Whale Wars and Seamanship

Is the Sea Shepherd's vessel Steve Irwin seaworthy?

Not with that crew.

I watched the entire RIB boat fiasco. The crew did realize they needed more control over the bow of the RIB boat but after the first try they never attempted a launch without taking all the way off the ship.

After the RIB boat flipped it was a man overboard situation. The captain or the watch officer should have put the wheel hard to stbd to swing the stern away from the RIB boat. Next Capt Watson choose to put the engines astern and try to back toward the broached RIB boat. It's hard to believe that backing is faster then making a round turn.

The first planned response was to launch a second RIB boat but for some reason it was decided that was a bad idea.

Then it was decided to rescue from the ship. The Steve Erwin is a twin screw vessel but they didn't seem be able to maneuver the ship within heaving line distance of the RIB boat and ended up resorting to use of a line throwing gun.

If the Sea Shepherd's Steve Erwin was a commercial vessel it would be considered unseaworthy with that crew. If Paul Watson was to hire a real captain and mate those presently in that position could stay aboard and take the role of chief and assistant political officers respectively.

Whale Wars gets a sea plus - a Daily New review

K.C.