orcas-1 Benie-0

[s/v Jedi]

There’s 20m high waves at the 20m line at Tarifa. Surfboards are named after Tarifa.

[bergius]

Originally Posted by GordMay

And, what does Rui Alves recommend?

The list is pretty simple. And on the Telegram group it was mentioned that the alternative to staying inside the 20m line would be to stay outside the 350m line, so for example west of 10°W on the Spanish NW coast,

Tricky to decide what to do. We're now in A Coruña and preparing to sail south. Sailing inside the 20m line seems overly risky with any sea state, lee shore considerations, etc. But going to properly deep water would work better for longer passages, not for day hops between anchorages in the Rias.

[Alistair242]

Originally Posted by GordMay

And, what does Rui Alves recommend?

Have a look at the site and the FB group. Join the telegram groups for up to date information about where the Orcas are day to day so you know where to be and where not to be.
In the hot zones hug the 20m contours and if approached by any Orca, move as fast as possible away from them towards shallower water or in the opposite direction from where they approached from.
There is more but keeping up to date is the most important advice I would think.
There is a lot of information available.

[Alistair242]

Yes, or go wide and stay in deep water, but you will need to approach the coast at some point. There are no guarantees but getting as much info as possible is always a good idea.
We are going to be sailing south through there in the next few months and will have a look at which route to take at that time.

[s/v Jedi]

These orcas drive themselves high and dry on beaches to snack on seals sunbathing there, before casually hopping back into the surf. I don’t think they care about a 20m depth contour…

[Alistair242]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

These orcas drive themselves high and dry on beaches to snack on seals sunbathing there, before casually hopping back into the surf. I don’t think they care about a 20m depth contour…

Not this sub species of orca. They eat only the bluefin tuna that come through the area and follow them pretty much wherever they go, which is in water much deeper than 20m.

[Gadagirl]

So I was thinking about the theory of dispersing sand offered as a way that confuses their senses. I'm not certain of the validity of that theory. And how much sand could you possibly carry to dump precisely at the rudder and how long would that last? Minutes?

But suppose you had a hooka onboard. And suppose you had tubing attached to the rudder and you could pump a ton of air bubbles. Would that not mess with their sonar abilities? The same as sand? Just an idea.

[pcav]

Originally Posted by GordMay

And, what does Rui Alves recommend?

As many have said, just stay within the 20 m depth and you're safe. Please spread the word, and let's stop with the blabla.

[Nicholson58]

Our boat, Roxy, Camper & Nicholson 58, was advertised as ‘whale proof’. We have not had to test this claim but she sure is heavy and thick skinned with two plies of Kevlar, skeg mounted rudder and molded modified full keel. 40 tons. Currently for sale in Annapolis, Md if you need an upgrade from a Modern lightweight.

I’ve wondered if a taser would work.

[merrydolphin]

Here is a thought: Has anyone tried getting in the water with free or scuba to “guard” the rudder area? Orca’s do not attract humans in the water ( except a couple of instance while in captivity for entertainment ). A little gutsy yes, but has anyone tried it?
Just a thought! I mean we are getting desperate here.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by merrydolphin

Here is a thought: Has anyone tried getting in the water with free or scuba to “guard” the rudder area? Orca’s do not attract humans in the water ( except a couple of instance while in captivity for entertainment ). A little gutsy yes, but has anyone tried it?
Just a thought! I mean we are getting desperate here.

You mean see if they'll swim around with you balanced on their heads rather than attack your rudder..

[boatman61]

Jedi I think your confusing Tarifa with Nazare.. Tarifa is the windsurf capital because predominant winds are E or W and the highest waves I've seen in the Strait have been less than 4metres in an E'ly F8 betweenTarifa and Trafalgar.
Nazare on the other hand holds the world record for highest wave ever surfed at 86 feet or 26.21 metres.

[eheffa]

Slightly tongue in cheek…

What about having some weighted fishing nets that could be attached to the rails & dropped around the entire boat like a skirt?

The orcas are probably pretty wise in knowing how to avoid entanglement & this might prevent damage to the boat.

If they did get entangled, call the Sea Shepherd society to rescue the orcas…. You can donate to their fuel fund later.

The released orcas can then go off to tell their playmates what a bad idea it is to approach a boat surrounded in netting.

[Woody]

Originally Posted by merrydolphin

Here is a thought: Has anyone tried getting in the water with free or scuba to “guard” the rudder area? Orca’s do not attract humans in the water ( except a couple of instance while in captivity for entertainment ). A little gutsy yes, but has anyone tried it?
Just a thought! I mean we are getting desperate here.

These intelligent mammals are capable of eviscerating great white sharks, killing blue whales, and are known to eat the occasional terrestrial deer or moose in the arctic, to say nothing of ripping off boat rudders for sport. They also often harass and kill smaller animals just for fun.


Would you try your own advice and get in to "play" with them?

[s/v Jedi]

Why not go in the water and offer your throat to the killer whale? Maybe they will understand how sad humans are and swim away, leaving all yachts to sail in peace from then on.