Team Ocean Ladies arrived in Las Palmas on 24th of October at 8.45 pm, just as planned, although it wasn’t the easiest journey from Helsinki!
Journey started from Helsinki at the end of August, and everything was going as planned. Fun sailing with lovely ladies! Fourth leg started from La Coruna and the next stop was supposed to be Porto, but everything changed already during the first night
as Carissa met orcas at 11 pm.
Report from that night: “We were sailing peacefully, when at 11 pm the helmslady and skipper Raija felt a strong push against boat’s rudder. At the same time first mate Paula saw an orca next to our boat along with a lot of bubbles and whirling around.
We lost steerability and the helm rolled around uncontrollably. The orca attack that would last for 2,5 hours had begun!
As there have been several orca attacks in these waters over the past year, we knew what was happening and we were prepared. We had studied the instructions given by authorities and practiced to do in case the orcas would attack. Each crew member had her
own task. So when the incident happened, we immediately took down the sails, switched off all electronic equipment, contacted authorities via VHF radio and tried to remain calm and as quiet as possible. The sea was calm and the only movement was caused by
the orcas pushing our boat around.
After 1 hour 45 minutes the Spanish sea rescue reached us and towed our boat to safe harbor. Yet, the orcas kept on attacking us while in tow.
Luckily there was no damage to any of the crew. Our Swan 441 last 30 cm of her rudder and the steering cable broke.”
In the next morning massive operation to fix the boat started. Raija and Paula did a lot of work to find help to this situation that looked almost impossible in tight schedule. But with amazing help from the local women things started to happen: company
to fix the rudder was found, insurance company organized all the needed people fast and Nautor Swan was contacted to provide necessary help to make sure, that the rudder would be fixed just as it should for this boat! We are still amazed for all the help and
support and all the publicity that Ocean Ladies received, and in less than two weeks Carissa had a shiny rudder and the next leg to Madeira started. Now Carissa is safe in Las Palmas and the team can continue to prepare to ARC.
Ocean Ladies is a Finnish group of women who share passion for the great oceans and want to remind everyone to care and protect our seas. We want to empower ordinary women to follow their dreams and develop women’s off-shore sailing. Our slogan Ocean Ladies
– For Cleaner Seas reminds us all about the importance of our environment and how could we all act in a sustainable way so that also the next generations could enjoy clean oceans!
After the Bay of Biscay, ARC Team final training leg! From the bow: Raija Alapeteri, skipper. Satu Pitkänen, Elina Ihamäki, Tiia Niemi, Satu Toivonen, Tuula Kuivanen, Tuula Korkee. Missing from the picture ARC Team first mate Paula Rissanen
and crew member Soili Stenroos, replaced this leg by Tiia.
Raija and Paula with Spanish sea rescue team at the orca attack night.