The News, Culture and Practice of Sailing woodenboats
in Australia, New Zealand & The South Pacific.

FILM Mark Chew FILM Mark Chew

Films Afloat

Vigo only made four films. This story, which follows a young couple's life aboard a canal barge, is about love, separation, and reconciliation and the way it’s presented demands that you are in the right frame of mind before settling down to watch it. It’s the antithesis of today’s Tiktok driven world.; slow paced, languid and thoughtful.

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ADVENTURE Mark Chew ADVENTURE Mark Chew

Sundance to Cairns - Part II

With the jib sheet in one hand, and spinnaker sheet in the other from the port side, I braced my feet on the starboard gunwale and stood out trapeze style using the sheet as my wire. This alone didn’t provide sufficient leverage to right the boat, so with each passing wave lifting the port side slightly, I bounced my weight to accentuate the effect. It was apparent this was wasn’t sufficient, so I conserved my energy until I saw the wind too added force when the gunwale lifted. The combination of my levered weight bouncing when a large wave arrived, and the sudden strong wind gust, worked, and I walked up the hull as she lifted, and flopped right way up.

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TALL SHIPS Mark Chew TALL SHIPS Mark Chew

“If I were to remain silent, I'd be guilty of complicity.”

This fleet has proudly called Docklands home for over 15 years, and now they face a critical moment. The Victorian government plans to hand over the current site to developers on January 1, 2026, leaving the fleet without a suitable home.   This places the vessels, the heritage equipment, the volunteers, the community at risk.This has motivated stakeholders to organise a day of action and protest this Sunday the 7th December.

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FLOTSAM Mark Chew FLOTSAM Mark Chew

Curating the Feed

So the solution to managing the perils of social media is to be strict with the inputs. Regular culling of the feed is cathartic. It’s like putting out the bins on a Thursday evening… a bit of a hassle, but it feels good when its done.

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DINGHIES, ADVENTURE Mark Chew DINGHIES, ADVENTURE Mark Chew

Sundance to Cairns - Part I

The wind began to howl down from the hills, pummelling the sea into frenzied ripples. “George” had his first taste of front line action holding the tiller down while I lunged forward to disarm the rioting mainsail. The jib strained, I pulled her away and we were away. “Sundance” planed, quickly draining out through the bailer whatever water she’d shipped.

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FOR SALE Mark Chew FOR SALE Mark Chew

Selling SAGA

I sailed on Saga for well over 5 years as a crew member with Lindsay out of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. We raced her in the inshore and offshore series and I was onboard in the 1968 Sydney to Hobart. I became very good friends with Lindsay and his family and had some great times on Saga. We also cruised up and down the NSW coast on a regular basis. She is a grand old boat, comfortable, spacious and easily sailed.

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ADVENTURE Mark Chew ADVENTURE Mark Chew

Passages and Shenanigans in Bass Strait

We shipped a couple of growlers over the side; she just took it all in her stride draining her cockpit with ease – now added to the mix as we were sailing on in the maelstrom there was a loud bang from behind us resulting in a blow my head and shoulder and wondering what the f… ! With being pooped and other waves crashing over the boat the hydrostatic valve in the inflatable emergency danbuoy fired off! It blew the pouch apart as it sought to break out do its thing - We now had a 3 metre danbuoy sharing the cockpit!

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FOR SALE Mark Chew FOR SALE Mark Chew

Find Your Workhorse!

With the theme of the 2027 festival being “Working Boats”, the SWS editors have scoured the listings for half a dozen special boats with industrious origins. Even if you are not in the market… It’s fun to dream!

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ADVENTURE Mark Chew ADVENTURE Mark Chew

What’s The Golden Rule?

This story has got everything. A worthy cause, a wooden sailing boat, a restoration, an adventure, and an on going legacy. It’s beautifully made, and the subject matter is as relevant today as when the idea was first conceived.

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BOOK REVIEWS Mark Chew BOOK REVIEWS Mark Chew

An Island Inheritance -

“I was shivering, not because of the cold, but because I was frightened at the idea of sailing out alone in this small boat to the Shiants. The halyard was slapping against the mast and the tiny waves clucked as they were caught against the underside of the hull.”

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Mark Chew Mark Chew

A Concrete Scar in the Pacific

The Runit Dome was never intended as a permanent fix. Engineers knew the porous coral beneath it could allow seawater to move freely, but lining the crater was deemed too costly. The concrete cap was built quickly, designed to contain the waste for perhaps a few decades — not centuries.

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HISTORY Mark Chew HISTORY Mark Chew

Some SANDRA History

While the yacht was planing before the breeze out of control, two shifting wrenches were secured to the remains of the tiller straps and the tiller was made fast to these.

Gradually SANDRA was brought back on her course, but by this time the constant flogging of the storm staysail had caused both forestay hanks to part and the jib sheets to come adrift at the tack of the sail.

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REGATTAS Mark Chew REGATTAS Mark Chew

Cup Regatta Wrap

The feeling of anticipation, it passes; tears and disappointment they pass, exaltation and exhilaration they pass, the aching muscles and bruises they certainly pass but two things that never pass are your memories, memories of a great regatta ,and friendship, those of the old friends you have caught up with once again as well as the new friends you have made. This is what the Cup Regatta is all about. No playing for sheep-stations here.

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HISTORY Mark Chew HISTORY Mark Chew

Rope Burn

Rope weaves together the fascinating story of one of humanity’s oldest inventions — a simple twist of fibres that literally held the world together. From hauling stones for the pyramids to anchoring ships on daring voyages, rope has been the silent hero behind some of history’s greatest achievements.

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EIGHT BELLS Mark Chew EIGHT BELLS Mark Chew

Eight Bells - Bruce Tantrum

He’d always had ambitions to design yachts. One of his proudest possessions was a handwritten letter received from Olin Stephens. As a teenager he had drawn a yacht and sent the plans to the great man for comment. Olin despite being famous and busy, replied, making some critical observations but at no time be condescending to the colonial lad who had presumed to seek advice from the master.

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