A crack opened below the waterline of a Polish sailboat after it collided with a whale when sailing close to the Vestmanneyjar islands south of Iceland late last week.
After bringing a substantial leak under control, the boat and its crew of six limped to the nearest harbor at Heimaey.
In an interview with Morgunblaðið, harbor master Sigurður Þórir Jónsson speculated that the Polish vessel Zjawa IV PZ-11 had collided with a Sperm Whale. The Sperm Whale is the largest of all toothed whales; an adult can weigh up to 50 tonnes and grow up to 20 meters in length.
The wooden sailboat is on a voyage from Poland to Canada. It was not clear Friday for how long she would be delayed because of repairs.
