Portuguese-based cruising enthusiast John Duggan of Cascais and originally Malahide has been monitoring the continuing situation with orca attacks on the rudders of cruising boats off the Iberian coast, and has posted this update today:
"Anyone with a boat in the Atlantic waters of Spain and Portugal will be aware of a recent spate of damage done by orcas (killer whales) to the rudder and steering gear of yachts. More than two dozen boats have needed external assistance, and the Spanish authorities have ordered the exclusion of boats of less than 15M from an area between Tarifa and Cape Trafalgar.
The official advice when dealing with an aggressive approach by orcas is to take down the sails, stop the engine and echo sounder, and not touch the wheel in the hope that eventually the orcas will simply mvd on. But the effectiveness of these measures is uncertain, and a Portuguese sailor has recently reported success with another technique - to go astern under power slowly at 2-3 knots. The idea is that the orca will want to stay clear of the propeller, and will not easily be able to bash against the rudder.”
Mr Duggan has asked us to point out that he accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any boat which has to motor astern all the way across the Bay of Biscay with an increasingly irritated pod of orcas following at the bow.
Seasoned sailor. Orca observer John Duggan on mainsheet trim aboard Otto Glaser’s 47ft McGruer sloop Tritsch-Tratsch II in the i975 Howth-Holyhead Race - in which she took line honours and the Class 1 win - with Olympic sailor Barry O’Neill beyond on the wheel. Photo: W M Nixon
