If you thought Greenpeace was keeping a low profile, then you are right, because the environmental NGO has been quietly working hard, tucked away in a North German ship hangar, on launching their flagship vessel named, Rainbow Warrior III, on the occasion of their upcoming 40th birthday in October.
Mike Townsley, Greenpeace spokesman believes that more than a flagship or a weapon, this vessel is a ‘practical application of Greenpeace values’. While be that as it may, the vessel is also undoubtedly state of the art, with Greenpeace spending 10-15 percent of its annual budget or EUR 23 million on constructing it.
But this not the first time that Greenpeace has created a Rainbow Warrior. There have been two more before it. While the first one, crafted out of a British fisheries trawler, was laid to rest while stopping nuclear tests in the Pacific in 1985. The second one is still operational, but is being docked after being “rammed, raided and bombed” in numerous campaigns.
However, this is the first time that Greenpeace has opted to build its vessel from scratch and has engaged the services of the century old shipyard Fassmer. But the whole ship was not constructed in Germany, with the hull being made in the port of Gdansk, Poland. Weighing 680 tonnes, this 190-foot-long vessel finally made its way to Germany in November, where the logo of a white dove and rainbow was painted on each side of its green hull.
Uwe Lampe, the ship’s chief designer explains what went into bringing this Warrior to life, “We have constructed a boat with an unusually high number of environmental and safety standards … We can only use parts that meet European norms and materials from Europe, so no Chinese steel or Russian plywood. The whole concept of the boat was, how should I say, very complex. It’s like a small town, with its own electricity generator, air conditioning, waste water treatment and laboratory.”
The vessel is powered by three things: sails on its 50-metre masts, an electric motor that allows it to reach speeds of 10 knots and a diesel engine that makes it go till 15 knots. The boat can house and support some 33 people and can carry enough supplies to help them survive for about four weeks. Plus, it is fitted with a helipad, 48 antennae and a safe room, which can withstand attacks by Special Forces.
Via: AFP
