Oct. 27, 2026 A Long Day gets us to North Carolina

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026   Top Rack Marina to Tuckahoe Anchorage    96 miles and 11 hours

Up at 5:45 AM for an early morning departure.  We need to be in line at the Great Bridge Lock for their 7:20 AM opening. Requires that we drop our dock lines and cast off by 6:50 AM. Several boats already ahead of us and more coming around the corner per AIS.  Timing is critical this morning.   The 7:20 lockage gets us to the Great Bridge Bridge for its 8 AM opening.   Then it's a half hour run to the Centerville Bridge for their 8:30 opening.   Get through it and another half hour run to the North Landing Bridge for their 9 AM opening.   King tides from the full moon resulted in a couple of opening cancellations yesterday, so we want to get on our way before high tide.  Snowbird migration continues.  Lock is full of boats. We make a perfectly timed parade until after the North Landing Bridge at which point the fast boats jump on plane and take off.  We're in a group of 3 boats traveling at about 10mph and feel smug leaving the slow sailboats behind.  

Boats arriving and lining up behind us waiting for the lock gates to open

Gates open and we're 4th in line behind this nice Hinckley Love You Tons

Secured to the wall and waiting for boats to fill the opposite side

Out of the lock and headed to the bridge with the rising sun blazing in our eyes

Parade of boats behind us still coming through the bridge

Gorgeous 100-year-old steel and teak beauty was waiting at the Centerville lock

We are on the Chesapeake and Albemarle Route of the ICW which winds its way through some canals, some natural winding river and some open bays.  Most of what looks like open waters is actually very shallow.  Staying in the marked channel is essential and requires constant attention to our charts and the depth finder.   Nice sunny warm day.  Gets into the lower 70's by late afternoon.   Pass by Coinjock Marina - no stopping today for their prime rib dinner.  

Typical waters along the Albemarle - Chesapeake Route

Make our way to the Albemarle Sound.  Fairly nice conditions.   NE breeze has been starting to build, but waves are minimal.   Water across this wide-open expanse is only 15-20' deep so winds can kick up nasty waves in a hurry. We get across without issue and enter the snaking channel into the head of the Alligator River.  A long, wide and open north to south running body of water.  The NE breeze is a bit stronger, and waves are starting to make us wallow.  Going to be worse tomorrow after a full night of winds so glad we're getting this out of the way today.   At the Alligator River Swing Bridge we get a quick passage with no waiting from the attentive bridgetender.   Construction continues on the new high-rise bridge that will replace it.  

This nice Marlow yacht passed us on the way to the bridge

Bohemia rode our wake the entire day right into the anchorage. 
Interesting aluminum hulled vessel

Construction on the new Alligator River high rise bridge is ongoing

Old swing bridge will soon be just a distant memory.  Sort of sad as it's
been an iconic part of our ICW trips all the way back to the 1990's

Got to the south end of the river where it narrows down and after a few twists and turns we find our anchorage for the night - Tuckahoe Point.   Bohemia has been following close in our wake since the start of the day and also pulls in.  Long day and we're happy to finally get the anchor down.    Multiple sailboats already anchored here along with our friends on Apres Sail who came through from the Dismal Swamp route earlier in the day.  Working on options for where to go over the next couple days.  Stay tuned.

Too busy fixing dinner to catch the actual sunset.  This was all we got.

Journey for Oct. 27, 2026