Is anyone really going to claim that the Ady Gil did NOT want to get hit?

If so, they sure did a crap job of getting out of the way of the BIG BOAT HEADED VERY CLOSE TO THEM. I mean, they’re in a highly maneuverable speedboat, and they still managed to get run over? Either they need a new captain, or they knew exactly what they were doing.

Let’s call a spade a spade… they knowingly entered into a game of chicken and lost. Upon losing, they claim they were the victims, just minding their own and rammed for no good reason, and turn it into a big publicity stink.

At least when PETA pulls shit like this to garner attention to their cause, there is a certain self-indulgent sense of humor to it.

They’ve done their job, though. News headlines all over the world are educating people about Japanese whaling. But please… spare me the self-righteousness.

Yes I’m pissed, and yes I’m sitting on my couch. :)

the way I see it the Japanese vessel is using the lrad and shooting their water cannons, not only is the ady gils engines off but I am sure the lrad is affecting the crew of the ady gil and also with the water canon going on the japanese vessel it is very difficult to tell how close they are coming so I think that the crew of the ady gil did not have a chance. It is very clear on all the videos that I saw that the japanese deliberately turned towards the ady gil at the last moment. I think that the japanese should be charged with attempted murder. If we dont do anything now god knows what they will do to us next. They must be brought to justice now!

Thanks for the link Eric -

Bloody Hell!

The video you posted clearly shows the incident started with Ady Gil overtaking Shonan Maru. Under international rules of the nautical road the overtaking vessel has an absolute obligation to remain clear of the overtaken vessel. No subsequent maneuvering changes Ady Gil’s status under the rules. The overtaken vessel is supposed to maintain course unless it determines action by both vessels is needed to avoid a collision. A last minute turn to starboard to attempt to pass astern of Ady Gil, expecting Ady Gil to speed ahead (the most effective choice), could be justified. Take the Japanese to court but don’t be surprised if it results in a bill for repainting the bow of Shonan Maru.

“I suppose the lesson is that human brains are flawed and cannot be trusted”

Aw… Don’t be so hard on yourself! :)

This is NOT footage of the collision. This may have been taken 5-15 minutes before the actual contact. The smaller Ady Gil is towing a long steel cable; in this footage you can see the apparatus on the stern. The crew can be seen looking to the stern checking on the position of the cable several times. They are not looking in the direction of the whaler. The plan was to pass on the port side of the whaler, cut across the bow letting the whaler run over the cable so that it would in tangle in the prop and rudder. This maneuver had been tried several times, but the whaler’s captain would turn the same direction of the Ady Gill and cable. The collision took place when the Ady Gil crossed the bow from port to starboard, cut back to port then went dead in the water. If you watch all the video of the collision, you can see the whaler first turn starboard to avoid the cable, but because the Ady Gil was dead in the water it was DIRECTLY in the path of the whaler(note, in the better quality posts of the collision the towed cable can be seen just aft of the Ady Gil). You can see the whaler turn port to avoid the Ady Gil but hit its bow.

“cuts her engines & only motors at the end in an attempt to get out of the way”

Go to :30 or so & listen to P.B. tell Laurance (sp) to tell the ady's driver to SLOW DOWN to conserve fuel. They were definitely NOT just sitting with no engine power as you infer.

Shame on you.