DISASTER, HIT BY WHALE!

Apparently we were stuck by a whale at Niue on the 13th of August.

There is much to update on all the awesome places we have been before we got to Niue, but I thought I would put this up first.

While we were gone having dinner and using the internet on shore this damage was caused to our boat. Witnesses on yachts in the mooring field said they heard a loud bang at around 8:30pm . They looked over to see our boat moving as if it was being driven by motor. There was no other boat near ours and there were no other boats moving in the harbor at all. Whales have been frequenting the mooring field and coming very close to boats during our stay. There was no wind to speak of and the sea was calm.

The anchor roller has been ripped clear off the deck along with the bow cleats and it has taken the port side railing at the bow with it. When the whole lot was dragged under it pulled our anchor which was stored in the well out by the chain and it ripped through the anchor well doors on the way out. Luckily there was not much wind and the chain fouled a coral head which stopped the boat drifting out to see or on the rocks.

Our furling code zero is not connected to a stay as it is raised by the spinnaker halyard then furled with a facnor furler which is connected to a bale on the end of the anchor roller. When the anchor roller was ripped off, the code zero was ripped down from the mast when the halyard broke mangling the furler and damaging the sail in the process. The anchor roller is bent and was found with the cleats jammed in it. Apparently the cleats broke off first and jammed in the roller which caused the roller to then take the load.

Niue is not a safe anchorage in all weather as it is open to sea with no protection so we have started to make the boat seaworthy ASAP. We have cleared the mess and solidly reattached the bow cleats with stronger bolts than before so we are safely moored again. The anchor locker doors will be easily reattached by some panel beating of the hinge. The bow roller will be straightened and reattached after re enforcement of the damaged bow section of the yacht. Strong bars of stainless steel will then be bolted under the external hull to deck joint from around 1 meter from the bow to further re enforce the bow roller. If these temporary repairs turn out as planned I will be happy to continue to go on my cruise as planned arriving in home Australia in November.