K-Dock
Fort Pierce City Marina
Fort Pierce, Florida

COMING OUT OF THE COLD

K-Dock: Where All Sailboats are Good Old Boats
Fort Pierce City Marina, Fort Pierce, Florida

by Captain Thomas Lee

     I have always wanted to take a sailboat from Lake Superior down to Florida and live on it for the winter.  But where?

     As a librarian, I did a lot of searching on the Internet, with mixed results.

     Then as fate would have it, I was working on one of my sailboats on the hard in the Ontonagon, Michigan Marina, on the south shore of Lake Superior.  A older gentlemen was walking about, looking as boats.  He wanted to buy a sailboat and learn to sail on Lake Superior.  Not only did I locate a Grampion that was for sale, but helped him learn to sail.  It turned out he had once lived in Fort Pierce, and recommended Fort Pierce as a place to stay.  He said, “Go check out Fort Pierce.”

     So I did.  I had to quit my job as a prison librarian.  But at 73 it was probably time to break out!   As my wife, Margaret, always says, “just do it.!”

     So in February, 2012,  I flew to Fort Pierce to check out the City Marina.  That was then that I found K-Dock.   Most of the vessels at the marina are large fishing boats.   But along the edge of the marina on Moore's Creek are 19 finger slips for smaller sailboats.  All are “good old boats” that one finds on the pages of this magazine.  No new monster yachts here.

     I knew immediately that this was the perfect place to stay for the winter.  It was like the first time I met my wife Margaret, I knew she was the perfect person.  And she still is. 

     On August 1, 2012 I left the Ontonagon Marina and two and a half months later on October 15, I tied up WINDSONG at K-Dock where I will until the end of March.

     Why is K-Dock perfect?

     As I have said, all the boats are “good old boats.”   One feels right at home.  Everyone is extremely friendly and it's not a mob of boats.

     Next to K-dock is the North Pier support building with showers, restrooms, washer/dryer and a small library.  Very convient and always clean.

     The fresh water coming down Moore's Creek helps to prevent strange things growing on the bottom of your vessel.  It also encourages manatee's to come to visit. 

     The historic downtown of Fort Pierce, winner of the prestigious City Street Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation,  and one of the oldest cities in Florida, is in walking distance from K-Dock.  One can find anything that is needed, plus a number of places to eat.

     Activities abound in Fort Pierce.  On Saturday, next to the Marina is a very large market of fresh citrus and fresh vegetables, and also a large craft market.  On Wednesday is a green market with produce from smaller farms.  I just purchased ½ bushell of fresh grapefruit for $5.  How good it that! The first Friday of the month is Friday Fest with more food and live music.  Across from the marina is a wonderful two story library, and up the street the historic Sunrise Theatre that features renown talant on their stage..  And next to the marina office, the original Tiki Bar.

     My recommendation for a boat to live on would be one that can be trailored like my C&C 27.   In the spring I plan to have someone from Michigan bring my trailer down  to Florida and collect me.    Next winter I plan to trailer PENRYN a smaller bilge keel boat down to K-Dock.  That way I will have a vehicle to drive to attractions that are too far by bicycle.
     K-Dock, the Fort Pierce City Marina and historic downtown Fort Pierce are indeed a gem on Florida's Treasure Coast..
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