Whale wars new boat is sinking

[snooks]

The boat formerly know as Earthrace is sinking it was bought by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and there has been a collision between it an a whaler...If you've seen Whale wars, this might not come as a great surprise

For one side of the story
For a pdf (not very informative)press release from the Japanese
For various videos from the Japanese perspective

And a youtube video of the incident

 

[Twister_Ken]

Certainly looks like hostile action by the Japs. As far as I can tell from the vid, the Japs were turning to starboard with the deliberate intention of ramming.

 

[Tommyrot]

Certainly looks like hostile action by the Japs. As far as I can tell from the vid, the Japs were turning to starboard with the deliberate intention of ramming.

or to avoid hitting the it with the stern of their boat and chewing it in the prop....

The protesters have a history of playing "chicken" with the whaling boats, the whalers have managed to avoid them up until this incident.

Would have been very easy for the fast little boat to get out of the way of the big slow boat.

 

[snooks]

Certainly looks like hostile action by the Japs. As far as I can tell from the vid, the Japs were turning to starboard with the deliberate intention of ramming.

Here's what I see...the whaler turning and will miss the sea shepherd's boat, until the sea shepherd's accelerates into the path of the whalers

OK spraying the boat you've just hit with water canons isn't tennis.

But I don't recall seeing you can't do it in col regs!!

 

[Moodyjim]

Looks as though the water canon could have affected the ability of the earthrace crew to manouever. Smacks (pardon the pun) of an illegal act to me.

 

[bbg]

Here's what I see...the whaler turning and will miss the sea shepherd's boat, until the sea shepherd's accelerates into the path of the whalers

Pretty much what I see as well, except I can't determine whether the big boat was turning. There are just no external references to determine whether it was.

I see little boat tootling along at a couple of knots - towards the path of the big boat, then accelerating in the last couple of seconds. Without that acceleration it is unclear whether the little boat would have been hit.

 

[snooks]

I see little boat tootling along at a couple of knots - towards the path of the big boat, then accelerating in the last couple of seconds. Without that acceleration it is unclear whether the little boat would have been hit.

True, but if the SS peeps in the little black boat had gone astern, or taken off power they wouldn't be quite a few feet shorter now.

Do we know that the Shonan Maru II wasn't restricted in her ability to manoeuvre? (towing a whale for example)

 

[Twister_Ken]

The little boat had engines idling until the last few seconds. I'd suggest the acceleration wasn't to ram the big boat (why?) but to try to get manoeuvrability to turn away. Yes, the biggy is turning to starboard. In the initial shot she'll go clear ahead if she maintains her course, but the angle quickly changes to that for the resulting collision. And the littlely is almost dead in the water until the last few seconds, so it's not her movement which has closed the angle.

 

[stevebirch2002]

Have a look at the large ships wake at the end of the Youtube clip, they dont seem to have steered to starboard.....?

SB

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Do we know that the Shonan Maru II wasn't restricted in her ability to manoeuvre? (towing a whale for example)

Shonan Maru II is elsewhere said to be a 'guard ship' and not designated a harpoon vessel.

The harpoon vessels are called Yushin Maru I, II and III.

Still, it appears from the video the Adi Gil's helm confused his backwards lever with his forward lever.

 

[Tommyrot]

The only purpose of the protesters using the Ady Gill was to get in the way of the whalers.

They managed it!

 

[Madhatter]

True, but if the SS peeps in the little black boat had gone astern, or taken off power they wouldn't be quite a few feet shorter now.

Do we know that the Shonan Maru II wasn't restricted in her ability to manoeuvre? (towing a whale for example)

Or steering jammed with ropes placed in the water by those stupid protesters on the small boats (who accelerated into the path of the ship)It is they who should be arrested for putting lives at risk and dangerous "driving"

 

[dt4134]

I'd suggest the acceleration wasn't to ram the big boat (why?)...

For the publicity.

Call me a cynic, but I've been expecting this accident to happen since they bought it.

 

[idpnd]

They didn't buy it, it was on loan from some rich chap.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ady_Gil#Record_attempts

Funnily enough, the world record is being held by a sailboat (and that's most probably non-stop, the mobos have to refuel and apparently they went through the panama/suez canals).

 

[snooks]

Or steering jammed with ropes placed in the water by those stupid protesters on the small boats (who accelerated into the path of the ship)It is they who should be arrested for putting lives at risk and dangerous "driving"

I don't know how the Japanese get away with whaling in a marine sanctuary, but I don't see that gives the protesters the right to disable whaling vessels on the southern ocean

OK the of killing dwindling whales for food (or "research" with their quota of 1 around day) is seen as wrong here in the UK. But imagine if a group of Japanese environmentalists came over here and tried to disable cod fishing boats with floating ropes to foul their props and stink bombs to disrupt fishing etc

 

[Major Catastrophe]

But imagine if a group of Japanese environmentalists came over here and tried to disable cod fishing boats with floating ropes to foul their props and stink bombs to disrupt fishing etc

I expect the Spanish would be very upset.

 

[idpnd]

Well that cod of yours is also dwindling so might not be a bad idea even.

The marine sanctuary is a mere notional term as these are the high seas.

 

[Stemar]

I'm totally opposed to the hunting of whales for any, even "scientific" (my arse!) purposes, and I haven't seen the vids - my connection at work just isn't up to it, but anyone whose purpose is to disrupt a legal (OK, legal-ish - the lawyers can get rich arguing that one) activity by acting in a dangerous manner at sea deserves what they get. They're clearly putting themselves and the other vessel at risk. By all means, shadow the whalers and put yourself between tham and any whales, or let off underwater explosives to scare whales away, but keep the colregs. This incident smacks of a deliberate publicity stunt by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

I note a complaint that the Japanes vessel ignored a mayday. It seems that the Ady Gil still hasn't sunk so, under the circumstances, that doesn't seem so unreasonable. My expectation, were I skipper, would be for the AG's crew to continue to try to disrupt my activities after rescue unless I locked them up, which I probably have neither a suitable space nor crew available to act as gaolers. I also have a sneaking suspicion that AG had backup not so far away. I also suspect the use of fire hoses was to prevent boarding by AG's crew, which I would want to prevent for the same reasons.

 

[geoffatstanpit]

Let's hear it for the cod!

Quote - But imagine if a group of Japanese environmentalists came over here and tried to disable cod fishing boats with floating ropes to foul their props and stink bombs to disrupt fishing etc

Bring it on! I'm with the cod here! (and I do have a soft spot for the whales too. We stopped being hunter gatherers 10k years ago)

 

[aslabend]

Sea Shepard organisation advocate violence to stop whaling so not my favourite type of people. Hope nobody was seriously hurt but they always sail "a bit close to the wind" when playing chicken with the whaling fleets so it's no surprise really.