The Sailing Brothersvideo
The Coast That Fights Back
March 8, 2026 · 21 min · 19K views · Forster, Australia
Sailboat cuts through stormy seas under dark sky
What this video covers
Adam and Luke aboard their boat Chequers attempt a 200-mile non-stop passage from Nelson Bay to Yamba along the New South Wales coast, pushing north against the East Australian Current running hard to the south.▶ 0:22 A forecast update showing 25–35 knots overnight forces the first plan change: instead of pressing on, they divert to Forster, racing 19 miles to make a 6 p.m. high tide before a 5-knot tidal outflow closes the entrance.▶ 2:48 The overnight stop proves justified — wind howls through the anchorage while they sit in 1.6 metres of water in a tidal river.▶ 6:45 Departing the next morning with a triple-reefed main, they motor-sail through patchy 1–18 knot winds 30 miles north of Forster before stopping again at Port Macquarie.▶ 13:18 The approach to Port Macquarie demands rounding Tacking Point, where the East Australian Current squeezes to 1.7 knots against the wind, producing steep, chaotic seas and a large breaking wave over the bow.▶ 15:13 Entry uses leading lights: the white light confirms the safe angle; a previous entry on the wrong (red) light nearly put them on the beach.▶ 19:25 A gas regulator bought from Bunnings leaked half a gas bottle before a spare European regulator solved the problem.▶ 10:36 New sails are waiting in Ballina.▶ 7:29
Boats in this video
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