Aftera long and thorough planning and design process we are excited tofinally see our dream ship coming to life. The Rainbow Warrior III willcontinue our sailing tradition and begin a new chapter in the historyof our fleet: a custom-built high seas sailing ship, highly fuel efficient withthe best green-marine technology.
At 52 years of age and after20 years of successful environmentalcampaigning around the world, the Rainbow Warrior II is approaching itsrecommended decommissioning date and needs to be replaced. The new shiphas been designed by Gerard Dijkstra and Partners in Amsterdam,Netherlands and will be built by Fassmer, a shipbuilding company inBremen, Germany. Although the first piece of steel won't be cut untilearly 2010 - preparations for the build will start immediately and theship will be launched in 2011, our 40th anniversary year.
We'll be putting a webcam in the ship yard so you will be able to see the Rainbow Warrior III being built!
"The Rainbow Warrior issynonymous with Greenpeace, with taking a stand to defend the planet,and is an icon of hope world wide. Not only does it provide Greenpeacewith a platform to challenge environmental abuse across the world, itprovides people with inspiration to take action of their own. More thanever the world needs the hope and inspiration provided by the RainbowWarrior."
Gerd Leipold, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, speaking at the contract signing ceremony.
Shaping history with ships
This organisation was founded on the ocean, when the first Greenpeace crew set out in an old fishing boat to stop a nuclear weapons test in the Aleutian Islands.Throughout the last 38 years we have used ships at the forefront of ourcampaigns. They allow us to play a vital role in creating positivechange, protecting the environment and promoting essential solutionsfor a more green and peaceful world.
Currently our main fleet consistsof three ships, Rainbow Warrior II, Arctic Sunrise, and Esperanza. Eachof them are unique: The Esperanza is the youngest of our fleet, idealfor fast and long range missions. It is currently touring the Pacific to document and raise awareness about the effects of climate change in the region. The Arctic Sunrise is perfectly suitable for icy conditions in the polar regions and is currently in northern Greenland investigating the impacts of climate change. The Rainbow Warrior II is our flagship, the longest serving member of our current fleet - currently supporting a campaign to save Mediterranean bluefin tuna.
You can't sink a rainbow
In October 1978, the first Rainbow Warriordefended thegrey seals of the Orkney Islands, north of Scotland, when the Britishgovernment announced a six year culling because "the seals were eatingtoo many fish". When the sealers arrived activists from the RainbowWarrior chased the seals into the water before the hunters could killthem. As scenes from this event hit the national media - the UK PrimeMinister'soffice received more than 17,000 letters of protest and the cull wasended.
The original Rainbow Warrior started life as the 'Sir William Hardy'-- a fishery research trawler used by the UK Ministry of Agriculture,Fisheries and Food. It was built in 1955, and was the first dieselelectric ship built in the United Kingdom.
In 1985, the Rainbow Warrior embarked on a Pacificpeace voyage to the Marshall Islands. The inhabitants of Rongelap, an islandseverely contaminated by fallout from US nuclear testing in the 1950s, asked for assistance in moving to a safer island. The Rainbow Warrior evacuated 308 Rongelap Islanders and their belongings to Mejato, 200 kilometres away.
The Rainbow Warrior was bombed in 1985 by French Secret Service Agents in Auckland New Zealandas she was preparing for a campaign against French nuclear testing inthe Pacific. The two bombs killed one crew member, photographer Fernando Pereira and destroyed the ship beyond repair. She was scuttled and sunk in the cleardeep waters of Matauri Bay in New Zealand and is now a popular dive site.
Listen to the audio documentary about the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior
Exactly four years after, to the day, the Rainbow Warrior II was launched. Today,the Rainbow Warrior inspires people everywhere as she continues tocampaign against environmentally destructive practices. Since 1989, shehas sailed all over the world, from the the high Arctic to Cape Horn. In 1995, just before the tenth anniversary of the bombing of theWarrior, and just ahead of the 50th anniversary of Hiroshima andNagasaki, French President Jacques Chirac announced a resumption ofnuclear testing at Moruroa. The Rainbow Warrior, accompanied by a hugeflotilla, headed to the test site in protest, amidst a worldwide outcryagainst France. On 9 July, French commandos boarded the ship, smashedequipment, threw tear gas into the bridge and seized the vessel.Greenpeace activists were arrested, interrogated and deported, but theflotilla continued the protest. The French returned the boat toGreenpeace some months later. The resulting worldwide outrage forcedFrance to finally stop nuclear testing in January 1996.
"There will come a time when the earth is sick and the animals and plants begin to die. Then the Warriors of the Rainbow will rise up and gather people of all nations, colours and beliefs to join together in the fight to save the Earth."
Native American Cree Indian Prophecy
The Rainbow Warrior II went on to play a key role supporting many of our campaigns such as; documenting the impacts of rapid glacial retreat in Norway in conjunction with the Norwegian Polar Institute, obtaining evidence to prove the destructive impacts of bottom trawling in New Zealand, defending ocean life in the Mediterranean and more recently - encouraging countries around the world to Quit Coal and save the climate.
A flotilla of fishing boats joined the Rainbow Warrior II as it sailed into Bali, Indonesia, in December 2007 - during the UN Climate Summit. Theflotilla called on people all over the world to take part in the global day of action on climate change.
As green as it gets
TheRainbow Warrior II steel hull is of vintage riveted construction whichis becoming increasingly expensive to maintain to the highestclassification standards. We will need a new Rainbow Warrior in orderto meet our future globalcampaign challenges. Upgrading the existing ship is not technically orfinancially feasible and converting a second hand ship would compromiseour campaigning and energy conservation needs. After carefulconsideration - we have decided that building a vessel from scratch isby far the best option.
TheRainbow Warrior III will be a state-of-the-artvessel built specifically for our needs and made to the highestenvironmental standards. She will carry a complete range of essentialsafety gear and action tools, including four inflatable boats and thefacilities for a helicopter, while providing accommodation and acutting-edge communication platform.
The ship will be built primarily to sail (using wind energyinstead of fossil fuels), with the option in unsuitable weatherconditions to switch over to engine-powered, diesel-electricpropulsion. It will also have the following green features:
• Hull shape designed specifically for superior energy efficiency
• A-frame mast and sails - optimised for highly effective sailing
• Electric drive system (10 knots on only 300kW)
• Green ship class notation with Green Passport
• Biological treatment of sewage and grey water
• Central filling and venting system for fuel and oils to prevent spills
• Environmentally friendly paint system
• Re-use of engine heat to make hot water
Virtual launch
In early 2010, we will be launching a virtual version of the Rainbow Warrior III in cooperation with VSTEP, makers of the "Ship Simulator" series of games for the PC. Drawn from the actual 3-D CAD drawings andspecs to which the ship will be built, game players will be able tosail the virtual Rainbow Warrior through realistic sea and weatherconditions and re-enact Greenpeace voyages to stop nuclear weaponstesting, save the whales, and protect Antarctica -- on their own PC orin multi-player mode online. The game will also feature our ship theEsperanza and the jet boat the 'Billy G" will also be included in the game. (Sneak peak: Watch a short computer simulation clip of our ship Esperanza navigating rough waters)
Signup for our newsletter if you'd like to stay updated on our new ship orbe alerted when the simulator game becomes available.
Help build the Rainbow Warrior III
We are building the new Rainbow Warrior during a global recession, the cheapest time to build. But it's also the hardest time to raise money. We need your help to make this ship a reality, and keep Greenpeace's other ships in the water -- please give whatever you can.