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Our ships are used at the forefront of Greenpeace campaigning, often sailing to remote areas to take action against environmental destruction.
Our fleet consists of:
They are our smallest boats, but often our most effective tools at sea – for any number of activities, including getting between a whaling harpoon and whales and confronting illegal fishing boats.
Technically our inflatables are called Rigid Inflatable Boats or RIBs. The RIB is one of the safest small offshore boats manufactured. Though we refer to them as "inflatables", they are far more sophisticated than they appear or their name suggests.
They come in a variety of sizes but all have a few things in common: they have a hard fibreglass or aluminium hull that allows the boat to travel at high speeds through rough seas; a specially constructed rubber tube that runs along the bow and sides of the hull gives the boat exceptional buoyancy and stability in the water; and a powerful engine makes the boat fast and manoeuvrable.
The inspiration for their use came from an unusual source. During the 1972 voyage of the Greenpeace yacht Vega against French nuclear testing in the Pacific, French commandos used inflatables to board the Vega. The effectiveness of the commandos’ boats was not lost on our crew.
In 1975, the first Greenpeace inflatables were out to challenge the Soviet whaling fleet and protect the whales from explosive harpoons.
During their use by Greenpeace they have had barrels of radioactive waste dropped on them, been squashed by ships transporting illegal timber, been impounded by police and all in the name of protecting the environment.
The Rainbow Warrior is perhaps the most famous Greenpeace ship.
The current Rainbow Warrior was launched on 10 July 1989.
Greenpeace converted the Rainbow Warrior into a motor/sailing vessel by constructing three masts on the hull of a North Sea fishing trawler formerly called the Grampian Fame. It is an ocean-going vessel equipped with the latest in electronic navigation, sailing and communications equipment.
The original Rainbow Warrior was sunk in 1985, in Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, by agents of the French government in an attempt to foil Greenpeace protesting against its nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific.
The plan backfired, sparking worldwide outrage, and the re-launching of the Rainbow Warrior proves that "you can't sink a rainbow".
The ship's name was inspired by a North American Indian prophecy, which foretells a time when human greed will make the Earth sick, and a mythical band of warriors will descend from a rainbow to save it.
Launched in February 2002, the Esperanza is the largest vessel in the Greenpeace fleet, replacing the now retired Greenpeace. Esperanza (Spanish for "hope") is the first Greenpeace ship to be named by Greenpeace supporters.
At 72 metres in length, and a top speed of 16 knots, the ship is ideal for fast and long-range work – like chasing whaling ships. It is equipped with a first class communications system and its ice-class status makes it suitable for work in the polar regions.
It’s also our greenest ship. After Esperanza joined the Greenpeace fleet we spent many months refitting it to the highest possible environmental standards. We removed and contained the asbestos on board, we fitted more efficient diesel engines, on-board recycling of waste water, a waste-based heating system, bilge water purifiers, TBT-free hull paint, ammonia-based refrigeration and air-conditioning, and an environmentally and economically efficient propulsion system to reduce CO2 emissions. It now sails as a proud example of a ‘green’ ship.
The Arctic Sunrise began its Greenpeace life during the Brent Spar campaign in 1995 where it was used to prevent the dumping of oil installations at sea.
Ironically, Greenpeace had previously confronted the ship while it was delivering equipment for the French government to build an airstrip through a penguin habitat in the Antarctic.
At the end of 1996, Greenpeace had finished preparing the Arctic Sunrise for the icy conditions of Antarctica. The hull is rounded with no keel, so that the ship lifts out of the ice instead of being crushed by it.
In 1997 it became the first ship to circumnavigate James Ross Island in the Antarctic, which was previously an impossible journey until a 200m thick ice shelf connecting the island to the Antarctic continent collapsed. This was just one of the many signs of climate change that the Arctic Sunrise has helped document.
The Argus is our smallest motor-ship. It mostly works from the Netherlands harbour or along the North Sea coast. It was built in 1977 by the Swedish navy and was known then as the MS Trymbergen.
The Argus joined the Greenpeace fleet in 2000. The Argus is made of light materials and has a double engine so it is a very fast ship.
In Greek mythology Argus is a giant man with eyes all over his body so he can watch everything very closely. This is symbolic of the Greenpeace Argus ship, which has instruments to examine water and soil samples, so it is used to investigate contamination, illegal dumping of toxic waste and damage to the environment.
To learn more about the Greenpeace ships, the actions they have been used for and read accounts of past crew visit the Greenpeace International website
Our fleet consists of:
The inflatables
They are our smallest boats, but often our most effective tools at sea – for any number of activities, including getting between a whaling harpoon and whales and confronting illegal fishing boats.
Technically our inflatables are called Rigid Inflatable Boats or RIBs. The RIB is one of the safest small offshore boats manufactured. Though we refer to them as "inflatables", they are far more sophisticated than they appear or their name suggests.
They come in a variety of sizes but all have a few things in common: they have a hard fibreglass or aluminium hull that allows the boat to travel at high speeds through rough seas; a specially constructed rubber tube that runs along the bow and sides of the hull gives the boat exceptional buoyancy and stability in the water; and a powerful engine makes the boat fast and manoeuvrable.
The inspiration for their use came from an unusual source. During the 1972 voyage of the Greenpeace yacht Vega against French nuclear testing in the Pacific, French commandos used inflatables to board the Vega. The effectiveness of the commandos’ boats was not lost on our crew.
In 1975, the first Greenpeace inflatables were out to challenge the Soviet whaling fleet and protect the whales from explosive harpoons.
During their use by Greenpeace they have had barrels of radioactive waste dropped on them, been squashed by ships transporting illegal timber, been impounded by police and all in the name of protecting the environment.
29-June-05: The Rainbow Warrior sails into Auckland harbour
Rainbow Warrior - you can’t sink a rainbow!
The Rainbow Warrior is perhaps the most famous Greenpeace ship.
The current Rainbow Warrior was launched on 10 July 1989.
Greenpeace converted the Rainbow Warrior into a motor/sailing vessel by constructing three masts on the hull of a North Sea fishing trawler formerly called the Grampian Fame. It is an ocean-going vessel equipped with the latest in electronic navigation, sailing and communications equipment.
The original Rainbow Warrior was sunk in 1985, in Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, by agents of the French government in an attempt to foil Greenpeace protesting against its nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific.
The plan backfired, sparking worldwide outrage, and the re-launching of the Rainbow Warrior proves that "you can't sink a rainbow".
The ship's name was inspired by a North American Indian prophecy, which foretells a time when human greed will make the Earth sick, and a mythical band of warriors will descend from a rainbow to save it.
Greenpeace ship MY Esperanza en route to the Southern Oceans.
Esperanza
Launched in February 2002, the Esperanza is the largest vessel in the Greenpeace fleet, replacing the now retired Greenpeace. Esperanza (Spanish for "hope") is the first Greenpeace ship to be named by Greenpeace supporters.
At 72 metres in length, and a top speed of 16 knots, the ship is ideal for fast and long-range work – like chasing whaling ships. It is equipped with a first class communications system and its ice-class status makes it suitable for work in the polar regions.
It’s also our greenest ship. After Esperanza joined the Greenpeace fleet we spent many months refitting it to the highest possible environmental standards. We removed and contained the asbestos on board, we fitted more efficient diesel engines, on-board recycling of waste water, a waste-based heating system, bilge water purifiers, TBT-free hull paint, ammonia-based refrigeration and air-conditioning, and an environmentally and economically efficient propulsion system to reduce CO2 emissions. It now sails as a proud example of a ‘green’ ship.
The MY Arctic Sunrise, during the voyage south, in the Southern Ocean. 29.11.2005
Arctic Sunrise
The Arctic Sunrise began its Greenpeace life during the Brent Spar campaign in 1995 where it was used to prevent the dumping of oil installations at sea.
Ironically, Greenpeace had previously confronted the ship while it was delivering equipment for the French government to build an airstrip through a penguin habitat in the Antarctic.
At the end of 1996, Greenpeace had finished preparing the Arctic Sunrise for the icy conditions of Antarctica. The hull is rounded with no keel, so that the ship lifts out of the ice instead of being crushed by it.
In 1997 it became the first ship to circumnavigate James Ross Island in the Antarctic, which was previously an impossible journey until a 200m thick ice shelf connecting the island to the Antarctic continent collapsed. This was just one of the many signs of climate change that the Arctic Sunrise has helped document.
MV Argus
Argus
The Argus is our smallest motor-ship. It mostly works from the Netherlands harbour or along the North Sea coast. It was built in 1977 by the Swedish navy and was known then as the MS Trymbergen.
The Argus joined the Greenpeace fleet in 2000. The Argus is made of light materials and has a double engine so it is a very fast ship.
In Greek mythology Argus is a giant man with eyes all over his body so he can watch everything very closely. This is symbolic of the Greenpeace Argus ship, which has instruments to examine water and soil samples, so it is used to investigate contamination, illegal dumping of toxic waste and damage to the environment.
To learn more about the Greenpeace ships, the actions they have been used for and read accounts of past crew visit the Greenpeace International website
