Rien Achterberg has seen Greenpeace ships come and go for 38 years. He was aboard the first Rainbow Warrior when she was bombed in Auckland harbour by French agents trying to foil our campaign against nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific.
Here's an interview he did for us aboard the Sirius, a now-retired ship that served Greenpeace for many years, and whose analogue controls and old diesel engines serve as a stark contrast to our sparkling new, all-digital, hyper-efficient, activist sailing ship, the Rainbow Warrior.
What remains constant between then and now? What's the line connecting Rien Achterberg and Pablo and Seychelle, the New Hands on Deck who are currently aboard the Rainbow Warrior? Rien got it right: Ideals. Spirit.
Catch our web video series "Stories from the Rainbow Warrior" and see the maiden voyage through the eyes of our newest activists, the New Hands on Deck follow their updates on Facebook Twitter Storify Webcam YouTube and Flickr.