'THE ORCAS SHOOK THE BOAT LIKE A TOY'

Theo Wakefield’s boat was significantly damaged and his nerves shaken after an encounter with orcas off Portugal

Departing Nazaré, Portugal at around 0900, we headed south. The day started with no wind and a sizeable swell. The flogging of the sails was incessant but we – my reliable crewman Pál and I – were well rested and were very accustomed to this coast’s flaky morning winds.

Around midday the wind picked up and backed 90° to our starboard side. We enthusiastically engaged Wendy the windvane and set about what we do best: staring at the sea and meandering through conversations, keeping a keen eye on those troublesome and very often barely visible fishing pots, the biggest concern for most sailors along this coast until recently...

We passed Peniche around 1600, our alternative destination had the wind not picked up. We continued south, made a curry, drank a beer, and immersed ourselves in Pearl Jam while the sky turned pink as the sun faded. The conditions were perfect, and the mood was very relaxed.

FIRST CONTACT

I took the first watch between 2200 to 0100. It was a dark, moonless night and the stars were out in abundance. Fishing pots were invisible now and we passed one within inches of the boat. The wind was steady Force 4 and once more from astern. There were 40 minutes where the wind picked up to Force 5-6, but it eased towards the end of the watch.

That’s when it began. At 0030 there was a great blow, a bang, which jolted Periwinkle with disconcerting force. My mind, like a pinball, reeled through the options of what could have happened. Had we hit driftwood, fishing pots, or a container?