Sailing Nahoa · video

What this video covers

Nahoa departs a South Pacific anchorage ahead of cyclone season on an 800-mile passage west to Nui, Tonga — a distance that puts them beyond the edge of any reliable forecast for 7–10 days.▶ 0:37 Conditions cycle through squalls, no-wind zones with squally SPCZ-type weather, and a southern ocean low that builds swells to 2.5 meters while the wind simultaneously drops.▶ 6:54 Ben pulls a broken batten from the mainsail at sunset to avoid an emergency repair at night, and puts in a second reef ahead of a front.▶ 8:34 The Maupiha pass proves the most demanding of the passage: current rips through so fast the boat nearly matches outflow speed, leaving almost no water past the rudders and effectively no steerage in a narrow, coral-studded channel.▶ 3:16 Fishing produces a large barracuda (released, considered poisonous) and eventually a wahoo.▶ 13:50 Radar reads a squall at 47 knots; Ben doubts the instrument and it proves to be light rain.▶ 6:08 Nui anchorage is fully open to the west, producing extreme roll.▶ 28:59 Ben files pre-arrival paperwork late and apologizes to authorities.▶ 29:24 The forecast predicted light following winds requiring motoring; instead the wind filled in for beautiful wing-on-wing sailing — the title's payoff.▶ 17:22

More from Sailing Nahoa

How Do Builders Actually Price a Boat?May 2026Why Most Catamarans Fail Offshore — And What We Did About ItApr 202611 Years Offshore Led Us to Design This CatamaranApr 2026How You Design a Production CatamaranMar 2026

From Sailing Nahoa — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.