CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – 2026 will mark a loss for some in Central Florida’s boating and fishing community.
Since 2024, Port Canaveral has stated it will not renew the Cape Marina’s 50-year lease at the port when it expires this year because the world’s busiest cruise port wants to build a new cruise terminal in its marina district.
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In a 2024 interview, assistant general manager Dylan Houck told your Cape Canaveral Community Correspondent James Sparvero the marina closing would be “a tremendous loss to the community.”
The marina has been in Houck’s family for three generations.
Now, with closing approaching, a man who lives on a boat at the marina is making plans for moving.
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Sean Flatley told Sparvero he’s lived on his boat for about 10 years, longer than anyone else at the marina.
“I think it would be a shame to lose this marina,” Flatley said. “If everything was gonna turn into just cruise terminals and parking, people from Orlando who wanna come out here and then have dinner here or charter a fishing ship, it’s gone. So, I like the diversity of different types of things going on here.”
CEO Capt. John Murray has told Sparvero throughout his coverage that the port will continue to have a variety of activities at the port and support commercial fishermen.
The port said it will consolidate Cape Marina with the Bluepoints Marina next to it.
“We’ve been very, very focused on balancing everything that makes Port Canaveral what it is,” Murray said in 2024.
For this story, the port didn’t wish to make a new comment.
The marina had a farewell party over the holidays.
Management said the port still hasn’t told them exactly what its redevelopment plans will look like for the new terminal, but the port is giving them a couple extra months to stay in business.
The marina’s lease was going to end in February. Now, management says they’ll close in July.