Sailing SV Delosvideo
Trapped Between Two Bad Choices...Sailing Vessel Delos Ep. 518
8 August 2025 · 31 min · 444K views · Niue
What this video covers
SV Delos arrives at Niue after an eight-day, roughly 1,400-mile passage from French Polynesia through 25–30-knot winds and 15-foot seas — described as one of the rolliest passages the crew has made in years.▶ 1:16 Niue is a raised coral atoll with no gradual sloping bottom, making anchoring impossible; boats must reserve mooring balls on the west side, in the lee of the trade winds.▶ 2:22 After 36 hours ashore, a forecast shows a weather system spinning through and sending 30-knot winds from the west directly onto the mooring field, with SV Delos less than 100 metres from limestone cliffs.▶ 16:25 The crew weighs staying against departing immediately into rough conditions, exhausted and with Kaz fighting a cold.▶ 18:40 They choose to leave Thursday night to reach Tonga's Vava'u Island group before the system disrupts winds, averaging 7.8 knots on the final night.▶ 19:08 After arriving, AIS data reveals that at least one boat left behind at Niue went ashore — wrecked on the rocks.▶ 26:56 Ashore exploration covers Avaki Cave, the Limu Pools halocline snorkeling, and an encounter with the highly venomous but docile katawali sea snake.▶ 8:51 Crew member Bill departs in Tonga after helping with the passage.▶ 27:49 Leaving a lee-shore mooring ahead of a forecast wind shift, even after a short stop, proved the correct call.▶ 26:59
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