You may get distracted by the view as you lift your hand to knock on the double glass doors with sidelights at 178 Springline Dr. in the Anchor subdivision in The Moorings. You can see spectacular views of Pirate’s Cove directly in front of you.
If the calming effects of the long water view aren’t enough to hook you, access to protected, deepwater dockage and a seat at 365 days of waterfront entertainment surely will.
Before retiring, Richard Oehme and his late wife Lois owned a condo on Siesta Key where they would escape the cold northern winters. By the time he was ready to retire, that area had become increasingly busier and busier, he recalls.
Oehme says he knew he didn’t want to retire full-time in the Sarasota area, so he contacted a friend in the real estate business and gave him a list of must-haves, which included a gated entry within walking distance of the ocean, a deep-water dock, a good golf course, and a great club nearby.
His friend had only one recommendation, “The Moorings in Vero Beach is the only place you have a chance of getting all those things,” he told Oehme.
The first lot the couple saw in The Moorings hit the mark, and they hired Proctor Construction build their home. Pilings down to the bedrock, including under the pool, ensure a solid build.
“This is the only waterfront home for sale in The Moorings,” says Moorings Realty Sales Co. realtor Erika Ross of the two-story home with 100 feet of water frontage and long views of Pirates Cove.
The home has been immaculately kept and has a newer roof, resurfaced pool, painted deck, new garage doors and seawall.
The couple moved nine times during Oehme’s 34-year career with UPS and incorporated the things they loved from the numerous places they lived into the design of this home, explains Ross.
“We wanted something open and airy,” recalls Oehme.
Multiple windows and volume ceilings help to achieve this effect. Those features, paired with the wall of sliding glass doors across the sunroom at the rear of the house, enhance the use of natural light to expand the interior space.
The sunroom also extends the house’s livability, providing a 180-degree view where guests can sit and watch the sunrise or sunset with the sliders open and screens letting in the southeast breeze.
“Everywhere you look, you feel the outside,” says Ross.
You’ll note the house was built for entertaining from the moment you step over the threshold and see a powder room just off the front entry, a bar, and the generously sized living room that opens onto the sunroom.
The layout flows beautifully from here into the dining room, family room and kitchen with bar seating in the west wing. Nearby, the pantry, guest suite, laundry room, elevator to the upper level and entry to the three-car garage are easily accessible.
The mother-in-law suite encompasses the entirety of the east wing on the opposite side of the house with a sitting room, kitchenette, bathroom, enclosed porch and private entry, ensuring guests, whether long- or short-term, can live independently. The wing would also accommodate live-in help should the need arise as you age in place.
The staircase near the front entry opens onto the second-floor landing that overlooks the living room, where you can take in the view through a large picture window.
The upper level is devoted entirely to the primary suite with an office, two spacious walk-in closets, a built-in dresser, and a private waterside balcony. The luxurious bath has a soaking tub, a shower, a built-in vanity, dual sinks, a laundry chute and a water closet with a bidet.
Outside, retractable awnings provide shade when you desire less sunshine while lounging by the kidney-shaped pool before you head down to the new Trex dock with a 9,000-pound boat lift.
From the dock, it’s a short distance to the Intracoastal Waterway for a day of fishing or a sunset cruise on the storied Indian River Lagoon.
Six or seven miles south, the Fort Pierce Inlet provides ocean access via a wide, straight channel.
“This is a great basin. We see the fishing guides come in here to fish all the time,” notes Ross of the waters behind his home.
Oehme says he’ll miss the openness of the house and the view of the cove, but it’s time to scale down. He won’t be going far, though. He remarried in May and won’t even be leaving Springline Drive.
“I love the Anchor. It’s peaceful and you can go out and walk,” says Oehme, who met his new wife while out for a walk one day.
The Moorings Yacht & Country Club provides access to Pete Dye’s signature golf course; Jim Fazio’s Hawk’s Nest championship course on the mainland; tennis, pickleball, and croquet courts; a state-of-the-art fitness center with pool and spa; a yacht club and lavish clubhouse with fine and casual dining.
The Anchor is a private peninsula community in The Moorings with a secure, gated entrance and 24-hour guard. From the subdivision, it is a short drive to Vero’s Ocean Drive for shopping, dining, and cultural outings. For families with children, Saint Edward’s School conveniently abuts the community.
Photos provided