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Storm Warning In Shoalhaven - Then a Messy Swell Filled Escape
February 8, 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 (Shoalhaven/Flyhaven) 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 takes a public mooring but abandons 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
Boats in this video
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