At Dunedin Marina This Fall, the Ferry Ticket Comes Before the Boat Ramp

On the east side of the Dunedin Marina, BDI Marine crews are still working on the seawall. The parking area and drive aisle next to Edgewater Park are closed while they work. The fishing pier above the waterline was removed in early summer, and the replacement hasn't started. The boat ramp is closed to the public. The ferry still stops here, though. On Thursday through Sunday, the Clearwater Ferry runs a loop linking Dunedin Marina with Downtown Clearwater and Clearwater Beach Marina near Pier 60.

So the marina has come back unevenly. If you have a slip, a charter booking or a ferry ticket, you're already back. If you want to launch a kayak trailer, fish off the pier or tie up at a day dock for lunch, you're still waiting. The city's own planning shows the order isn't random.

The Marina, Sorted by Who Can Use It Today

The city's general Marina page still opens by calling the marina closed. The more detailed Dunedin Marina Restoration Update, last updated October 5, 2026, goes piece by piece. This table follows that newer page.

The seawall date has slipped once already. In June, the contractor's revised schedule called for substantial bulkhead completion by August 25 and final completion in September. In August, the City Manager's update said October 2026. The October project page now just says fall.

The Ferry Is the Public's Way Onto the Water Right Now

The ferry came back before almost anything else. The city made an interlocal agreement with Clearwater, and Clearwater Marina staff built a temporary ferry landing at the Dunedin Marina. Service started on October 9, 2025. When the city announced the return, it said the first boat would leave Dunedin at 10 a.m., with departures every two hours. That was the 2025 launch schedule. Before you plan a trip, check current times on the Clearwater Ferry site. The operator says reservations aren't required but are encouraged, and walk-ons board if there's room.

Ridership has grown a lot. PSTA's July 2026 board report counted 2,080 Clearwater Ferry passenger trips that month and 31,049 for the year to date. The comparable year-to-date figure was 14,564, an increase of 113%. Those numbers cover the whole ferry system, not just the Dunedin stop. In April 2026, Dunedin Vice Mayor Rob Walker estimated about 25,000 riders in 2025 and said he expected 2026 to top that. By July, the year-to-date count was already past that number.

Fares went up a little this fall. WTSP reported that PSTA added a temporary $1 fuel surcharge in September 2026. That made the Blue Line $9, or $4.50 for reduced fare, and the Red Line $6, or $3 reduced. PSTA didn't say when fares would go back down. The ferry's homepage describes the Dunedin stop as "near breweries, shops and restaurants," so the route also works as a way to get downtown by water.

The Pier Everyone Is Waiting On Is Also the Ferry's Permanent Dock

The pier is where the ferry and the rest of the marina meet. On March 30, 2026, the city announced more than $800,000 in federal funding to rebuild the part of the pier the ferry uses as a permanent dock. The city put the combined investment at $828,000. When the pier comes back, the temporary ferry landing becomes permanent.

The contractor has been chosen, but construction depends on permits. The City Commission awarded the job to tear down the old pier and build the new fishing pier, day docks and emergency docks to On-Point Contracting Company, LLC at its January 8 meeting. Construction begins once every permit is approved. In September, Tampa Bay Beacons reported that state and federal permitting was holding up the fishing pier project. In April, the Tampa Bay Times described construction as underway with completion expected by year-end. The October city page lists no finish date.

When a resident asked the city whether there was a rendering of the new pier, the answer was short:

"There is no artist rendering. The new pier at the marina will be an exact rebuild of the old pier."

The city lists the pier's cost at $2,139,238.91. That breaks down to $1,604,429.18 from FEMA, $267,404.87 from the State Disaster Fund and $267,404.87 from the General Fund. A separate $1.5 million state appropriation helps offset the total. Beacons reported rounder figures in September, $2.3 million total with $1.725 million in hoped-for FEMA money. The sources don't explain the difference. For comparison, the bulkhead project is $3.5 million and the Docks A and B project is $5 million. FEMA is listed for 75% of each.

Why the Boat Ramp Comes Back Later, and on Different Terms

The ramp isn't part of the pier work. Its reopening depends on the seawall. In early October, a resident asked the city when the ramp would reopen. The city replied that its goal is to open the boat ramp when seawall construction is complete, "with new regulations and new fees." The project page's list of key updates frames it as a 2026 reopening with new regulations. The details of those regulations and fees haven't been published.

The slips have their own timeline. Every slip renter can come back after signing a new agreement, and 2027 parking permits go on sale at the Harbor Master Office in December 2026. Plenty of space is still open. The City Manager's August update listed 30 vacancies: 17 slips at 25 feet, 3 at 30 feet, 4 at 35 feet and 6 at 50 feet.

Slip rates changed this month. Beacons reported that on September 15, commissioners voted unanimously for a 7% slip-rate increase starting October 1, below the 10% a rate study recommended. A $3 million state hurricane appropriation helped reduce the increase. Finance Director Les Tyler said the plan depends on full FEMA reimbursement and that more increases may be needed if FEMA doesn't cover the costs. Vice Mayor Robert Walker asked for an update on the Marina Plan and facilities.

Docks A and B are on the longest schedule. Their stabilization is done, but design and permitting for floating-dock replacements only began in May 2026. The city expects permitting to take 24 months, with replacement starting in 2028.

What's Running at the Water's Edge, and a Block Inland

The businesses at the marina kept going through construction. The city's Marina page says Olde Bay Cafe and the commercial charters are open. The charters it lists are A Boat Day, Daisy Mae Fishing Charters, Done Gone Dunedin Tours, Dunedin Sailing Charters, Nomadic Fishing Charters, ParrotDise Express and Wind Star Sailing Charters. Bon Appétit was taking October 2026 reservations, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Charters and a ferry ride are the two ways onto the water this fall that don't require a slip.

This fall's downtown calendar is a short walk inland:

1. Arts & Craft Festival, October 10 and 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main Street and Douglas Avenue. Admission is free.
2. Downtown Market, Saturdays October 10, 17, 24 and 31, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the History Museum parking lot at 349 Main St.
3. Art in the Park on October 18, Spooktacular Halloween on October 24, and Downtown Trick or Treating & Costume Contest on October 30, all listed on the city calendar.
4. Victoria Drive Sunset Stroll, November 13, from the Dunedin History Museum's calendar. The museum's downtown history walking tour follows on November 20.
5. Dunedin Celtic Festival, November 21, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Highlander Park, 903 Michigan Blvd.

For updates on the seawall, the ramp and the pier permits, the Engage Dunedin restoration page is the city's most current source. Our earlier look at daily life in Dunedin covers the rest of downtown.

If you're thinking about a slip at the Dunedin Marina, or about what boat access will look like once the ramp and pier reopen, the Natalie Scott Team follows these waterfront details closely and can help you sort out the timing. Contact Us anytime.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.