At night, the barges and small cruise ships go by, their running lights a reminder of those traveling through the safe haven of coastal waterways and canals. By daytime, the blinding white sails of vessels going north and south rise above the white caps.

For the past 20 years, Terry Taylor has watched the world float by from the comfort of his screened-in porch.

The home is roughly five miles east of Belhaven, then another two miles off of U.S. Highway 264. It’s an isolated and peaceful place.

“The view is unbelievable. Really, that’s what made us move here,” Taylor said. “It’s a mile and a half across the river, then it makes a dogleg and it’s five miles across there.”

Taylor’s home was one of the first houses built in Dowry Creek. Now, about 25 houses share the neighborhood, each on spacious lots along the waterfront. Dowry Creek marina is nearby, where ICW sailors spending a night or two often can be found. It’s still isolated and peaceful, Taylor says, but the neighbors are a close-knit bunch. They take turns hosting “flamingo parties,” with everyone bringing a dish to share. It’s the kind of place that appeals to those who are looking for a slower pace to life.

“If you’re retired; if you enjoy fishing — it’s wonderful fishing,” Taylor said. “The boat is right there. A push of a button, you’re in the water.”

The Taylor home was built in 1995. It’s all one story, with vaulted ceilings in the spacious living/dining area, and three bedrooms and a library. Tall windows and French doors onto the screened-in porch invite the expansive view of the Pungo River inside. The master bedroom shares that view.

“When you wake up in the morning you’re looking right at the river,” Taylor said. “It’s really pretty.”

Since its construction, several hurricanes have ravaged the region — Bertha and Fran, Bonnie, Dennis and Floyd, Irene — but even with whitecaps breaking in the front yard, the Taylor home has withstood the test of nature. It comes equipped with a generator that will power the entire house, the home’s systems are located in the attic and after losing several piers to the ferocious storms, Taylor came up with a final solution.

“It’s got a concrete pier, so it’s never going to lose one again,” he laughed.

Taylor said the house at Dowry Creek has served his family well: as a fulltime residence, as a honeymoon cottage for one of his grandchildren, as a weekend vacation home. His children and grandchildren flock to it in the summer months from their homes across the country; they come for family holidays.

With that kind of view — a place to sit and watch the world float by — who wouldn’t want to gather there?

“It’s a gorgeous spot,” Taylor said.

For more information about the Taylor home at Dowry Creek, call Diane Edwards at 252-945-0981.