So dear friends,

it caught me last night around 7pm just before Gibraltar. About 3 nm off Barbete a group of Orcas went onto my boat. There were about 10 animals, big and young. First they ripped the little rudder off the wind flag control, then the main rudder was cut off in 2 parts. Some seemed to be playing with the parts floating in the water as if trying to balance the part on the head. After about 10 minutes, the parts in the water were uninteresting and they were attacking my boat from all sides. First it was spinning in a circle, then they swam against the hull and kiel with a crazy surge. With every hit, it cracked like the laminate was breaking. My boat is an old Kevlar/epoxy race boat in Sandwich build, the kiel is extremely massive screwed with the cage inside. I had the feeling that they were trying to separate the kiel from the hull as well. I held on to the mast the whole time and sent out an SOS over the satellite phone and radio right at the beginning. It took 50 minutes then the sea rescue was there. Their use was extremely professional. They circled the boat twice and fixed sideways. Helped me onto her boat and I was safe. Now we waited about another 10 minutes, the captain said he could not leave until the Orcas were gone. And actually out the window I watched my boat take more blows. It was the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had, yes I was absolutely scared to death. Can’t imagine when you have to go into the water and these animals are around you. The whole attack lasted less than an hour. On the way to the harbor, the captain said that they had rescued a cat yesterday, he is now in front of me, same problem. Last year May-August they would have saved about 15 boats in each month, partly 8 in a week.

I think my boat will be a total damage because the laminate will have major delamination damage. But here in the harbor the lift is broken right now and they believe it will take months until it is repaired. So wait and pay 44.44 every day.

My dream of the big round has come to an end here, I can’t say at the moment if I’ll ever be able to move a sailboat on the sea again with calm thoughts.

I wish you all the best and that you never experience anything like this.

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