Secret ship confronts whalers

[Dead_Parrot]

The Japanese whaling fleet is being confronted in the Antarctic with a new threat from protesters - a secret third ship operated by the hardline group Sea Shepherd.

The group's leader, Paul Watson, told smh.com.au the icebreaker, named the Bob Barker, sighted the whalers early today in Australian Antarctic waters at Commonwealth Bay, and it was now in pursuit of the fleet.

The fast trimaran Ady Gil was about 50 nautical miles away from the fleet, and Captain Watson's boat, the Steve Irwin was a further 700 miles away, he said.

Captain Watson said Sea Shepherd had kept the Bob Barker's existence a secret to maximise the surprise for the fleet. The ship is named after its million dollar donor, a US television star and animal rights activist.



http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/3209484/Secret-ship-confronts-whalers

lulz. :D

[mike_c]

1. YAY! Props for the Bob Barker!

Never thought I'd cheer anything with that name, LOL.

[rockymountaindem]

2. Stop shooting the whales... and COME ON DOWN!!!

[NYC_SKP]

5. LOL!!!!

:rofl:

[Goldstein1984]

3. Come on down!

Wow! A fast trimaran and an ice breaker. The SSCS fleet is taking shape.

I also never thought I would cheer Bob Barker.

[Dead_Parrot]

8. That's fast, not vast

;)

[Goldstein1984]

9. Thanks! Fixed.

v and f are too close on the keyboard.

[cliffordu]

4. Great for BOB!!!! Truth or consequences, indeed....

[flvegan]

6. Spay and neuter your pets and the Japanese whaling season.

[wuvuj]

43. Bob sez....

[FBaggins]

7. Watching the tv show... they look like a bunch of incompetent boobs

but you're gotta love their pluck!

And they're pretty smart to acquire a vessel that can actually handle ice. :)

[Goldstein1984]

10. They do fumble a bit, don't they.

My wife and I have discussed volunteering for them when we retire, if we can still handle the physical challenge.

For now, we support them financially and wear their sweatshirt, at our own peril, in the State of Alaska. Our support for SSCS hasn't endeared us to my wife's side of the family, who are Inupiat (Inuit).

[Merchant Marine]

28. If you want to volunteer

Find a job with them on land. Don't risk your life on leaky tubs with untrained crews. Just the opinion of a Merchant Mariner in training.

[liberalla]

34. So, are you saying the Inupiat (Inuit) support the Japanese

Whale hunting expeditions? That would surprise me. I understand that native Alaskans hunt whale and it's very important in their history and culture, etc...

While the Japanese method of whale hunting is industrial and militaristic (obscene & vulgar too, IMO), it seems to me that'd be at odds with the native Inupiat traditions.

?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. Watson's histrionics are priceless

Its been more than a little dumb for them to have not had an ice qualified hull these last few seasons.

[wtmusic]

25. No kidding...the boat was "cut in half" with six aboard

but all were rescued? :silly:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

32. There was a collision, the Ady Gill got the worst of it, no loss of life

Beyond that there isn't much that I would consider reliable at this time.

My prior post was before this incident was reported. Watson's media oriented hijinks have been going on for years

[endless october]

11. put some guns on that.

see how randy the poachers are for whales after they take some fire.

[Merchant Marine]

14. Do that

The Japanese would love an excuse to send a destroyer down there.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

23. The JN has armed P-3s

And at this point I have to believe that they already have a warship south of the equator.

This entire chain of events was easily foreseeable. It should surprise no one that the Ady Gill was sacrificed by Watson like this.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

15. The crews would be arrested for piracy and the boats would be sunk by aircraft

Even Watson is not that dumb unless he wants it to be his funeral pyre.

[endless october]

17. the Japanese just started sinking the anti-poaching vessels.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/japanese-ship-sinks-whale-protest-boat--ady-gill-20100106-ltp4.html

[ProgressiveProfessor]

18. I saw that. The right response is to wait until there are some details from a credible source that

understands maritime law. Until then we really know nothing other than there was a collision. From what is out there so far, no lives were lost. Preservation of human life is the first law of the sea.

In prior threads I have pointed out that the Ady Gill was exactly the wrong kind of boat of those latitudes and the rough and tumble games that Watson plays. A monocoque carbon fibre hull is no match for steel or ice. Fully foreseeable and predictable though some here jeered at the notion.

[endless october]

19. i hope this at least draws more international attention to illegal whalers.

they need to be stopped.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

20. From a Law of the Sea perspective, Watson et al are those who should be stopped

The Japanese have been pretty careful about maritime legalities while Watson has not. If this goes to Admiralty Court, he will lose. The court of public opinion may well go the other way. There of course will be lawsuits, but there are serious jurisdiction issues.

[Merchant Marine]

21. Given Watson's track record

It's far more likely that the Ady Gil was playing the usual sea shepherd game of swerving back and forth in front of an underway whaling vessel. I wouldn't be surprised if they treated their new carbon-fiber toy like an oversized RHIB and got run down by a bigger vessel. Considering the only statement is from Watson, who's an incompetent windbag of a "Captain" I'm inclined to believe my own suspicions.

If I'm right, they're completely at fault. The Nautical Rules of the Road are very clear in regards to collisions. Good thing it was donated.

Not to mention the three unwritten rules
1) Rule of Common Sense: Don't play chicken with big ships
2) Rule of Materials: Steel dents, carbon-fiber shatters
3) Rule of Tonnage: Bigger ship has the right of way

Oh, and given the sea shepherd's track record of rescue at sea, its very likely that the crew members of the Gil were saved by the whalers.

I'm not disagreeing with their cause, I just don't like their methods.

(EDIT) Holy shit, just saw this...
"According to the Institute of Cetacean Research, the Ady Gil's crew were launching projectiles at the Nisshin Maru, and attempted to entangle its propellors with rope."

That's some serious liability shit. Sea Shepherd would be totally at fault if anything happened to the vessel once they jam its prop. And there's alot of stuff that can happen to a propellerless ship in the antarctic sea. Icebergs come to mind.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

22. I tend to agree

Like you Watson's methods are my main concern. Many here just don't seem to understand the risks he is taking and the laws he is breaking. This may be the event that beaches him.

In at least one article it states that the Ady Gill was still afloat with their new ship standing by.

The Japanese site has video of what the Ady Gill was doing. No chance in hell that Watson would win in maritime court.

You point about responsibility for ships you disable is a good one. Last season the TV show had Watson melting down when the whalers turned his own tactics back upon him. I was concerned that if successful, the Steve Irwin would have been DIW and would end up on the end of a Japanese line. Watson would have stroked out, and if he didn't then he would have when he saw the salvage bill.

[Merchant Marine]

26. Salvage laws are interesting

One of the sea stories I've heard involves a barge loaded with oil drilling equipment being towed to the Alaska fields by a small tug. The tug had to cut the towline in heavy seas. The barge was found drifting by a small fishing boat, and the crew of the boat lashed their ship to the barge for shelter.

When the storm cleared, the salvage courts awarded the fishing boat full value of the barge and its cargo, which was about 3x more than the entire net worth of the shipping company that had lost the barge. The owner of the shipping company cut his losses and handed the company over to the captain of the fishing boat as payment for the salvage.

But the Steve Irwin could only end up as salvage if she was abandoned. Possession is 9/10ths of the law when it comes to salvage.

[wtmusic]

24. The "Institute of Cetacean Research" is a sham front for the whalers

and the rope trick has been used for years by SS, with varying degrees of success.

[Merchant Marine]

27. That means it's about a reliable as Watson

Anyway, the whole "rope in the props" trick is hugely irresponsible, and really is indicative of the sea shepherd's disregard for safety at sea.

If this whole thing continues there's going to be lives lost. Either Watson's going to succeed at knocking out a whaler or he'll break the rusty spine of the Steve Irwin against another ship's hull. Old steel boats like his go down fast, especially when you do stupid shit like navigate packs of growlers at flank speed.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

30. The ICR videos make clear what the Ady Gill was doing

Be interesting to see if they have some unreleased ones of the incident that trickle out over time. ICR also has their own set of press releases that no one should take seriously either. They are not nearly as amusing as Watson's bombasts.

In another thread, there is a person claiming it was a ramming and its that way all over NZ and AUS media. Watson could still score PR points on this one.

Taking the Ady Gill into those waters was totally irresponsible. The Steve Irwin is a bit better, but it does not have an ice rated hull.

[Dead_Parrot]

42. Watson wasn't skipper of the Ady Gil, Peter Bethune was.

Y'know, the ships designer. Think he would treat it as rigid inflatable?

[FBaggins]

44. Yes... I think he very well might

Given the fact that the vessel has served its original purpose (fastest circumnavigation of the globe by a powerboat and a showcase for green technology), he might actually prefer it to "die" in a way that brought publicity and (through insurance and/or lawsuit) paid him the millions that contributors donated to fund the vessel.

Win-Win for Bethune as long as everyone survives.

[Merchant Marine]

51. I dunno,

they managed to run over a fishing skiff in the Caribbean when it was still Earthrace.

[liberalla]

29. OMG, is it true? seashepherd.org has this:

Japanese Whalers Ram Sea Shepherd Ship Ady Gil
Famed Catamaran is sinking in the Southern Ocean

Six crewmembers Rescued by the Sea Shepherd Ship Bob Barker

In an unprovoked attack captured on film, the Japanese security ship Shonan Maru No. 2 deliberately rammed and caused catastrophic damage to the Sea Shepherd catamaran Ady Gil.

Six crew crewmembers, four from New Zealand, one from Australia, and one from the Netherlands were immediately rescued by the crew of the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker. None of the crew Ady Gil crew were injured.

The Ady Gil is believed to be sinking and chances of salvage are very grim.

more:
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-100105-4.html

[ProgressiveProfessor]

31. Once you get past the histrionics, there are some facts there

There was a collision between the Ady Gill and a Japanese ship. Steel beats monocoque carbon fibre every time and the Ady Gill got the worst of it. No loss of life.

[liberalla]

36. Histrionics, ha! Yes, they do slant everything

way, way, way over for maximum mileage.

I was looking for confirmation of *sinking*, and it sounds like it did. However, "chances of salvage are very grim" leaves the door open a little bit. There could've be some miraculous, heroic attempt to save or salvage parts, that we don't know about now.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

37. What is there to salvage? The cost of the boat was the engineering and materials

Neither of which would be particularly reusable. Water there is seriously cold year round. Not sure what the depth is.

The most important item was that Watson did not get anyone killed this time.

[Merchant Marine]

33. "Unprovoked"

There are videos on youtube of the Ady Gil trying to tow a line into the prop of the Nisshin Maru. That is a clear threat to the safety of the vessel and crew. Other Sea Shepherd vessels have repeatedly rammed Japanese vessels.

And really, I wouldn't trust sea shepherd or japanese sources. We'll only know for sure when the ATSB report comes out. There should be one, since this happened in AU territorial waters.

Again, sea shepherd tactics are very dangerous for both sides and are in clear violation of the Rules of the Road.

Though this should do wonders for Whale Wars ratings.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

38. Are you sure about the territorial waters?

I haven't found a source with the Lat/Long and there are special rules about Antarctica. The declared whale sanctuary is not internationally recognized.

[Merchant Marine]

35. Here's video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YskxrX0bNKQ

Oh look, the Ady Gil stopped directly in the path of the whaler. Big surprise there.

Not only that, but they accelerate to put their bow in the path of the whaler.

From the footage, damage seems bad but not catastrophic. The Gil was certainly not "cut in half" by anyone's estimation. Looks like a shattered pylon and about 3' of the bow gone, probably mangled the internal framing too. She's floating but ruined.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

39. That is from ICR, and the YT comments are understandably all over the map

I am waiting to see what SSCS releases. Not sure with only the ICR video actual vectors could be determined. There might of been some sort of black box type of thing in the Ady Gill, it had the best electronics available.

It was still a game of chicken being led by the Ady Gill knowing full well it would lose.

[Merchant Marine]

40. The Shonan Maru should have

A mechanical course recorder and a gps log that can be checked to see what happened at the moment of the collision.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

41. Is the granularity and calibration really tight enough?

There is certainly lag enough in GPS that instantaneous changes do not register for several seconds in many case. Floor your car with a GPS unit and see how the speed indicator lags the analog instruments.

[Merchant Marine]

48. Well, I wouldn't rely on the GPS

But the mechanical course recorders are a pretty mature technology and are fairly accurate.



They look like that, usually.

[kristopher]

49. Do me a favor...

Watch the Japanese clip of the encounter and pay close attention to the prop wash of the AG. What does it tell you?

[Merchant Marine]

50. Clear acceleration

Ady Gil was a waterjet boat, and she's clearly stationkeeping and then dashes into the path of the Shonan Maru. The wake is a telltale.

[depakid]

12. Excellent news

Pressure's been mounting (from the opposition Liberals, of all groups) for the Australian government to take more forceful action. Of course, they view it as a nationalist deal- but hey, if it spurs the Rudd government to do the right (and popular) thing, then we should take support where we can get it...

... and this bit here isn't likely to curry much favour:

Whaling fleet's 'spy flights' flew out of Australia

The captain of an anti-whaling protest ship has backed reports that Japanese whalers have been chartering Australian planes to track the ship's movements in the Southern Ocean. Fairfax newspapers are reporting that a public relations company linked to Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research chartered planes in Hobart and Albany to track the Sea Shepherd's ship, the Steve Irwin, in December.

The Steve Irwin's captain, Paul Watson, says he believes those on board the plane reported his ship's position to a Japanese whale chasing boat. "We did notice the plane in December; we thought it was an Australian Government plane so we didn't take very much notice of it," he said. "But then six hours later the Japanese vessel Shonan Maru showed up and got on our tail and we couldn't shake them for three weeks."

Federal Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt says the Government should investigate the flights and put a stop to them.

"What we have here is spy flights, which are helping to breach international law, being conducted from Australian airports under the guise and under the nose of the Australian Government," he said.

"It is time that the flights are stopped and the Prime Minister and <Environment Minister Peter> Garrett must step in to end the practice."

Greens leader Bob Brown says the Federal Government should be sending its own surveillance vessels to track whalers.

"It's outrageous that the Japanese have stolen such a march on the conflict between the whaling protesters and the whale slaughterers," he said. "And the Australian Government is doing nothing about it and is allowing Australian facilities to be used against the whale protesters."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/06/2786195.htm?section=justin

[xchrom]

13. Wow what a wonderful way to remember. Nt

[Blue Owl]

45. Go PLINKO on their asses, Bob!

I didn't realize THIS was what Bob Barker was up to -- how fucking AWESOME!

I hope he goes after the baby-seal-clubbers next.

[Kolesar]

47. Paul Watson was dealing with the seal hunters decades ago

They captured him and threw him into the sea. Then they pulled him out because they didn't want a murder charge.

[voteearlyvoteoften]

46. K & R for the critters