The big blue
by Noonsite 3 Nov 2021 15:49 UTC
Cruising yacht © Noonsite
Preparing your boat for an ocean crossing can be a daunting task. Once the final boat job has been done and you've cast off the lines, watching the land slowly disappear should be the start of the next chapter and the big adventure.
This year however, heading out into the big blue is just the start of it for boats crossing from Europe to the Caribbean, as the danger of encountering orcas on passage to the Canaries is ever present. Regularly featuring in our newsletters this year, orca activity has been increasing this month as they slowly migrate north up the western Iberian peninsula. Mid-October there was a daily tally of yachts reporting damage and needing assistance off the Portuguese coast, NW Galicia and even in French waters.
How to make the orcas go away if they show an interest in your boat is something every skipper transiting this coast wants to know. The Atlantic Orca Working Group have recommendations, but unfortunately there does not appear to be a clear method that works every time. Chats on cruiser forums show that skippers are trying their own tactics, from deploying a dinghy into the water to act as a distraction to putting the boat in reverse to deter the orcas. Christopher Mackins reports on meeting orcas in the middle of the night off Peniche and sensing they were "excited and trying to communicate". Conversely, a Swan 441 intercepted off Cape Finisterre this month felt they were "assaulted" by the orca for several hours.
Eighty percent of interactions that took place since the start of this month occurred at night. The Atlantic Orca Working Group have a quick-view traffic light system on their website indicating where there are risks of interaction, plus some excellent FAQs. If you have encountered orcas this year, please share your experience by posting a comment on the latest report.
A final note for those heading to the Canaries. Cruisers currently in the islands report that it's busy with many marinas full. This report by Oliver Solanas Heinrichs on how to book a berth in Government Harbours should help.
This article has been provided by the courtesy of noonsite.com.