Shopping Harbour Isles for a yacht-friendly home? Your dock and the bridges between your slip and the ocean decide what you can actually run. If you want smooth weekends to Jupiter Inlet or Palm Beach, it pays to verify depth, dock specs, and opening schedules before you buy. This guide gives you the essentials so you can match a Harbour Isles property to your vessel with confidence. Let’s dive in.
Harbour Isles boating snapshot
Harbour Isles is a gated community in the Village of North Palm Beach on the Intracoastal Waterway. Most waterfront lots include private docks and lifts, and listings often market the area as deep water with direct ocean access. Treat those claims as a starting point, not a guarantee. Verify along-dock depths at mean lower low water and understand the nearby drawbridges that set your routing and timing.
Docks: what to verify before you buy
Every lot’s dock is different. Before relying on a published “yacht size,” ask for measured data and plans.
- Request recent soundings alongside the dock taken at MLLW, plus any as-built dock, seawall, or dredge plan. Private canals are not always charted, so measured depths matter.
- Confirm dock length, piling spacing, lift capacity, and available shore power. Many homes show larger-capacity lifts and 100A shore power, but each property varies.
- Evaluate maneuvering room. Wider frontage and point lots simplify turns for longer boats. Narrow canals may require a tide window, daylight, or a practiced approach.
- Ask who maintains depths. If maintenance dredging is required, find out who pays and when it was last done.
Depths, tides and charts
NOAA charting covers the AICW channel and inlets, not every private canal in Harbour Isles. Use the official chart for the public channel, then supplement with site-specific measurements.
- Review the relevant NOAA chart for West Palm Beach to Miami to understand channel depths and aids to navigation. You can reference the chart set here: NOAA AICW chart: West Palm Beach to Miami.
- Account for tide. The local tidal range is modest, but it still affects under-keel clearance and fixed-bridge air clearance.
- Build a safety margin under your keel. The right margin depends on your vessel, speed, and comfort in confined canals.
- After storms, shoaling can change conditions. Always cross-check charts with recent soundings, the USCG Local Notice to Mariners, and nearby marinas.
Bridge clearances and openings to the ocean
Several drawbridges sit between Harbour Isles and the inlets. The federal rules set openings by schedule in this corridor. Review the current regulation here: 33 CFR §117.261, Intracoastal Waterway drawbridge schedules.
Below are the nearby bridges and why they matter. Closed vertical clearances are approximate and should be confirmed against the bridge gauge at the time of transit.
- Indiantown Road (SR 706): about 35 ft closed clearance; commonly opens on the hour and half-hour. This is the first major draw as you head north toward Jupiter Inlet. See a regional reference on clearances here: Indiantown Road bridge listing.
- Donald Ross Road: about 35 ft closed clearance; typically opens on the hour and half-hour. If out of service, tall-mast vessels may need to time an inlet run. Reference: Donald Ross bridge entry.
- PGA Boulevard: roughly 24 to 25 ft closed clearance; typically opens on the hour and half-hour. This is a key pinch point for many power yachts with arches and most sailboats. Local overview: Palm Beach County drawbridge briefing.
- Parker (US-1) bridge: closed clearance commonly reported around the mid-20s feet. Federal rules in this segment provide quarter-hour and three-quarter-hour openings, which can affect wait times.
- Blue Heron Bridge: fixed clearance around 65 ft. This crossing is rarely the limiting factor for tall yachts heading south.
Tip: Missing a scheduled opening can add meaningful delay, especially when you must coordinate multiple bridges in sequence. Time your run and keep VHF ready.
North vs. south route planning
Your vessel’s air draft and route decide how often you will need an opening.
- Heading north to Jupiter Inlet: You will contend with Donald Ross and Indiantown Road. Vessels under roughly 35 ft air draft can often clear closed. Taller profiles will need to time openings.
- Heading south toward Palm Beach: PGA Boulevard and the Parker bridge commonly limit taller boats. Many larger power yachts and most sailboats will plan around the opening schedules here. Blue Heron’s high fixed span is rarely a constraint.
If your air draft exceeds the closed clearance of any bridge on your route, plan your timing using the federal schedule and confirm on-the-water gauges the day you transit.
Buyer checklist for Harbour Isles boaters
Use this list to pressure-test a listing before you write an offer.
- ICW vs. canal frontage: Confirm whether the lot fronts the ICW directly or sits on a canal, and whether that canal is private or part of a maintained public channel. Treat “deep water” and “no fixed bridges” as marketing until you verify.
- Measured depth at MLLW: Ask for recent soundings alongside the dock at mean lower low water and any as-built dock or dredge plan. If not available, commission a basic sounding or a professional marine survey.
- Dock and lift specs: Get dock length, piling spacing, lift capacity in pounds, and electrical service details. Note any water or pump-out service at the dock.
- Maneuvering room: Confirm turning radius and channel width from the slip to the ICW. Ask for aerials and, if possible, a daylight trial run.
- Dredging responsibility: Identify who pays for maintenance dredging and when it was last completed. Permits or invoices help confirm history.
- Bridge air draft: Measure your vessel’s air draft, including radar arch and antennas. Compare to closed clearances on your route and plan for scheduled openings per 33 CFR §117.261.
- Local rules and HOA: Some municipalities regulate private dock usage. Recent local reporting highlights dock-use disputes in North Palm Beach, so confirm village code and HOA rules in advance. Reference: local dock-use dispute coverage.
- Nearby services: Identify full-service marinas for fuel, haul-out, and repairs in North Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens. Keep emergency haul-out options in mind during hurricane season.
A clear, factual summary
Harbour Isles is a gated, ICW-fronting community in the Village of North Palm Beach where most waterfront lots include private docks and lifts. Developers and agents commonly market the area as deep water with direct ocean access, but you should verify dock length, lift capacity, and measured depths at mean lower low water before relying on a published yacht size. Important navigation constraints in this corridor are the nearby drawbridges, including Indiantown Road, Donald Ross, PGA Boulevard, and the Parker bridge. These have fixed closed clearances ranging from the mid-20s to mid-30s feet and operate on scheduled openings set by federal regulation in 33 CFR §117.261. Always check the current NOAA chart for the AICW and recent advisories before you transit.
How Reback Realty helps you choose right
Choosing a Harbour Isles home that fits your boat is part property selection and part navigation planning. Our team blends deep neighborhood knowledge with construction-savvy advisory, which helps you evaluate dock condition, power availability, seawall integrity, dredging history, and realistic maneuvering room. We will help you interpret bridge schedules against your vessel’s air draft and recommend practical steps to verify depths and dock capacity.
If you are weighing build-versus-buy, we draw on in-house development and contracting insight to discuss scope, cost, and feasibility for dock and shoreline improvements. That way you can balance lifestyle goals with smart capital choices.
Ready to align a Harbour Isles property with your yacht? Reach out to Reback Realty for discreet, high-touch guidance.
FAQs
What does “no fixed bridges” mean in Harbour Isles listings?
- It usually means there is no low fixed bridge between the property’s canal and the ICW, not that the entire route to an inlet is bridge-free. You still need to check air draft against nearby drawbridges and timing under 33 CFR §117.261.
How can I confirm usable depth at a Harbour Isles dock?
- Ask for measured soundings taken at mean lower low water and an as-built dock or dredge plan. If missing, commission a simple sounding or a marine survey, since private canals are not fully covered on NOAA charts.
Which bridges most often affect taller boats near Harbour Isles?
- PGA Boulevard and the Parker bridge typically limit taller profiles to the south, while Donald Ross and Indiantown Road are the key draws to the north. Plan for scheduled openings if your air draft exceeds closed clearance.
Do NOAA charts show depths inside Harbour Isles canals?
- NOAA charts cover the AICW and inlets, not detailed soundings for private backyard canals. Use the official chart for the main channel and verify private-canal depths with site-specific measurements.
Are there local rules about who can use a private dock in North Palm Beach?
- Municipal code and HOA rules may restrict certain uses. Given recent local disputes over private dock use, confirm current regulations with the Village and your HOA before relying on a dock for guests or commercial vessels.
