Orca attack

[billskip]

A Nauticat had its rudder stripped to a bare steel shaft so no - no hull/keel/rudder combo is immune

We are moored next to a new Lagoon 450 in our relatively tiny 40 footer. I can see that the Lagoon has its rudders a long distance (over a metre I would guess) ahead of its props.

I've not seen this configuration before so it looks really strange. Obviously there will be no prop-wash over the rudder when going forward although that's not a big problem with two engines anyway.

I was wondering whether any monohulls have ever been designed like that? Presumably better handling in reverse, although that separation distance will perhaps not provide much prop wash, but a bit of a pig going forward since not possible to angle the rudders and blip the throttle to give the stern a push sideways?

Richard

I would think this configuration with prop aft the rudder and engine going may be a deterrent....

 

[Baggywrinkle]

A Nauticat had its rudder stripped to a bare steel shaft so no - no hull/keel/rudder combo is immune

Just to further support this point ...

This is Mustique ... a "Moody 66 Performance "Blue Water" Cruising Yacht." according to the charter sites. ... details of a Moody 66 ...
PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS
Length overall (Including pulpit) 20.043m (65’9”)
Length waterline 16.55m (54’3”)
Beam 5.33m (17’6”)
Shoal keel 1.98m (6’6”)
Displacement (light) 28.8 Tonnes (63,360lb)
Displacement (full tanks) 31.40 Tonnes (69,080lb)

BALLAST
Shoal 10.65 Tonnes (23,430 lbs)

(I don't know if Mustique was the shoal keel variant, but the dimensions and overall weights are not far off)



MUSTIQUE Yacht Charter Price - VT Shipbuilding Luxury Yacht Charter

... and this is the story on Instagram by April Boyes @april_ ...

“What started off as a seemingly unique encounter ended with orcas breaking our rudder off the boat, then proceeding to tear off bits of the boat for over an hour,” recounted April Boyes, one of the Mustique's crew members.

“A huge hole in the hull meant we had water ingress to other parts of the boat and the engine room. I can honestly say it was a scary experience.”

A rapid-response vessel and a helicopter, equipped with a bilge pump, were sent to assist the 20-metre vessel.

The video log of the attack is here, unfortunately, you need an Instagram login to watch.

Watch until the end to see what was done to the hull and skeg after the rudder was ripped off .... this is not an insubstantial boat but the crew were hanging onto the shrouds and losing their balance as the orcas removed the rudder and ripped the skeg apart. IMO ... a longer skeg would just give them more leverage on the hull.

Login • Instagram

This is the YouTube video shared by the Daily Telegraph but it doesn't include footage of the boat on the hard.

.. IMO this puts the belief that skegs make a difference to bed ... they don't, it's just pot luck at the end of the day as to how much effort the orcas are prepared to put into destroying a rudder.

 

[Tradewinds]

Depends on what age Nauticat - later designs from the 90's onwards had fin keels and spade rudders.

I think this was the older style long keel.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Just to further support this point ...

This is Mustique ... a "Moody 66 Performance "Blue Water" Cruising Yacht." according to the charter sites. ... details of a Moody 66 ...
PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS
Length overall (Including pulpit) 20.043m (65’9”)
Length waterline 16.55m (54’3”)
Beam 5.33m (17’6”)
Shoal keel 1.98m (6’6”)
Displacement (light) 28.8 Tonnes (63,360lb)
Displacement (full tanks) 31.40 Tonnes (69,080lb)

BALLAST
Shoal 10.65 Tonnes (23,430 lbs)

(I don't know if Mustique was the shoal keel variant, but the dimensions and overall weights are not far off)

View attachment 168070

MUSTIQUE Yacht Charter Price - VT Shipbuilding Luxury Yacht Charter

... and this is the story on Instagram by April Boyes @april_ ...



The video log of the attack is here, unfortunately, you need an Instagram login to watch.

Watch until the end to see what was done to the hull and skeg after the rudder was ripped off .... this is not an insubstantial boat but the crew were hanging onto the shrouds and losing their balance as the orcas removed the rudder and ripped the skeg apart. IMO ... a longer skeg would just give them more leverage on the hull.

Login • Instagram

This is the YouTube video shared by the Daily Telegraph but it doesn't include footage of the boat on the hard.

View attachment 168071

.. IMO this puts the belief that skegs make a difference to bed ... they don't, it's just pot luck at the end of the day as to how much effort the orcas are prepared to put into destroying a rudder.

Terrifying ordeal for them.

Perhaps the reason why the Orcas do this will never be known. But what to do.

 

[webcraft]

Terrifying ordeal for them.

Perhaps the reason why the Orcas do this will never be known. But what to do.

Firecrackers, preferably weighted so they go off underwater. I have taped fishing weights to ours, and keep them in a box with 2 'jet' lighters that work in the wind.

Or, you can use firecrackers. Yes, I know I have mentioned it twice, but they are the only thing that wc irks.

- W

 

[GHA]

Or, you can use firecrackers. Yes, I know I have mentioned it twice, but they are the only thing that wc irks.

- W

Hopefully science is close to helping >

Sea trials of new acoustic deterrent device to keep orcas at bay.

 

[Sailfree]

The final solution will be the final solution for the Orcas doing this.

Yes I like all animals but if it me or them!!

Perhaps being more afraid of human and boats will be no bad thing. After a few bad experience they will learn to avoid boats.

 

[billskip]

The final solution will be the final solution for the Orcas doing this.

Yes I like all animals but if it me or them!!

Perhaps being more afraid of human and boats will be no bad thing. After a few bad experience they will learn to avoid boats.

Hmmm...why are they on the planet? After all we humans (why are we on the planet?) are reportedly destroying it.

 

[Thresher]

Firecrackers, preferably weighted so they go off underwater. I have taped fishing weights to ours, and keep them in a box with 2 'jet' lighters that work in the wind.

Or, you can use firecrackers. Yes, I know I have mentioned it twice, but they are the only thing that wc irks.

- W

No need to waste lead. Tape them to the end of your boathook.

 

[billskip]

No need to waste lead. Tape them to the end of your boathook.

I thought it was illegal to use lead as fishing weights...

 

[Koeketiene]

I thought it was illegal to use lead as fishing weights...

Lots of things are illegal these days...

 

[John_Silver]

Food for speculative thought here, on origins of the recent orca rudder munching habit. Adult partially immobilises dolphin, stands by whilst juveniles hone their hunter killer skills upon it. In this clip, biting of tail flukes plays a key role in both behaviours......

 

[Graham376]

This video has appeared on youtube, interesting half an hour but nothing new to report -

 

[freespiritdavid]

Have there been any reports of attacks on the keel.? Or markings to show this has happened.

 

[John_Silver]

The faces (and voices) behind GTOA:

Wonder how the planned trials, of the GenusWave acoustic deterrent device, are going off Portugal?

 

[Cariadco]

My Mate's Rowing across the Atlantic, and this is what this morning greeted him with.....

 

[Wandering Star]

What a lovely picture especially when you know it was taken from a row boat!

 

[Daydream believer]

What a lovely picture especially when you know it was taken from a row boat!

Dunno about lovely pictures- More like squeaky bum time aboard that row boat

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Just a game ?

Atlantic orcas 'learning from adults' to target boats

 

[Zing]

Just a game ?

Atlantic orcas 'learning from adults' to target boats

You don’t expect neutral reporting from the Beeb. There’s always an agenda. I was dismayed to see not a shred of concern for sailors’ safety or of their boats: "We have to remember that the sea is their home - we're the intruders,"