Private equity firms Centerbridge Partners and KSL Capital Partners are weighing sales of their US marina businesses, seeking to capitalise on surging demand for superyacht berths, according to a report by the Financial Times.

Centerbridge is working with advisers on a potential sale of its minority stake in Suntex Marinas, which could value the Dallas-headquartered operator at about $4bn. Suntex manages more than 90 marinas across the US, including locations in New York, Florida, and California. The firm invested in Suntex in 2021 and injected $1.2bn last year to fund expansion.

KSL, which owns Southern Marinas alongside its management team, has also hired advisers to prepare a sale process. A transaction could value the Palm Beach-based operator at close to $1bn. Southern runs dozens of marinas in Florida and along the eastern seaboard.

The moves come as private equity intensifies its focus on the fragmented marina sector, where buy-and-build strategies are proving attractive. Blackstone’s infrastructure arm earlier this year acquired Safe Harbor Marinas, the largest US operator, in a $5.6bn deal with Sun Communities.

Slip rentals at marinas, particularly those catering to superyachts, generate steady cash flows and enjoy consistently high occupancy, making them an appealing asset class for investors. Rising enthusiasm for superyachts among wealthy Americans has further supported pricing power across premium marinas.

While both Centerbridge and KSL are exploring options, sources cautioned that no sale is guaranteed and the firms may decide to hold onto the assets longer.

If completed, the transactions would mark some of the largest marina deals since Blackstone’s Safe Harbor acquisition, underlining private equity’s growing role in the sector.

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