Greenpeace

Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

Okay, that's not entirely accurate.  True there's nothing but the blue Pacific Ocean stretching in every direction as far as the eye can see.  But we do have plenty to drink, thanks to the Esperanza's onboard evaporator that's currently converting close to three tons of salt water into fresh water a day.  So a more accurate statement might read "Water, water everywhere, but not a decent coffee shop in sight, and could someone please send me an update on what's happening in the pennant races for Major League Baseball"?

Somehow it just doesn't sound as desperate as Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous quote at the top.  Maybe I need to work on my delivery.

This is my first transit on the Esperanza (Spanish for Hope).  I've done stints on our other two ships, the Arctic Sunrise and Rainbow Warrior, but the Espy and I hadn't crossed paths until now.  It's a 72-meter "ice class" ship, with a top speed of 15 knots.  Built in 1984 in the Polish shipyards of Gdansk, the birthplace of Lech Walesa's historic Solidarity movement, Greenpeace purchased the ship in 2000 and launched it in 2002 as the newest and largest of our fleet.  It's well suited for our work on the high seas, as it can easily transit long distances and keep up with most commercial vessels we might choose to confront.  It's size, speed and heli-deck were ideal features this past winter during our campaign against the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean.

The ship currently is carrying a combined crew and campaign staff of 33 people from over 20 different countries.  It's like a floating U.N., with a bit more hair and without the expensive suits.  The collective maritime experience of those currently onboard is staggering, representing a wealth of knowledge and an endless collection of harrowing tales at sea.  Nothing like the one told by the old sailor in "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", from which Coleridge's (mis)quote comes, (not to mention the expression of an albatross around one's neck) but they're captivating stories nonetheless.

In legion with this collection of sailors and activists from around the world we're trying to save, the "Hope" continues east on the third day of our transit.  If you ain't got hope you got nothing.

I said that.