MV Arctic Sunrise departing Hong Kong
for Japan to protest plutonium shipment,
18 June, 2002.
MV Arctic Sunrise
Origin
Ironically, the MV Arctic Sunrise was originally built to be used as a sealing ship. Later, Greenpeace activists confronted the ship when it was being used by the French government, which was trying to build an airstrip through penguin habitat in the Antarctic.
Despite this, Greenpeace bought the Arctic Sunrise in 1995 using a company called Arctic Sunrise Ventures Ltd., since the ship's Norwegian owners would have never knowingly sold it to Greenpeace.
By the end of 1996, Greenpeace had readied the ship for action.
History with Greenpeace
The Arctic Sunrise began its Greenpeace life during the Brent Spar campaign where it was used to prevent the dumping of an oil installation at sea.
In 1997, it became the first ship to circumnavigate James Ross Island in the Antarctic, which previously was 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 been used to document.
During the 1999/2000 Southern Ocean expedition, it interfered with Japanese government sponsored whaling, and chased pirate vessels fishing illegally for Patagonian toothfish.
Later in 2000, the Arctic Sunrise's occupied the danger zone in an attempt to stop the U.S. from testing part of its "Star Wars" missile defence programme, which threatens to ignite a new nuclear arms race.
Although, it didn't stop the test, the Arctic Sunrise survived to tell the tale, and is now back in the Southern Ocean to once again confront Japanese whaling in an international whale sanctuary.
A personal account from Arne Sorensen - captain of the Arctic Sunrise during the Southern Ocean expedition in December 1999:
"We are peacefully protesting against illegal Japanese whaling in the waters around Antarctica when a mighty crash and the ship rolls heavily. The chief engineer David de Jong rushes to the bridge shouting 'That didn't sound like ice!'
He's right, it's neither sea ice nor an iceberg, but the Japanese whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru, 10 times the Arctic Sunrise's weight, ramming us.
Despite risking the lives of both crews, fortunately no one is hurt."
Details
The hull is rounded with no keel, so that the ship lifts out of the ice instead of being crushed by it. However, this makes the ship very wobbly in rough seas, which is perfectly safe, but can be hard on the crew.
Specifications
Port of registry: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Former name: Polarbjorn
Date of purchase: 1995
Number of berths: 30
Inflatables (speedboats):
7.3m Zodiac (aka the Hurricane)
6.4m Avon (aka the Mermaid)
(2) 4.5m Novuranias
Helicopter capable: Yes
Type of ship: Sea-going motor yacht
Call sign: PCTK
Built: 1975 by AS Vaagen Verft
Gross tonnage: 949 tonnes
Length O.A.: 49.62 m
Breadth: 11.50 m
Maximum Draught: 5.80 m
Maximum Speed: 13 Knots
Main engine: MAK 9M452AK 2495 IHP 1619kW
Aux engines: 2 x Deutz BF6M716 208hp (175 kva)
Bow & stern thrusters: 400 hp each
The Greenpeace fleet
Greenpeace has three full time vessels in service - the SV Rainbow Warrior, the MV Arctic Sunrise and now the MV Esperanza. The MV Greenpeace, which the Esperanza replaces, has been donated to the Rotterdam Maritime museum as a working exhibit, and will be used for educational and vocational projects for disadvantaged children and young adults .
