The MV "Greenpeace" was built in 1959 as an ocean-going tug and salvage vessel. In 1977 the vessel was converted, giving it new equipment and additional berth space. It operated as a pilot-vessel in the USA when Greenpeace acquired it in March 1985.
The MV "Greenpeace" is 58.06 metres long, 11.22 metres wide and its gross weight is 905 tonnes. The cruising speed of the vessel is 10.5 knots (max 13.5) and it can remain at sea for 90 days plus. The ship generally has a crew of 15 with a maximum of 38. In 1986 a helicopter pad was added in New Zealand, and since then the vessel has been continually upgraded. It's port of registry is Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
When the MV "Greenpeace" was purchased, Greenpeace was planning an expedition to Antarctica to establish a base-camp from which to launch a campaign to have the continent declared a "World Park", freeing it from exploration.
After the french bombed the "Rainbow Warrior" in 1985, the MV "Greenpeace" took its place in a peace convey to Moruroa, prior to heading for it's Antarctic Tour. The MV "Greenpeace" has completed six voyages to date. The 1985/86 tour marked its first attempt to establish the Greenpeace World Park Base, the first and only non-governmental base on the continent.
Although the ship made it to Antarctica, it was unable to establish the base at the Antarctic Peninsula because of poor weather. It's second voyage in 1986/87 successfully established the base in the Ross sea, and the third tour in 1987/88 resupplied the base. The fourth tour of the MV "Greenpeace" to Antarctica in 1991/92 was to protest Japanese whaling. In 1992/93 the MV "Greenpeace" returned for a combined whaling protest, inspection of national bases and to check on the site of the now removed World Park base. Again, in 1994/95 the "Greenpeace" travelled to Antarctica for a whaling campaign, base inspections, and a series of scientific studies, making it the first ever non-governmental research cruise in the newly established Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
The MV "Greenpeace" has been involved in one of Greenpeace's most successful and daring campaigns -- protesting the US test Trident missiles from submarines an the high seas in 1989. The campaign ended when the ship was rammed by two US Navy vessels, leaving a large hole in its side. The ship had to return to port to make repairs essential for the vessel to be seaworthy.
In October 1990 the MV Greenpeace sailed to Novaya Zemlya, the nuclear test island north of the USSR, where it successfully set four activists on the top secret test site for 10 hours, where they measured radioactivity. Though boarded by armed KGB agents, who destroyed its communications equipment, the ship and crew were quickly released.
Between voyages the MV "Greenpeace" carried out campaign work, direct actions and information tours around Europe and the Americas. In the second half of 1991 the MV "Greenpeace" travelled to the Middle East, to conduct surveys of environmental damage caused by the Gulf War.
Late 1993 saw one of the MV "Greenpeace's" greatest successes when it caught and exposed Russia dumping 900 tonnes of liquid radioactive waste into the Sea of Japan. This action prompted the US and Japan to support a moratorium on radioactive waste dumping at sea at the London Convention which followed shortly after. The MV "Greenpeace" conducted Greenpeace's first tour in South East Asia in 1994 focusing on the trade of waste from developed to developing countries.
In 1995 the MV "Greenpeace" joined the Greenpeace Peace flotilla in French Polynesia to protest the resumption of French Nuclear testing in Moruroa and Fangataufa. The vessel was boarded and detained by French police in international waters. The French smashed navigation and communications equipment and held crew members hostage for ten days. The vessel was not released until March 1996, six month later, and headed for New Zealand to undertake major repairs.
While in Australia, in May 1996, the MV "Greenpeace" was used to support Greenpeace's fundraising and anti-nuclear campaign work, specifically, the Comprehensive Testban Treaty (CTBT). Shortly thereafter, the MV "Greenpeace" attempted to deliver the anti-nuclear testing petition to the Chinese authorities in Shanghai.
In Japan, in mid-1996, the MV "Greenpeace" carried out campaign work and direct actions in Nagasaki, Osaka, Hakata, Toyama, and Yokohama, and August 3rd, 1996 the MV "Greenpeace" was in Hiroshima for the commeration for those who died in 1945 (Atomic Bomb).
Then, the MV "Greenpeace" was engaged to aid the Fisheries Campaign actions in the Bering Sea. Following itdid work for Bio-Diversity Campaigns in the USAA, and assisted with the soy-bean action in New Orleans.
At the turn of the year, the MV "Greenpeace", traveled to various island states in the Caribean supporting Greenpeace's campaign against the shipment of nuclear material around the world. It then moved to the North Sea and was engaged with Dutch fishermen off the German North Sea coast to protest the use of destructive fishing methods.