists a reported 24-foot center clearance for this bascule span. Under 33 CFR 117.261, the draw opens on signal on the quarter-hour and three-quarter hour.
4. Pass the SE 17th Street (Brooks Memorial) Bridge (ICW mile 1065.9). It is a twin bascule with 55 feet of vertical clearance at mean high water when closed. It opens on the hour and half-hour, except weekdays (except federal holidays) from 6:50 to 9:10 a.m. and 3:50 to 6:10 p.m., when it opens only at the top of the hour.
5. Enter Port Everglades (ICW mile 1066.3) and run out the inlet. Monitor the harbormaster on VHF Ch. 14, keep clear of large vessels, and watch posted manatee and slow-speed zones.

What the clearances mean for your boat

• Under 24 ft air draft: you can usually pass under both bridges without an opening, subject to the tide and the clearance boards.
• 24–55 ft: you pass under the 17th Street bridge but need a Las Olas opening at :15 or :45.
• Over 55 ft: you need both bridges to open. Plan around the 17th Street weekday rush-hour limit.

Clearances are published at a stated datum, usually mean high water. Actual clearance falls on spring tides and king tides, so read the boards on approach.

Heading north, and the Middle River

• North on the ICW: the two Sunrise Boulevard bascule bridges (ICW mile 1062.6) have a minimum closed clearance of 25 feet at center (Coast Pilot 4). Their schedule is set in 33 CFR 117.261.
• Up the Middle River: Coast Pilot 4 lists fixed spans upriver: the Sunrise Boulevard bridge over the Middle River at 10 feet of clearance and the U.S. Route 1 bridge at 8 feet, with a no-wake zone starting 1 mile above the Sunrise bridge. This is small-boat water only.

Slips on condo property

Most buildings on both isles have docks on the canal behind them. How a slip is held varies building by building: some are assigned as limited common elements, some are leased by the association, and a few buildings record slips as separate parcels on the county roll (the building directory notes these). A building’s declaration, rules and slip agreements control length limits, liveaboard rules and who may use a slip. Ask each building for its slip count, how slips are held and any length limits.

City dock and seawall rules

From the City of Fort Lauderdale Unified Land Development Regulations (ULDR) as amended by Ordinance C-23-05. This is a summary, not legal or engineering advice; confirm current code and permit requirements with the City.

• Seawall height (Sec. 47-19.13): a new or substantially repaired seawall must work as a tidal flood barrier with a top elevation of at least 5 feet NAVD88 (4 feet NAVD88 allowed for applications before January 1, 2035 if designed to reach 5 feet by 2050). For a condominium, the association usually owns and maintains the seawall as a common element, so its cost shows up in the budget, reserves or a special assessment.
• How far docks extend (Sec. 47-19.3): docks, lifts and similar structures may not extend into the waterway more than 25% of its width or 25 feet, whichever is less. Mooring or dolphin piles may extend up to 30% of the waterway width or 25 feet, whichever is less.

Questions to ask about a specific building

• Does the unit come with a slip, and is it deeded, assigned or leased? What length and beam fit, and are there liveaboard or charter restrictions?
• What is the depth at mean low water at the slip, by survey?
• When was the seawall last inspected or rebuilt, and is it in the reserve study?
• Are there lifts or davits, and who maintains them?

Glen can pull the building’s documents and the City’s permit history as part of a showing. Ask about a specific building →