4 Easy Ways to Get Your Marina in Front of More Boaters This Season

Boaters have more ways to find marinas than ever — and more marinas competing for their attention. If you're not actively working to get in front of them, you're leaving stops on the table.

The good news: most of what works isn't complicated or expensive. Here are four things worth doing right now.

1. Get Featured in Boater Newsletters

The Running Fix is Dockwa's editorial newsletter for boaters — a growing audience of cruisers actively planning their next stop. Marinas on Dockwa can earn a feature by authoring an approved blog contribution. Running a Dockwa Deal can get you featured in our weekly boater newsletter, Dock Talk (more on that below).

Either path puts your marina in front of boaters who are already in planning mode, reading up on where to go next.

Learn how to get featured in The Running Fix →

2. Run a Dockwa Deal

Boaters are shopping harder for value than they were this time last year. Platform data shows fuel price searches up 5x from February to May 2026. An active deal on fuel or dockage puts your marina at the top of filtered search results for boaters specifically looking for value — and makes you eligible for a feature in Dock Talk, our weekly boater newsletter.

A deal doesn't have to be deep to be effective. A modest fuel discount, a complimentary pump-out with a fill, or a flat weeknight dockage rate is enough to show up where value-minded boaters are already looking.

Here's how to create a Dockwa Deal →

3. Step Up Your Social Game

When you post about your marina on Instagram or Facebook, tag @dockwa. Our social team actively reposts marina content to our network of boaters — giving you direct exposure to the cruisers who book through us. It costs nothing and takes about five seconds.

The other side of it: make it easy for boaters to tag you. A sign at the fuel dock, a line in your post-departure message. User-generated content extends your reach in both directions — and boaters trust other boaters more than they trust any ad.

4. Keep Your Profile Current

Each month, Dockwa publishes an editorial piece spotlighting marinas around a shared theme — a waterway, a region, a type of experience. When our team is putting those features together, we pull from what's on your profile.

That means an outdated amenity list, missing services, or low-quality photos can take you out of consideration before you ever knew there was an opportunity. Spend twenty minutes making sure your profile reflects what a boater will actually find when they arrive — current photos, accurate amenities, services up to date. It's the single easiest thing you can do to improve your chances of getting featured, and it makes every other form of discovery work better too.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my marina featured in The Running Fix?

Marinas on Dockwa can get featured in The Running Fix by authoring an approved blog contribution. Check out this article for full details on the blog contribution process.

What is a Dockwa Deal and how does it help with marina marketing?

A Dockwa Deal is a promotional offer — think fuel discount or reduced dockage rate — that your marina lists on the Dockwa network. Marinas with active deals appear at the top of filtered search results for boaters specifically looking for value, and deals make your marina eligible for editorial features in Dock Talk, Dockwa's weekly boater newsletter.

Should marinas be on social media? Yes — and the highest-leverage move is tagging Dockwa in your posts. Dockwa's social team actively reposts marina content to a network of boaters, giving you exposure to cruisers who book through the platform. Encouraging boaters to tag your marina on their own accounts creates additional organic reach at no cost.

Why does my Dockwa profile matter for getting featured? Dockwa's editorial team pulls from marina profiles when building monthly themed features. A complete profile — accurate amenities, current services, high-quality photos — is the baseline for being considered. An incomplete or outdated profile is less likely to make the cut, regardless of how good your marina actually is.