Orca Rudder Attacks: Solution

[aqu4tro]

Simplest problem solver!

Apparently, and Im telling you as Im reading it, a Portuguese sailor from Madeira Marc Herminio has just fended off 2 Orca attacks with the simplest solution...

1- Sails down immediately
2- Start engine
3- Put boat in reverse 2/3knots
4- Have a drink and wait 15 mins

Propeller protects the ruder, the orcas go away!
Fair winds
A4

[ArmyDaveNY]

This is pretty interesting. Where did you see this? That sounds like a great idea. It would also be interesting to see if skeg hung or full keel boats are attacked less.

[JPA Cate]

iirc, Boatman 61 posted this information on another thread here. The Portuguese gov't have created a large exclusion zone off their country, to keep the yachties out of the ways of the orcas.

Ann

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

iirc, Boatman 61 posted this information on another thread here. The Portuguese gov't have created a large exclusion zone off their country, to keep the yachties out of the ways of the orcas.

Ann

I was reading this article (which you may find interesting) and it suggests that the area the guilty whales are in is moving. It also claims that they have identified the individuals involved in the attacks. Perhaps most worrying of all is this: "Most concerning is the fact that the whales’ interactions with vessels appear to be not only more frequent, but also more sustained and involving a widening range of vessels. “Last year it was mostly small sailing vessels, but this year they are going for larger sailing vessels and even catamarans, destroying both rudders. They also have been reported to go for fishing vessels and small RIBs, in southern Portugal, where the whale watching boats are mainly RIBs."
https://www.yachtingworld.com/cruisi...scalate-133968

It is an interesting read. Perhaps this solution will solve the problem.

[Orion Jim]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTs_lRgJ-2s

This video makes me wonder how many “Orca” attacks have been wrongly attributed. This particular incident was subsequently determined to be a fishing net balled up on the prop. Whether the port officials ever amended the record is unknown.

[JPA Cate]

I wonder if you can get term insurance against orca attack, along that route?

Let's hope the going astern trick works.

Rather chilling that the whale expert says the behavior may be evolving...like they're teaching the youngsters to do it! And asking for video recording of the attacks for the purpose of identifying the perpetrators. Mmmmmmm. And warning people to not try to hold onto the helm, and to stay well back from the edges of the boat, and be "discreet" about filming them. Mmmmmmmmm.

Yachting World mentioned that some skippers are simply staying well clear of the orca fishing grounds. Makes sense to me, but then, how do you get into the Med, if that's where you're bound? Not everybody's draft will allow them the canal route from Holland or France.

Ann

On edit: Here's a link to the thread I first heard of this strategy (going astern): https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3507899

[double u]

...I'm surprised nobody has started shooting at the attacking animals. After all these attacks are potentially lifethreatening.
(or maybe somebody has, but keeps quiet about it...)

[Franziska]

This site has got good info on the subject:

https://www.orcaiberica.org/recommendations

They have also a map showing the "attack" locations.

Now I do wonder if it's not possible instead of harming those wonderful animals to tag them and follow their location in real time by satellite and put that on an internet map.

As far as I understand, there is only a few animals involved and one could try to give them a wide bearth this way.

Orcas need air to breathe, so they surface frequently and that would be the moment when a satellite should be able to read a signal.

Regarding the effort of tagging them. Well there is a lot of resources involved with this matter at the moment, so the funds are perhaps available?
Not sure how easy it is though from a technical perspective.

This way it might be possible to establish a moving exclusion zone which could be smaller and therefore less impeding on the cruising area.

[Chotu]

Kick up rudders and dagger boards win again in the catamaran department.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Kick up rudders and dagger boards win again in the catamaran department.

True, but don't let your kick up rudder be kicked sideways in the down position..

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Franziska

True, but don't let your kick up rudder be kicked sideways in the down position..

True. But equally true is that if your first warning of orcas is them smashing your rudder on say... the port hull, you can still pull both rudders up until the aggressive play is over.

Then you can lower the still good starboard rudder and sail on once the danger has passed.

[GordMay]

Who was the marketing genius, that nicknamed them ‘Killer Whales’, instead of, say, ‘Sea Pandas’?

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by Chotu

True. But equally true is that if your first warning of orcas is them smashing your rudder on say... the port hull, you can still pull both rudders up until the aggressive play is over.

Then you can lower the still good starboard rudder and sail on once the danger has passed.

:-)

We have lifting rudders and one centerboard too :-)
So I'm not opposed to it.

[donradcliffe]

Lifting your rudder clear of the water will not keep an Orca from biting it. It will keep you from steering the boat. I would hope that the Orca academy teaches the youngsters to stay away from spinning propellers.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Franziska

This site has got good info on the subject:

https://www.orcaiberica.org/recommendations

They have also a map showing the "attack" locations.

Now I do wonder if it's not possible instead of harming those wonderful animals to tag them and follow their location in real time by satellite and put that on an internet map.

As far as I understand, there is only a few animals involved and one could try to give them a wide bearth this way.

This way it might be possible to establish a moving exclusion zone which could be smaller and therefore less impeding on the cruising area.

Unfortunately, the whales move, and thus the zones would move. Also, there is not realistic way of knowing where they are in real time and worse, even if you did find out where they were, there is no way a sailboat could move out of the way in time. The Orcas are too fast.