While having a coffee on the balcony during a recent visit to New Zealand I spotted a stealthy looking craft slipping into Tairua Harbour, what appeared to me to be the former Earthrace boat. It tied up just a few blocks away so I headed down to take a closer look and met a salty looking individual at the quay head. I asked "Is that the former Earthrace boat?" to which he replied "That it is". I walked down the ramp to the float where she was moored and noted it was devoid of all the former graphics and advertising, now named Ady Gil and it sported a stealthy, black, rubberized finish and the emblem of the Sea Shepherd organization. Declining an offer to go aboard for a first hand look, not wanting to appear a bit touristy, I asked one of those on deck what was up.  I found out the vessel was donated by the former owners to Sea Shepherd and she was about to embark on her first voyage to the southern whaling grounds in an attempt to deter Japanese whaling operations there. Although at times I question any vessel interfering with safe navigation I, in this case have to sympathize with the gentle giants of the sea and tip my hat to this noble cause. After a few snaps I headed back to the cottage to relay to my wife and her Mum what I had found out.

I often remember the whalers of the Taiyo fleet during their off season layup in the backwaters of Yokosuka harbour as well as the fondness of Japanese for the tasty flesh of the Kujira. While always one to enjoy the delicacies of Japan I always passed on the offer of a taste of whale.

After returning home a few weeks later a familiar sight appeared on the TV, that being the Ady Gil darting about in a dangerous game of chicken with a Japanese whaler. Shortly thereafter the vessels  brushed, the Ady Gil's light composite structure a bit outweighed by the hull of the whaler. Taking on water, the crew was rescued by a Sea Shepherd mother ship and unable to save her, she was lost.

What have we lost here?  The whales have lost a friend in their everyday fight to remain part of the earth's inhabitants. The marine engineering world has lost a unique, one of a kind craft that was designed to demonstrate both advanced naval architecture and the use of bio fuels in it's around the world journey. This it accomplished with great pride to it's designers and crew.  Last but not least, Sea Shepherd has lost another valuable tool in the fight to enlighten the world to the plight of the whales.

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