Overview
The Boat Yard is a waterfront business property at Port Gellhorn that operates as a legitimate marine repair shop while doubling as a smuggling logistics hub for contraband moving through Leonida's coastal waterways. At $600,000, it occupies the mid-range of business property prices and offers one of the game's most thematically satisfying criminal operations — something about fixing boats in the Florida sun while planning midnight rum runs captures the Vice City spirit perfectly. The property includes a dry dock capable of servicing boats up to yacht-class, a parts warehouse, a fuel dock, and a concealed loading area for off-books cargo.The Boat Yard connects to GTA 6's maritime ecosystem in a unique way: it's the only property where you can purchase, customize, and store watercraft in one location. Every other boat acquisition requires separate trips to a marina and a customization shop. The yard's repair services also cater to NPC boat owners, generating passive income from walk-in customers who need hull repairs, engine servicing, and trailer work. For players who enjoy boating, jet skiing, and fishing, owning the Boat Yard is the single most impactful quality-of-life purchase.
Location & Setting
The Boat Yard occupies a working waterfront lot at Port Gellhorn, wedged between commercial shipping operations and a fishing fleet dock. The setting is industrial-maritime: cranes, container stacks, seagulls, and the constant rumble of diesel engines. Access is via both road (through the port's gated entrance) and water (an open channel from the bay), giving you operational flexibility for legitimate and criminal activities. The water access connects directly to Leonida's extensive coastal network, enabling smuggling routes that reach the Leonida Keys, the swamp channels of Grassrivers, and open ocean beyond.The yard occupies a generous waterfront lot with a concrete boat ramp, a covered dry-dock bay, an open-air work area with sawhorses and tool carts, and a small office building with parts storage. The water access is direct — launch a boat from the ramp and you're in open water within 30 seconds. A fuel pump on the dock provides refueling for both stored and visiting vessels. The industrial aesthetic — peeling paint, diesel fumes, and the clang of fiberglass repair work — creates an authentic boatyard atmosphere.
Income & Revenue
Legitimate marine repairs generate $3,000–$8,000 per in-game day in passive income. NPC boat owners bring vessels in for engine work, hull repair, and cosmetic refinishing — the flow of customers is steady given Port Gellhorn's concentration of maritime activity. Smuggling contracts represent the premium income tier. Contacts deliver contraband to the Boat Yard's concealed loading area, and you transport it via boat to specified drop points along the coast. Payouts range from $8,000 for low-risk local runs to $30,000+ for open-ocean deliveries to distant islands or international contacts waiting offshore.NPC boat owners generate steady walk-in revenue from hull repairs ($500–$2,000), engine servicing ($1,000–$3,000), and winterization/de-winterization services ($800–$1,500). Custom paint jobs are the highest-margin service at $3,000–$8,000 per boat. Consignment boat sales (Tier 3) add $5,000–$25,000 per transaction. The Boat Yard also saves money on personal watercraft maintenance — servicing your own boats at cost rather than paying marina rates compounds into significant savings over time.
Upgrades
Tier 1 — Expanded Dry Dock ($80,000): Doubles repair capacity to service two vessels simultaneously. Increases passive income by 40% and unlocks yacht-class repairs for premium clients. Tier 2 — Concealed Compartments ($120,000): Installs hidden cargo bays in your personal boats — contraband stored in these compartments is invisible to coast guard inspections during smuggling runs, dramatically reducing interception risk. Tier 3 — Smuggling Network ($180,000): Establishes connections with international buyers, unlocking high-value export contracts for contraband. Opens a cargo manifest system where you can plan multi-stop routes for maximum efficiency. Tier 4 — Submarine Dock ($250,000): Constructs an underwater access point for submersible vehicles, enabling undetectable smuggling runs that bypass all surface patrols. The most expensive upgrade but effectively eliminates interception risk for underwater routes.Tier 1 — Marine Lift ($85,000): A boat lift system that handles vessels up to 40 feet, enabling service on larger craft and attracting higher-paying customers. Tier 2 — Custom Paint ($60,000): A marine spray booth for hull painting and graphics — the highest-margin service, with custom paint jobs commanding $3,000–$8,000. Tier 3 — Sales Lot ($120,000): A waterfront display area for selling boats on consignment — buy damaged vessels cheaply, restore them, and resell at significant markup.
Management
Boat Yard management splits between the legitimate repair business and smuggling operations. Repair side: hire mechanics (marine engine, hull, electrical specializations), order parts inventory, and manage customer scheduling. Smuggling side: accept contracts from the smuggling network, plan routes that avoid coast guard patrol patterns, and manage cargo loading schedules. The coast guard follows semi-predictable patrol routes that can be studied from the Boat Yard's office — a wall-mounted navigation chart shows real-time patrol positions, allowing you to time departures to slip through gaps in coverage.Employee management adds depth: boat mechanics have specializations in hull work, engines, or electrical systems, and matching the right mechanic to each job improves quality ratings and customer satisfaction. A skilled hull specialist produces fiberglass work that looks factory-original, while a sloppy repair drives negative reviews that reduce foot traffic over time.
Strategy & Tips
The Boat Yard pairs naturally with the Smuggler's Warehouse and Keys Houseboat — together, they create a complete coastal smuggling operation from storage to transport to safe harbor. Purchase the Tier 2 Concealed Compartments upgrade before running high-value contracts, as coast guard interceptions without hidden cargo result in confiscation, fines, and wanted levels that can spiral quickly on open water where escape options are limited. The Submarine Dock (Tier 4) is the endgame upgrade — underwater smuggling is essentially risk-free once you have a submersible, making every contract pure profit.Buy the Boat Yard before investing in the Fishing Charter — having your own repair facility means you can maintain the charter boat at cost rather than paying marina service rates. The consignment sales lot (Tier 3) creates a profitable restoration loop similar to the Auto Shop's vehicle flipping — buy wrecked boats, repair and paint them, and sell at 3-4x your investment.
The Boat Yard's dry-dock facility also protects stored boats from tropical storm damage events — watercraft left at open marinas during storms take condition penalties, while boats in your covered dry-dock remain pristine. This protection alone justifies the property for players who've invested in expensive watercraft.
GTA History
Maritime businesses in GTA date back to Vice City, where the boatyard was a purchasable asset generating passive income. GTA Online expanded water-based operations through the Smuggler's Run update, which introduced hangar-based cargo operations that included air and occasionally sea routes. The Kosatka submarine in the Cayo Perico Heist update introduced underwater approach mechanics. GTA 6's Boat Yard synthesizes all these elements into a single property — combining the classic Vice City boatyard with GTA Online's cargo smuggling systems and the Kosatka's submarine capabilities.The boat yard provides comprehensive maritime vehicle management — boat storage, maintenance, repair, and modification services for both personal watercraft and NPC client vessels. Owning a boat yard gives you free access to all boat repair and modification services, plus the ability to store up to 6 watercraft in dry dock and 4 additional vessels on water moorings. The yard's slipway enables launching and retrieval of boats without requiring marina access, and the maintenance bay handles everything from hull patching to engine overhauls.
Revenue streams include NPC boat storage fees ($200–$800/month per vessel), repair contract income from damaged boats, and seasonal winterization/commissioning services. The yard's criminal utility extends to boat modification for smuggling — hull compartment installation, radar-absorbent coatings, and engine silencing modifications that reduce Coast Guard detection probability. At Tier 4, the yard includes a boat-building workshop enabling custom vessel construction — a slow but rewarding process that produces unique watercraft unavailable through any dealer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Boat Yard cost?
The base price is $600,000. Full upgrades total $630,000 across four tiers, bringing the maximum investment to $1,230,000. The smuggling operation can recoup the total investment within 4–6 in-game months depending on contract frequency and risk tolerance.
What boats can I store at the Boat Yard?
The Boat Yard stores up to 4 personal watercraft on the dry dock and 2 in the water at the fuel dock. With the Tier 4 Submarine Dock, a submersible vehicle can also be stored. Larger yachts can be serviced but not permanently stored.
How do smuggling runs work?
Contacts deliver contraband to the Boat Yard's concealed loading area. You load it onto your boat and transport it to specified drop points along the coast. Routes vary in distance, risk, and payout. Coast guard patrols create the primary interception threat — the navigation chart in your office shows their real-time positions.
Is the Boat Yard required for 100% completion?
Yes — all properties must be purchased for the Property Mogul achievement and 100% completion.
Can I use the Boat Yard for fishing?
The Boat Yard's location at Port Gellhorn provides access to deep-water fishing zones. While the yard itself doesn't have fishing-specific features, storing a fishing boat here puts you within minutes of prime offshore fishing grounds.
Last updated April 25, 2026.