The Portugal wreck, & Grazie Mama Orca attack

Ahoy, and happy Veterans Day! I’m not saying going sailing will solve all your problems, but there’s no problem that’s going to be made worse by going sailing…

In today’s Roundup:

• A Dire Warning: Suspicious Torres Vedras tragedy.

• Mamma Mia!: Orcas sink the Grazie Mamma.

• Race Updates: Jacques Vabre Transac, OGR Leg 2, J/20 Worlds.

• Sailing Snippets: World’s Oldest Ship, B.O.A.T, Capt Ron Update, Sailing Bottle.

For those looking to support a Veterans organization today, check out No Salt Sailing. They are a non-profit dedicated to helping wounded, disabled, and transitioning Veterans and their families learn to sail in Chicago and the Great Lakes. You can find them here. 

A Dire Warning

After being explicitly warned not to leave port, a Danish flagged sailboat with Danish nationals aboard set sail off the coast of Portugal into Storm Ciarán. This is the moment the boat rolled in a massive wave. All aboard perished.

The circumstances around the departure, and even the crew, leave unanswered questions so strange as to almost seem suspicious. The boat departed into a storm with swell reported up to 14 meters, in conditions where “even the fishermen stay in,” according to Paula Nunes, who was in the marina next to the doomed boat. Even stranger, the boat had both their VHF and their AIS turned off, and the four recovered bodies were found without life vests or harnesses on. However, only three people were listed as being on board when the boat departed, and the identity or the fourth is still unknown.

The wreck took place so close to shore that some are speculating that it may have been intentional, or some other sinister motives were at play. You can follow more of the story here.

Mama Mia!

The Orcas are at it again, this time sinking Grazie Mamma, a Jeanneau 443 off the coast of Spain. AIS data shows the boat suddenly deviating from its trackline the moment a herd of Killer whales attacked the ship. The whales reportedly rammed the ship over 45 times causing severe damage and flooding. Despite assistance from local tugs and the Moroccan Navy, the boat was lost. All crew aboard were rescued safely.

Interestingly, all scientific data on the Orca attacks shows them only targeting sailboats less than 15 meters in length, and only while under way, with never any interest in the humans aboard. The attacks are reportedly led by a female Orca dubbed “White Gladis,” who is the provocateur of all this maritime mischief.

Unscientifically, the general consensus on /sailing Reddit and other forums is that if an Orca were to attack your boat, the course of action would be to heave-to, and go head-to-head with them by emptying your blackwater tank. Pardon the awful pun.

I guess option would be to get a sailboat longer than 15 meters, just to be safe.

Sailing Snippets

The World's Oldest Sailing Ship is embarking on a special sail this Veterans Day weekend to celebrate her 160th birthday. This is the first time in five years that the Star of India has sailed, and will be part of an at sea parade. The Maritime Museum of San Diego is holding the event; read more about it here.

B.O.A.T: We all know what it stands for, and it looks like this boat will be busting out quite a few thousand in repairs. Ouch. A fire aboard a 47’ 2022 Dufour at the Racine Riverside Marina caused a reported $815,000 in damage. Quick action from a nearby boater saved the vessel from further damage. Pictures and full report here.

Capt. Ron Award Update: Remember the guy (Luke Rehberg) from a week or so ago that jumped overboard and swam to shore to stay with his stranded sailboat? Well, he’s still stuck on Jacksonville beach, and says he’s “waiting on a miracle.” The locals have been helping him out with hammocks, a solar panel, and some donations, but nothing close to the amount he needs to have a commercial tugboat refloat the boat. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has given him till November 19th to remove the boat, or it will be destroyed.

Rehberg has reluctantly begun removing his belongings in preparation for the inevitable, saying he has given up on the boat. When asked about where he’ll go, he said he will go to Hilton Head, where he has another boat, which grew up sailing on.

Sailing Bottle: Fons Oerlemans and Kee Arens crossed the Atlantic in a sailing… bottle. Their last boat was shaped like a bottle, and was aptly named Message in a Bottle. Fons’s favorite thing to do is build sailing vessels with wild designs, including one sailing truck. Read the article and see the pics from PBO here.

That’s it for today, stay safe out there ya salty dogs, and we’ll Ketch ya next week.