Distress at sea: Leak due to swordfish attack in the Atlantic

• We recently reported a similar incident on YACHT online

The incident took place in mid-March. British rowers Jamie and Adam from the Team Secondoary Fun then informed their fan community in a video, which they published on Facebook. In it, they explain what happened:

Clarification in the video

"A marlin rammed into us last night, so we now have a hole in the boat. The marlin rammed into us while I was lying in the foredeck above the hull compartments, which are now full of water. I've never heard the crunch of fibreglass before, I'm honestly a bit shaken by it."

It was very, very scary."

"The marlin hit the foremost hull compartment, but then others filled up. We sealed the leak twice with epoxy resin. We used one of those pins that you knead and stick into the leak. We covered the area with Denso tape and even jumped into the water to apply some Denso tape to the hull - it's the stickiest tape we could find. We also put our fenders in the first two hull compartments and inflated them. We're still about a week away from Antigua, so we're praying we'll make it by then."

The toughest rowing race in the world

The two then completed their Atlantic crossing unassisted and thus achieved the goal of the race. The World's Toughest Row (formerly known as the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge) is regarded as the toughest rowing race in the world. In this extreme endurance test, participants cross in special rowing boats the Atlantic or the Pacific, where they are on their own.

There are different categories for solo rowers as well as teams of two, three, four or five people. Many use the attention for the race to raise money for charity.

3,000 nautical miles on the high seas with muscle power

The route across the Atlantic covers around 3,000 nautical miles from San Sebastián de La Gomera on the Canary Islands to Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua. The rowers spend up to 60 days at sea. They battle against waves up to twelve metres high, extreme heat and physical exhaustion.

The teams are self-sufficient, there are no support boats. The rowers must therefore have everything they need to survive - from freeze-dried food to medical equipment - on board. Only the drinking water is obtained from a solar-powered desalination plant. Participants lose an average of twelve kilograms in body weight during the crossing and burn between 5,000 and 7,000 calories a day. In addition to the physical exertion, the psychological component - the isolation on the ocean and the lack of sleep - is the biggest hurdle.

Danger on the oceans low despite everything

The risk to recreational craft from spearfish, especially marlin, on the high seas is classified as low overall, but possible in certain areas. From a physical point of view, spearfish can certainly pierce boat hulls. This has been documented, even with fibreglass structures. Swordfish can grow up to 14 feet long and weigh up to 600 kilograms; average fish in the fishery tend to weigh between 25 and 100 kilograms. They can reach speeds of up to 50 knots, i.e. around 80 km/h.

The decisive factor is not only the total energy, but also the concentration of the force on the very small area of the beak. This results in a high localised penetrating effect. At the same time, the beak itself is not indestructible: In several documented cases, it broke off or got stuck in the trunk.

However, most well-documented cases concern lightweight boat sides, fishing boats, rowing boats, cabin or sandwich areas. For solidly built GRP cruising yachts, the risk is apparently very low, at least there are few documented incidents.

The reasons for such collisions can only be surmised: The most likely reason is that algae form on the hulls, which are in the water for a long time, and small fish feed on them. These attract tuna, which in turn attract swordfish. They then hunt with their beaks in the immediate vicinity of the boat and it is assumed that the collisions were accidents in which the swordfish were unable to correct their direction in time. The swordfish rammings probably have nothing to do with the apparently deliberate interactions of orcas.

Orca attacks

Since 2020, there has been a significant increase in interactions between orcas and sailing yachts, primarily off the Iberian Peninsula from the Strait of Gibraltar to Galicia. The animals deliberately ram the rudder blades, which can lead to an inability to manoeuvre or, in rare cases, to sinking. Over 700 such incidents have been recorded to date; at least eight boats have sunk so far. So far, no people have been directly attacked or injured.

Whale collisions

Accidents with sperm whales or humpback whales are often unintentional. Hovering or sleeping whales are often noticed too late at night or at high speed. A collision can severely damage the hull. Historically, there are known cases of sailing yachts sinking after whale collisions.

Other sea creatures

Sharks pose no danger to the boat itself, but can be a risk when repairs are being carried out on the hull or for people who have fallen overboard. Attacks on boats are extremely rare isolated incidents.