The new ultra-modern campaign ship of Greenpeace, the Rainbow Warrior III, has made its maiden voyage on Wednesday in Bremerhaven. “It’s a beautiful boat,” said captain Joel Stewart as the ropes were untied to launch the 58-metre (190-foot) long sailing ship. The boats hull is green, with a colourful rainbow and a white dove on the side. The first ride took the Rainbow Warrior III into the River Weser towards the northern German port of Bremerhaven.

The third boat was build twenty-six years after the original Rainbow Warrior was sunk by French agents in New Zealand. There Greenpeace attempted to stop France’s nuclear testing in the Pacific. The ship was constructed with the help of three million donors, who contributed to the initially estimated 23 million euros (32 million dollars) needed for the construction work. Brigitte Behrens, Greenpeace’s director in Germany said, that this was a very important day. “We are continuing what colleagues began many years ago by using a boat to denounce attacks on the environment,” she added.

The new ship was due in Hamburg Thursday and in Amsterdam — its home port and Greenpeace’s headquarters — on October 28.
After an initial tour in Europe, the 680-tonne ship’s first mission will be to set sail for the American coast before heading along the Amazon in Brazil to campaign against climate change.