Collision with a Whale

No - this story is not about us - thankfully!

Before we began cruising in 2008, I read several anecdotes of cruisers having encounters with whales and the end result didn't didn't fare well for the boat and probably not for the whale either. The most notable was that of Maurice and Maralyn Bailey, an English couple whose boat was sunk by an injured sperm whale in March 1973. They were set adrift in a rubber raft in the Pacific for 119 days staying alive by eating raw fish, turtles and birds. Where some cruisers might find their account too terrifying to read, I found it to be inspiring and full of great survival ideas based on their experience. You can read their book which is compiled of their personal journals: 117 Days Adrift (it was actually 119 days).

Then there was the tragic loss of the 40' J Boat in the 2009 Baja Ha-Ha when it was attacked by a pod of whales; the boat sank within minutes and the crew barely had time to escape into their life raft. Luckily, the crew was rescued relatively soon by the US Coast Guard.

And, if you haven't seen this one, there is the video of the whale that jumped on top (ON TOP!) of the sailboat that was off Cape Town, Africa just last year.  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2010/07/video-surfaces-of-sailboat-struck-by-breaching-whale.html

Unfortunately for our fellow cruisers on Luffin It, they also recently encountered a whale near Tenacatita early this month that caused massive damage to their vessel. Hotspur was anchored just south of Luffin It in Barra de Navidad when they placed a "Mayday" call over the VHF radio. They were sailing during the afternoon hours and their inboard motor was off. Many cruisers were nearby and offered aid. Here is their account on their Blog:
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/luffinit/?xjMsgID=163858

Our heart goes out to Luffin It who has sustained such tremendous damage that their beautiful Pearson 367 Cutter may be totalled. Our heart also goes out to the whale who hopefully survived.