Update from the Rainbow Warrior: Night operation reveals more ancient forest wood bound for France

4 March, 9:00pm. Sete, France. Seven activists have boarded the vessel Meltemi off the French port of Sete in the Mediterranean. The activists are documenting the ship's cargo: hundreds of logs from ancient forests in Liberia bound for buyers in Europe.

Just last week, Greenpeace blocked the Agia Irene, another Liberian log ship, from entering port and discharging its ancient forest wood.

Greenpeace campaigner Tim Birch said, "Greenpeace is shocked to see the scale of the destruction of Africa's forests. These log boats enter Europe week after week carrying their cargoes of environmental destruction. This madness has to stop."

Ship Diaries

The phantom bugle player. By Chris, logistics. 5 March. "Are snails bisexual?" someone asks, voice rising above the slurping of soup and random chit-chat of the mess. "Don't you mean hermaphrodites?" comes the reply. This raises a wry smile from one or two of the Warrior's crew but nothing more; we are no strangers to the surreal here.

Monday blues. By Lesley, assistant cook. 5 March. Well hi again. Thought I'd tell you all a bit more about cooking on the Rainbow Warrior today and I'm going to use yesterday as an example. That was Monday and, believe it or not, Mondays on ships can be just like Mondays in the office!

Aboard the Meltemi. By Meghan, web editor. 4 March. I couldn't believe it - another log ship bound for Sete. Just last week I had gone aboard the Agia Irene to grab some photographs and meet the crew. I was stunned by the sheer volume of the logs on board. I mentally erected those logs, put some leaves on them and tried to imagine them as part of a forest, forming the heart of an ecosystem that sustained a myriad of plant and animal life. Too depressing.