Australian describes huge sea surges after quake

CANBERRA - An Australian sailing with friends between the Indonesian islands hit by a massive earthquake on Monday described two hours of fear as the sea surged back and forth under his boat.

Marcus Keesham, who runs a surf travel company with his brother, contacted his family in Victoria last night to report he was safe and well.

Mr Keesham said his boat was sailing 100km north of the epicentre when the 8.7 quake hit.

He said the boat rose and fell sharply as massive amounts of water shifted, dragging the boat's anchor with it.

Mr Keesham said he, his friend Angus from Geelong, and his girlfriend were thrown from one side of the boat to the other when the quake hit as they sailed east from Sileulue Island to the Banyak islands.

"We were down below in the saloon watching a movie and we felt some very strange movement for about two minutes," Mr Keesham told ABC radio.

"The boat rose and fell really sharply.

"We asked the crew what was happening and they said 'earthquake'.

"We were obviously worried about a tsunami."

He said the sea returned to flat and calm, so the trio went back below to keep watching the movie.

"About 20 minutes later, the water started rushing, like, with incredible force, probably 10 or 15 knots current moving in one direction," he said.

"The boat was dragging anchor. The current moved (with) a 180 degrees swing.

"Then it happened again, the third time the current changed.

"It rushed for 20 minutes. Big waves. It was like we were motoring along."

Mr Keesham said the sea would become calm in between the sea surges.

"All the same debris that went past the boat, would all start rushing back the other way.

"We were getting washed around and we were getting quite scared."

He said the experience lasted for perhaps two hours.

- AAP