PM should replace 'rammed' Ady Gil - Greens

[FBaggins]

Source: Herald Sun

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd should cough up the $1.5 million needed to replace the anti-whaling ship Ady Gil, which was "rammed" by Japanese whalers, the Australian Greens said.
Leader Bob Brown also wants the Federal Government to send an Australian navy ship to the Southern Ocean to police the conflict zone.

Sea Shepard's futuristic light-weight vessel the Ady Gil had its bow sheared off in a collision with the Japanese whaler's ship Shonan Maru 2 yesterday.

"Kevin Rudd should be replacing that ship," Senator Brown told Fairfax Radio Network.

"(And) I think a naval ship should be down there. A whale observation ship, a naval ship, would have stopped that behaviour.


Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/pm-should-replace-rammed-ady-gil-greens/story-e6frf7jx-1225816922656

[slackmaster]

1. It's really a matter for insurance companies to work out

The fact that the master of the Ady Gil intentionally allowed the vessel to be placed into hazard won't play well for Sea Shepherd's case.

[FBaggins]

2. I doubt there's insurance involved

(Though I have previously speculated that the Earthrace owner might have a "warehouse fire" incentive here)

Would YOU insure them after watching a season of Whale Wars? :-)

Ok... sure... I would too. The conversation would go something like this:

"How much did you need to insure?"

"The replacement cost is $2.5 million"

"Very well... your premium will be $2.5 million"

[flvegan]

11. Except that's not what happened. n/t

[thunder rising]

3. Why wouldn't the US sue the Japanese? The Andy Gil was attacked and rammed.

[slackmaster]

4. It wasn't attacked, it was deliberately placed in front of a larger vessel that could not avoid

hitting it.

If you aren't engaged in actual combat with another vessel, there is no legitimate reason to get within 1,000 yards of it on the high seas.

[FBaggins]

5. They can't possibly make a case for that

Multiple episodes of Whale Wars make clear that they take intentional actions that could (and often do) result in collisions. While the Japanese OTHER actions (whaling) may be far from laudible... it's also clear that they would stay many miles away from the Sea Shepards if they were given a choice.

It doesn't look to me like an intentional collision, but even if it WAS, the SSs stupid actions give the japanese all the cover they need to get away with it.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

6. in addition to that

While the Japanese captain likely saw the SS boat move in front of his ship; he would have no idea that the captain of the SS boat would do something thats against all common sense and go idle in front of the much larger ship or just before getting there.

I know that if i personally saw a smaller boat come in front of mine(had i owned one) i would veer in the direction they came from as to try to avoid a collision with the boat

[TexasObserver]

7. I doubt Maritime law will help the smaller vessel.

The very nature of the Andy Gil's operations violated seagoing law. You cannot run in front of another vessel, particularly a big vessel that cannot correct as quickly as a smaller vessel.

Right of way is a big issue in collisions, and unless there's something we don't know yet, this is a collision that will likely be blamed on the smaller boat, which could have avoided the accident, but essentially caused it.

I have no doubt the Japanese vessel was more than happy to ram the smaller vessel, but the main question is not whether they wanted to, but whether they had the right of way. If you take a smaller vessel and place it in front of the bow of a larger vessel, woe to be your vessel.

It's possible the smaller vessel could make a claim in a favorable jurisdiction. They might be able to prevail, but it's probably an uphill battle.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. The US? There are no US flagged vessels in the fracas down there

As many people are saying, the Ady Gil was the seminal cause, SSCS will lose in any legitimate maritime inquiry.

[Ignis]

9. "I think a naval ship should be down there."

You and me both, Senator Brown! :thumbsup:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Idiocy like this is why the Greens have such a hard time being taken seriously

The Ady Gil is about the worst kind of vessel to operate in those latitudes. Furthermore it was excessively costly rich man's play toy. Additionally its not even flagged in Australia! The stupid is strong in that one.

Sending the Aussie navy down there would mean Japan would do the same. Few nations recognize AUS claims of territorial waters and the whale sanctuary. From a military view, the Japanese has a better overall defense posture, but its a long way from home for the Japanese. Both use high end US weapons. However, neither nation will let it escalate. The AUS claim is too weak.

He is right that a naval vessel could have prevented the collision. It would have told the Ady Gil to heave to and then sent them out of the area.

[FBaggins]

12. I'll pick one thing to disagree on again.

The Earthrace isn't much for floating around in rough seas, but if they're underway there really isn't a problem.

Believe it or not, she is designed to go UNDER the waves... with 20 feet of water or more OVER the cockpit. She has operated in FAR rougher waters (though likely not as cold).

What she ISN'T equiped for, however, is a game of sea chicken with a larger vessel... and she obviously wasn't meant to carry the crew on deck like that.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. No carbon fiber hull in the world is a match for a growler ice field

Watson ran through one at high throttle last season with the marginal hull of the Steve Irwin. Since there is a great deal of delay before the shows air, I knew there had not been any major damage, but the opportunity was certainly there.

It was a very cool boat with some unique capabilities but its not a high latitudes vessel. When it was announced that they had it, I believed hen that it would not last the season.

[apocalypsehow]

14. What the Ady Gil did was a form of cultural terrorism against Japanese culture, history, and people.

Bob Brown and the Australian Greens don't get to call the shots for another culture's ancient heritage. The people who live in and have inherited that culture do.

It's Multiculturalism 101, really.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

15. One wonders how a large slow ships "rams" a MUCH MUCH faster & more maneuverable boat.

Methinks the smaller vessel was purposefully playing where she shouldn't have been.

Lesson Learned: Play to your strengths... don't try to "roadblock" ships that are 1200% more massive than you.