BackBoater briefing

Cape Lookout Bight

a typical 26 ft centre console · 26 ft centre console · out of Wrightsville Beach

Distance
81.8 nm
from Wrightsville Beach
Run time
204 min
arrive about 7:31 PM
Fuel, round trip
87.6 gal
58% of your 150 gal
Under the keel
—
no depth reports yet
Daylight
Sunset 6:23 PM · you'd get home 273 min after dark
🌇

Depth

Nobody has reported a depth here. This spot is tide-sensitive, so sound your way in and post what you read — we timestamp it and correct it to the datum automatically, so the next boat gets a number they can actually use.

On the water

Cape Lookout to Surf City
Tonight
Wind N 10-15 ktSeas 3-5 ftInside moderate chop

N winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft, except 2 to 3 ft near shore. Wave Detail: NE 5 ft at 13 seconds and NW 1 ft at 3 seconds. Adjacent sounds and rivers a moderate chop.

FridayN 10-15 kt g25 · seas 4-6 ft
Friday NightNE 20-25 kt g30 · seas 5-8 ft
SaturdayNE 20-25 kt g30 · seas 5-8 ft
NWS Coastal Waters Forecast AMZ158 · live

Happening right now

observed, not forecast
Wind now
N 3 kt g8
Waves
3.6 ft @ 15s
Water
74°F
NDBC Beaufort + Onslow Bay · 49 min ago

Tides

3.9 ft now, rising
ARRIVENOW04:24 · 4.110:38 · 1.116:45 · 4.022:49 · 0.9

Next high at 16:45 · 4.0 ft

Aim for the window around high water at 04:24 or 16:45 — this spot is tide-sensitive.

NOAA 8656841 · Cape Lookout Bight · MLLW · live

What you need to know

The best natural anchorage in North Carolina — a full hook of protection behind the cape, and the lighthouse right there. Big enough to hold a hundred boats. Plan on an overnight, not a day trip.

Open place detailsChange

Forecast, observations and tides are live from NOAA, the National Weather Service and NDBC. Run time, fuel, depth and daylight are calculated from your boat profile. Planning aid only — not for navigation. Carry current charts.