The Rainbow Warrior

"There will come a time when the earth is sick and the animals and plants begin to die. Then the Indians will regain their spirit and gather people of all nations, colors and beliefs to join together in the fight to save the earth: The Rainbow Warriors."

History

Rainbow Warrior is not only the Greenpeace flagship, it is an icon for environmentalists around the globe.

The original Rainbow Warrior was a rusty 418-ton trawler called the Sir William Hardy, found languishing in Britain by Greenpeace in 1978. Overhauled by London volunteers in just three months, it set off to confront Norwegian and Icelandic whaling fleets. What was a dangerous mission, with bad weather and visibility and the threat of violence, was also a successful one! The crew managed to decipher the whalers' radio signals and succeeded in positioning themselves between the harpoons and the whales, saving many lives.

The Original Ship Sinks

In early 1985, a French secret service agent planted two bombs on the Rainbow Warrior, while it was moored in New Zealand's Auckland Harbor. The ship sank and our photographer, Fernando Pereira, drowned.

The Rainbow Warrior II

The current Rainbow Warrior was launched on July 10, 1989, the fourth anniversary of the original ship's sinking. It was built in 1957 in England, as a steam-powered fishing vessel.

Greenpeace converted it into a motor/sailing vessel by constructing three masts on the hull of a North Sea fishing trawler, formerly called the Grampian Fame. This Rainbow Warrior has a large oak dolphin standing on the fore-deck and carries the wheel and bell from the original ship. The "RW," as it is known within Greenpeace, is an ocean-going vessel equipped with the latest in electronic navigation, sailing and communications equipment.

The Rainbow Warrior has traveled everywhere, from South America to the South Pacific, from the Antarctic to the Atlantic. It has been involved in all the Greenpeace campaigns - protesting against "Star Wars," challenging the World Trade Organization in Dohar, promoting renewable energy, intercepting British Nuclear Fuels' plutonium transports...the list is as endless as the oceans the Warrior travels.

The Rainbow Warrior's decks have been graced by the Dalai Llama and members of the rock band U2. She has challenged environmental crimes, relocated the population of a South Pacific Island contaminated by radiation, provided disaster relief to victims of the 2004 Tsunami in South East Asia, and sailed against whaling, war, global warming, and other environmental crimes on every ocean of the world.

Arguably, the Rainbow Warrior's greatest moments were in her decades-long struggle to end nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. Despite being rammed, bombed, and subject to every form of intimidation and opposition imaginable, she carried on the fight for a nuclear-free Pacific.

Current Actions

In November of 2007, the Rainbow Warrior anchored next to a palm oil tanker blocking it in port in Indonesia. The tanker is a large one, loading tons of palm oil. The Rainbow Warrior has two anchors out from its bow. One is actually under our ship and our crew has rigged ropes from the back of the Warrior to the anchor's chain. This keeps the Rainbow Warrior from being swung around by current or wind - so it stays in good position. The expansion of palm oil plantations into forest and peatland areas poses a serious threat to the global climate and Indonesia's remaining forests.

In December of 2007, the Rainbow Warrior went to Bali, Indonesia for the United Nations International Climate Conference. The Rainbow Warrior arrived in Bali with a flotilla of more than 50 local fishing boats. There was enormous media interest in the arrival of the ship. Having the ship in Bali for such an important climate conference gives Greenpeace a platform to push for a strong Bali Mandate and engage delegates, with many visiting the ship.

Specifications

Port of registry: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Date of charter: 1987
Number of berths: 28
Inflatable boats: 1 outboard Rib and 4 inflatables
Type of ship: Motor Assisted Schooner
Call sign: PC 8024
Built: 1957 by Cochrane & Sons, Selby, UK
Gross tons: 555
Length: 55.20 m
Breadth: 8.54 m
Draught: 4.6 m
Maximum speed: 12 knots (2 engines, 3000 L/day)
Engines: 2 Diesel type Deutz M.W.M. 2 x 6 Cylinder, 2 x 500kW
Sailing Speed: 5-7 knots average
Sails: 650 m2
Max Airdraft 41 m