Space-age powerboat 'sliced in two' by Japan whalers

AFP (hosted on Google) ^ | January 6, 2010 | Amy Coopes

[myknowledge]

SYDNEY — A space-age powerboat sent to harass Japanese whalers was rammed and sliced in two in its very first clash on Wednesday, activists said, dramatically escalating hostilities in icy Antarctic seas.

The futuristic Ady Gil trimaran, which holds the round-the-world record and was enlisted by militant activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for this whaling season, received "catastrophic damage" and was sinking, they said.

All six crew, who earlier hurled stink bombs at the whalers to disrupt their annual hunt, were rescued unharmed by Sea Shepherd's Bob Barker ship. Activists described the attack as unprovoked and said it was captured on film.

"The Shonan Maru No. 2 suddenly started up and deliberately rammed the Ady Gil ripping eight feet (2.4 metres) of the bow of the vessel completely off," a Sea Shepherd statement said.

[mad_as_he$$]

I could not agree more.

[US_MilitaryRules]

It has a Pirate flag painted on the side! Sink that POS.

Thank you to the Japaneses for sinking that pirate ship out on the high seas!

[myknowledge]

Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

Scriptural verses denoting mankind's dominion over animals and other creatures.

[myknowledge]

Eco-Buccaneers beware!

[xone]

zot

[ctdonath2]

Good catch! Indeed, in the first picture there is clearly a "skull and crossbones [er, tridents]" painted on the hull. Words and symbols have meaning, and this symbol's meaning is clear. Upon seeing that, and under the circumstances, one does not screw around with trying to interpret it as "cute", one interprets it as plain intent warranting "defensive color code red" and takes immediate appropriate action.

[AStack75]

I don’t know if this rule applies in international waters, but in New Hampshire there is a rule that...

If operating a power-driven vessel, you must give way to a vessel engaged in commercial fishing.

[PapaBear3625]

Even worse, what if the Sea Shepherd or the Japanese whalers arm themselves with supersonic anti-ship missiles like the SS-N-27 Sizzler (pictured below)? Sea warfare, for the cause of the whales, would be taken to a new level.

The Japanese should consider getting shot at by the eco-nuts to be an act of war or terrorism, justifying a military response against the eco-terrorists AND their financial backers. (I would not be surprised if the Japanese military retains some pretty good special-ops capabilities from the ninja days).

[astyanax]

"...and their ship impounded."

Or sunk! (Oh wait, never mind...) ;o)

[Hot Tabasco]

Only a complete idiot in a small boat could ever get hit by a whaling ship.

Actually I think they've been enboldened because all of their prior harrassments have been successful with putting the whaling ships on the defensive. This time it's obvious the Japanese decided to finally go on the offensive..... I hope it happens more and more.

[Clinging Bitterly]

There is no need to hunt whales today.

What there is "no need" to do just doesn't matter. Right or wrong the whalers seem to be operating within the law, however one might feel about it.

The money, time, and energy spent on piracy would be better spent trying to change the law - just as we in the US are engaged against our own Congress and present occupant right now.

[dfwgator]

"RAMMING SPEEEED!!!!!"

[Cacique]

Why? they’re still looking for Rosie O’Donnel and Oprah.

[khnyny]

LOL. I knew I'd get flamed for my anti-whaling position here on FR, but guess what? I don't give a rat's a$$ - I still think it's stupid and barbaric in this day and age.

I also refuse to fall into lockstep with any form of ideological thinking whether it is considered the party left or the party right line.

[Jeff Chandler]

known whale murderers

Now that's funny right there, I don't care who you are.

[PIF]

It’s a Federal Law... see your local CG guy. The CG is above state laws as it is a federal agency. Any state law which conflicts is a court challenge waiting to happen.

Yes that’s right - a commercial fishing vessel when fishing is the burdened vessel as long as it is not fishing in a shipping lane. This is not a NH law, it is a Federal law.

[PIF]

“I always thought the “burdened vessel” was the “give way vessel.””

That’s a common misaphehension...

[PIF]

They and their minions have been attacking US commercial fishermen for decades - the most famous was when Reagan forced the CA-based tuna fleet offshore. I lost a really high paying job with that move. (and so did thousands of other people... all part of the War on Natural Resource Harvesters - of which GP, SS, Audubon, Serria Club, American Rivers etal are all part of - receiving the majority of their funds from the Tides Foundation and the Pew Foundation.

There are countless other stories which are seldom if ever reported and then usually slanted against the “commercial fishing bum” - if they are even that kind...

[Sam Cree]

Give way vessel is, to the best of my knowledge, the more modern term for what used to be called the burdened vessel. A commercial fishing boat with the right of way would be referred to as the stand on vessel, formerly the privileged vessel.

[bray]

No you fall in lockstep w/PCness and feel you have a moral superiority from “saving the whales”. How cliche. Way to go w/Groupthink, how courageous.

Pray for America and the Japanese Whalers