Ships’s store and dry storage facilities   Employees Sarah Alge, Braydon Ingle and Manager Ashley Johnson   Coming in after a day of wakeboarding

Tucked along the banks of Rocky Creek is Skipper’s Landing, one of the oldest marinas on Lake Norman. Situated far from the main channel, this northerly locale is a great launching point for a peaceful day’s boating – at any time of year.

Skipper’s Landing was founded in 1963 by Jack Massey, and it changed hands several times over the years, eventually being purchased by Morningstar Properties in June 2006. Morningstar also owns Kings Point Marina and the Peninsula Yacht Club on Lake Norman, as well as several other marinas in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia. The company got its start in the self-storage business in 1981 and has nine storage properties under management, in addition to the marinas.

Marina manager Ashley Johnson has been with Morningstar Properties for 15 years and took the reins at Skipper’s Landing in 2006. Originally from Charlotte, Johnson grew up with a vacation house on Lake Wateree, where he developed a strong interest in boating – so taking over the marina was a natural fit.

Johnson oversees 12 seasonal employees, with full-time workers Wes Lanier as office manager and Braydon Ingle handling forklift duties. The 4-acre property includes 412 dry slips situated between two storage barns that can handle boats up to 40 feet long and up to 15,000 pounds. There are also several wet slips and storage space for personal watercraft.

When it comes to heading out for a day on the lake, Johnson says that “people aren’t limited to our hours of operation – each customer has their own code on the digital keypad to open the gate, which comes up in the office and lets employees know that they are authorized to take the boat out. Then we take the boat out of storage for them, and nobody has to wait more than 10 or 15 minutes, even on a busy day.” Customers can also call ahead and have their boat ready and waiting if they want to go out early in the morning.

On-site boat maintenance and repair offered by Skipper’s includes propeller resurfacing, pontoon cleaning, pump-out service, detailing and almost any engine repair needed. Customer perks include wash racks for boats, 30- to 50-amp electrical service and water hook-ups on the docks, a gazebo and grill area, 24-hour access to bathrooms, complimentary golf-cart shuttle service from the parking lot to the docks and a concierge service to help patrons locate car rentals, restaurants and other attractions.

The ship’s store has been expanded since the marina was purchased and offers boat maintenance products such as oil, filters and fuel stabilizer. In addition, sunglasses, T-shirts, towable tubes and wakeboards are available. Johnson says he is glad to special-order products for customers, and can often have them delivered the next day. “We are a family-oriented marina … we really try to cater to our customers and make them feel at home here; it’s like their home on the lake, he says.”

Skipper’s Landing is a stop for an annual antique boat show (scheduled for Sept. 6), where restored vintage vessels cruise the lake and dock at points of interest.

The marina is also a stop for the several “poker run” contests held throughout the summer. Boaters travel to several points mapped out on the lake and pick up sealed envelopes with a playing card inside. At the end of the competition, all cards are turned in, and the best hand wins.

A popular yearly event is Customer Appreciation Day, which is scheduled this year for Sept. 13 with catered food, ice cream, a band and a jumping castle for the kids. “We really try to go all-out toward the end of the season for our customers,” says Johnson.

Skipper’s Landing, with its secluded setting, is just what many boaters are looking for in a marina – “this end of the lake is not nearly as populated as the south end of the lake,” says Johnson. “You can go out on a Saturday and tube and ski, and the water is calmer up here – we are in a no-wake cove so that the boats are not rocking all day and night.

“It is my favorite part of the lake, and it reminds me of Lake Wateree a little bit when I was a kid. It is not overdeveloped yet. It is much calmer and a much more enjoyable day of boating I think, on this end of the lake.”

Want to go?

Morningstar Marinas at Skipper’s Landing
1152 Perth Road
Troutman, NC 28166
704-528-3328
ajohnson@morningstarmarinas.com

Direction by boat:
Located at GPS coordinates 35.395650 & -80.533994. From the main channel bear right into Rocky Creek at markers 18A and 18B, Skipper’s Landing is 1 mile on the left.

Hours:
June, July, & August: Open seven days a week, 9 a.m.-7p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.

September: Open every day; closes at 5 p.m. weekdays and 6 p.m. weekends.

October & November: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the week.

December: Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the week.

January, February and March: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the week.

April: Open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.