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Storm Warning In Shoalhaven - Then a Messy Swell Filled Escape

8 February 2026 · 23 min · 21K views · New South Wales, Australia

Sailor braces at bow as waves crash near Shoalhaven

What this video covers

Adam and Luke aboard the Rival 34 Chequers wait out a 61-knot low-pressure system in Crookhaven on the New South Wales east coast before making a 73-mile passage north to Manly, Sydney.10:35 The storm builds 5.1-metre swells and 40-knot sustained winds overnight; the crew initially take a public mooring but abandon it after the boat clatters and swings sideways in a 3-knot tidal current, re-anchoring on 40 metres of chain with a 7-metre snubber for a quieter, more controlled hold.9:29 A sail tear discovered during reefing gets patched with an easy-stitcher while they wait.1:29 Departing Crookhaven on the flood tide to cross the bar, they motor for over an hour in flat calm and rain before 10 knots of southeast wind fills in, allowing them to sail at roughly 4.5–5 knots close-hauled against a 1-knot adverse current with a residual 3-metre swell.17:00 Averaging 4.5 knots, they calculate a late arrival at Port Hacking and decide to anchor there overnight rather than push the final 15 miles to Manly in the dark.19:58 Morning calms and afternoon sea breezes on this stretch of coast reward patience: waiting for afternoon wind proved the practical lesson of the passage.21:51

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Boats in this video

Rival 34Their boatProut Ltd. Snowgoose 37 EliteTheir boatRival 34Their boat

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