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Named after this native American prophecy, the Rainbow Warrior is not
only the Greenpeace flagship, she is an icon for environmentalists
around the globe.
In 2005, Greenpeace commemorated 20 years since the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior. The original Rainbow Warrior was a rusty 418-tonne 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 to be a dangerous mission, with bad weather and visibility, and the threat of violence, was also a successful one. The crew worked out how to decipher the whalers' radio signals and succeeded in positioning themselves between the harpoons and the whales, saving many lives.
The second Rainbow Warrior was built in 1957 in England as a steam-powered fishing vessel. Converted by Greenpeace, it is now 55.2 metres long with a sailing speed of 5-7 knots and a maximum speed under engine power of 12 knots. It has a large oak dolphin standing on the fore-deck and carries the wheel and bell from the original ship.
The Rainbow Warrior has travelled everywhere, from South America to the South Pacific, from the Antarctic to the Atlantic and worked on all of our campaigns.
"It's 6 am on 10 July 1995, the 10th anniversary of the first Rainbow Warrior bombing.
After entering the 12 mile exclusion zone around Moruroa atoll, commandos storm the Rainbow Warrior and begin breaking windows and throwing tear gas canisters onto the bridge.
As the skipper stops the engines and the crew head for the lower deck, the Rainbow Warrior is rammed by a French tug ripping a hole in her hull, fortunately above water level.
I'm in the radio room when commandos take an axe to the door and throw another canister of tear gas through the split. Choking for breath, I manage to escape through the porthole along with the radio operator, Thom Looney and French Campaigner Jean-Luc Thierry.
We are all forced from the Rainbow Warrior and interrogated before being returned to the ship and escorted back into international waters."
Life onboard the Rainbow Warrior: view images of life on the ship during its "Deep Sea Life" mission in June 2004.
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
In 2005, Greenpeace commemorated 20 years since the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior. The original Rainbow Warrior was a rusty 418-tonne 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 to be a dangerous mission, with bad weather and visibility, and the threat of violence, was also a successful one. The crew worked out how to decipher the whalers' radio signals and succeeded in positioning themselves between the harpoons and the whales, saving many lives.
History
In early 1985, a French secret service agent planted two bombs on the Rainbow Warrior while it was moored in New Zealand's Auckland Harbour. The ship sank and its photographer, Fernando Pereira, drowned.The second Rainbow Warrior was built in 1957 in England as a steam-powered fishing vessel. Converted by Greenpeace, it is now 55.2 metres long with a sailing speed of 5-7 knots and a maximum speed under engine power of 12 knots. It has a large oak dolphin standing on the fore-deck and carries the wheel and bell from the original ship.
The Rainbow Warrior has travelled everywhere, from South America to the South Pacific, from the Antarctic to the Atlantic and worked on all of our campaigns.
Take a virtual tour of the Rainbow Warrior
Learn more about the Rainbow Warrior's history on our international site
Personal account
Stephanie Mills, campaigner on board the Rainbow Warrior during the 1995 return to Moruroa.
"It's 6 am on 10 July 1995, the 10th anniversary of the first Rainbow Warrior bombing.
After entering the 12 mile exclusion zone around Moruroa atoll, commandos storm the Rainbow Warrior and begin breaking windows and throwing tear gas canisters onto the bridge.
As the skipper stops the engines and the crew head for the lower deck, the Rainbow Warrior is rammed by a French tug ripping a hole in her hull, fortunately above water level.
I'm in the radio room when commandos take an axe to the door and throw another canister of tear gas through the split. Choking for breath, I manage to escape through the porthole along with the radio operator, Thom Looney and French Campaigner Jean-Luc Thierry.
We are all forced from the Rainbow Warrior and interrogated before being returned to the ship and escorted back into international waters."
Life onboard the Rainbow Warrior: view images of life on the ship during its "Deep Sea Life" mission in June 2004.
Specifications
Port of registry: Amsterdam, NetherlandsDate 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
