Reviews: Pelican's Perch Marina & Boatyard

Reviews Summary

Pelican's Perch Marina has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from visitors, highlighting its welcoming atmosphere, exceptional customer service, and strong sense of community among boaters. Many reviewers praised the staff, particularly Joi, for their friendliness and willingness to assist with various needs, including transient dock arrangements and boat repairs. The marina is described as a "boat heaven," with a supportive environment for DIY projects and a range of professional services available on-site.

The facilities, while noted as a work in progress, are generally well-maintained, with clean restrooms and recently renovated shower facilities. Reviewers appreciated the reasonable rates and the ongoing improvements to the marina. The quality of work done on boats, especially bottom paint jobs, received high marks for craftsmanship and attention to detail.

However, some reviews mentioned limitations, such as small bathroom facilities and issues with electrical service for larger boats. There were also comments about the need for better responsiveness to maintenance requests, particularly regarding lighting on the docks.

Overall, Pelican's Perch Marina is recommended as a great stop for boaters, especially those needing repairs or looking for a friendly community atmosphere. Many reviewers expressed a desire to return in the future.

Reviewed by: Eddie Deveau , Winsor Rose, on Jan 25, 2026
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 41'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Highly Recommend This DIY Boatyard & Marina
We've been on the Great Loop since March 2025, and as we approached the Florida Panhandle, we needed to tackle some long-overdue maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. Finding a true DIY boatyard isn't easy, but after researching and calling three options in the region, Pelican's Perch in Pensacola stood out—by far—for their accommodations, pricing, and especially their communication.
From the start, Joi was fantastic—clear, responsive, and easy to work with when scheduling our arrival. After haul-out, we met Shane and Mike with Revolutions Marine to review our repair list. Once blocked, we got right to work on our DIY projects while Shane and Mike handled the repairs.
Shane is an absolute rock star—knowledgeable, skilled, and clearly passionate about what he does. Mike supervised the work and was always eager to help with anything we needed along the way.
The entire staff at Pelican's Perch was accommodating and incredibly friendly. Danny, the yard manager, kept a close eye on everything and was consistently hospitable. Special shout-out to Joi and Laura for making sure our dog, Gio, got his daily treats and cuddles—those little touches meant a lot.
After four weeks in the yard, it was time to splash. Shane joined us for a sea trial, made a few minor tweaks, and we were ready to continue our journey.
We feel truly blessed to have found both Pelican's Perch and Revolutions Marine. They helped us accomplish all of our boat goals and then some. Highly recommended—and a heartfelt thank you to the entire team!

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Reviewed by: Jeff Schwalen on Jan 24, 2026
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

These folks are really helpful and care about how you and your boat are doing. They have been really flexible when we had some engine issues. All was taken care of by Revolutions Marine with Mike and Shane. Everyone there charged a fair price and was always asking if things were going OK. I would recommend Pelicans Perch for short or long term dockage and bottom job. You can also get your boat hauled out and work on it yourself and have water and electricity while on the hard!

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Reviewed by: Virginia I on Jan 14, 2026
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 36'
Draft: 5.5'

Rating: 5

Don't come here. It infested with one eyed one horned flying purple people eaters! They only wish to communicate with me. Just JOSHING. After a 1000 miles mostly solo in my 36' sailboat coming down the rivers, I finally felt at home. I found my people. I shall stay here refitting the boat with intentions to cross oceans. There are plenty of folks here just like me. There are also lots of trawlers and loopers. This place is boat heaven. DIY encouraged OR they have a somebody for anything. True story. No nickel and dime happening here. I'm on my 3rd week and only encountered happy professionals who truly want to see you succeed in your dreams. Rates absolutely reasonable. I always see improvements happening to facilities. The boating community here and the staff are just beyond my wildest expectations.

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Reviewed by: Morganne Standley , SV Kraken, on Jan 11, 2026
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 30'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Joi was an absolute pleasure to work with! We were in the area for about a week and a half, alternating between docking and anchoring. We popped back into Pelican's Perch a couple times to resupply on water and go into town. (Uber & Lyft both pick up at this marina). We were able to message Joi about using the transient dock when we wanted and she was always able to make it work for us. We're not members at this marina but Joi would recognize us anytime we were walking through the ship yard. Her customer service is top tier. The transient dockage isn't far from water access and has electric hook up. The channel with the transient dockage is wide enough to be able to easily get in and out on our 30' sailboat. We're doing the great loop so we've seen a lot of different marinas during our trip, but this is definitely one of our favorites! If we are ever back in Pensacola with the boat, this is definitely our marina of choice!

- Jake & Morganne

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Reviewed by: James Morris on Dec 9, 2025
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 36'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Pelican's Perch is a working Marina. Transient accommodations are adequate, with power and recently renovated shower and restroom facilities. Where they shine is service and communication. We left our Catalina 36 mkII at Pelican's for numerous repairs and upgrades for the month of November. The marina and the subcontractors servicing the marina offered the complete services one could want. I can't say enough good things about the entire crew at Pelican's. Joi did a very good job of coordinating not only the Pelican's staff, but also the subcontractors. Many of these subcontractors are located on site or nearby. Thanks also to Rick and his crew at Zern Rigging, Jerry and Robert at Georges Marine Electronics, Josh and Roni at Sea Results, Will at Complete Marine Masterworks, and Hunter at Schurr Sails.

I would have not hesitation in making a return visit if I need any marine service.

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Reviewed by: Amy Chappell on Nov 20, 2025
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 41'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

5/5 – Exceptional Service at Pelican's Perch Marina.  We cannot say enough great things about Pelican's Perch Marina. From start to finish, their service, professionalism, and depth of knowledge were truly above and beyond anything we expected. Every member of the staff and crew treated us with genuine kindness and made us feel completely at home throughout the entire process.

The work they did on our boat was outstanding. The bottom paint job, in particular, is absolutely spectacular—meticulous, clean, and clearly done with expert care. It's rare to find a team that combines top-tier craftsmanship with such warmth and approachability, but Pelican's Perch delivers on all fronts.

Thank you to the entire marina team for your hard work, your attention to detail, and for making us feel like part of the family. We are incredibly grateful and will absolutely be back!

With gratitude,
Kevin & Amy
s/v One Love

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Reviewed by: Amy Chappell on Nov 14, 2025
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 41'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Exceptional Service at Pelican's Perch Marina. We cannot say enough great things about Pelican's Perch Marina. From start to finish, their service, professionalism, and depth of knowledge were truly above and beyond anything we expected. Every member of the staff and crew treated us with genuine kindness and made us feel completely at home throughout the entire process.

The work they did on our boat was outstanding. The bottom paint job, in particular, is absolutely spectacular—meticulous, clean, and clearly done with expert care. It's rare to find a team that combines top-tier craftsmanship with such warmth and approachability, but Pelican's Perch delivers on all fronts.

Thank you to the entire marina team for your hard work, your attention to detail, and for making us feel like part of the family. We are incredibly grateful and will absolutely be back!

With gratitude,
Kevin & Amy
S/V One Love

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Reviewed by: Chuck Swaim , Lindy Lou, on Nov 12, 2025
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 47'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

The facilities are a work in-progress, but the people make the difference! Danny and Joi were extremely friendly and helpful. Looks like a good stop if you need work done on your boat (fiberglass to stepping a mast). There are some limitations on the electrical service for larger power boats, so call ahead to confirm what your slip will have. We have about every adapter there is, so we had not issues.

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Reviewed by: William Mcnutt on Jun 22, 2025
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 50'
Draft: 8.0'

Rating: 4

We bought our first boat here two years ago and spent the first four months of our ownership here. I was surprised I hadn't written a review.

The bathrooms are kept clean and secure. But they're small "one holers." So if somebody is in the clean shower, you can't get in to use the bathroom. The Docks are in excellent condition, although about half of the nightlights on the pedestals are out and the staff were not responsive to complaints about them. Water and power are available. There is s a ship store, but I didn't go in. The marina is attached to a full-service boatyard that allows DIY.

Plenty of parking, and there's a nice restaurant within a short dingy-row.

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Reviewed by: Wayne Howard , Impetuous, on Feb 23, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 37'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

I recently talked with the owner and was informed that improvements to the land side were in the works. Zern Rigging has moved their offices and workshops to the marina.

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Reviewed by: Steve on Jul 1, 2020
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 33'
Draft: 5.8'

Rating: 5

Pelican's Perch Marina has all new docks that are first rate. Place is clean and Danny, the Yard Manager couldn't be nicer and more helpful. They have a small but well stocked boat store and what appears to be a new 50 Ton Marine Travelift. Free Pump out services also.

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Reviewed by: Mike Disotelle , Tranquillity III, on Dec 24, 2018
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 38'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 1

New floating docks are under construction (12/23/18). Marina is not currently operational, no docking available. Looks like spring '19 to be available. Place needs some serious work, perhaps in the plan with the new docks.

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Reviewed by: Mike Disotelle , Tranquillity III, on Dec 21, 2018
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 38'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 1

The docks at this marina have been gone for some time. They were supposed to rebuilt this year but have not started yet. The boatyard still seems active but no marina.

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