The plea went out -"The World needs a new warrior!" The challenge to build a £16m new ship, financed by donations and fundraising by Greenpeace supporters, has been met. As part of the fundraising drive Bristol Greenpeace raised £1000 towards the project.
Rainbow Warrior III was launched in October and is currently doing a 'Thank You' tour which included a stopover at London's West India Docks this weekend (12th/13th November). I joined the several thousand Greenpeace supporters and their friends/family - all eager to step on board the purpose built campaign ship. The tour was brief yet informative, and did not include the inside accommodation of the boat, however, judging by the smiling faces and enthusiastic buzz no one seemed to leave disappointed. The souvenir tent did a roaring trade in posters, mugs, t-shirts, badges, books and Christmas cards! And of course so many people just had to have their picture taken beside the iconic Greenpeace logo on the bow of the ship.
I have to say that Rainbow Warrior III looked splendid and is set to carry on the reputable tradition of campaigning on the oceans to bear witness to environmental crimes. She is well equipped to meet the challenges with a helipad, latest satillite communications, two fast response boats that can be launched in five minutes, and a pattern 50ft A-framed sails that will take advantage of windpower and less reliance on fuel.
If you did not get the chance to visit RWIII then the Guardian newspaper has a great link with a video tour and interactive guide. Click here to access this resource. For more pictures, visit the website's Flickr account - click here.
The video clip below shows the new ship during initial sea trials.
.
Comments