Busy days ahead

It has been 14 days since we've come to Alang to patrol the toxic ships. Unfortunately we have not received much co-operation by the various authorities here in Gujarat, despite repeated requests. Our land team however has been doing very well. They have persuaded the relevant national ministries to stop beaching of toxic ships that we have spotted while we are anchored out of Indian waters and to order inspections of them for toxic materials.

Anyway the highpoint of this leg of the tour was celebrating my birthday onboard. Amanda had baked the best cake that I've had in a long time and was given the most memorable gifts I've ever received for a birthday.

Today we are sailing back to Bombay. The crew is also doing general ship maintenance, chipping off the rust and giving them a fresh coat of paint. Rust is a persistent problem at sea and if not attended to immediately, can pose quite a large problem later on.

When we get back to Bombay a few of the crew sign off to be replaced by a fresh crew. All those leaving are tidying up their respective areas ready for a smooth handover. We have also scheduled two open days - days when our supporters and educational institutions are invited to come and visit the ship. They get to learn more about Greenpeace, the Rainbow Warrior and other ships and their roles in the different campaigns. They also get to meet people from different parts of the world. This will be a very hectic time for the crew so we are trying to do as much maintenance as we can now and to make the 'Warrior' look its best to the people visiting her - tidying up the decks and working areas, polishing up the brass, making sure everything is in the their right places, sorting out publicity material that we want to show the people etc.

It is a couple of busy days ahead, getting ready for the trip down to Bombay, but there's always time for some fun as well - or star gazing. Am rushing up to deck to watch the stars. Who says there's no life out there? Will see you guys in a while, watch this space.