MY Age of Union
MY Age of Union is a vessel of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society fleet, the ship was previously named after American television producer and writer Sam Simon, who donated the money to purchase the vessel. The ship's identity was kept secret, to be revealed when she met the Japanese whaling fleet in 2012, but was identified when her registration was discovered on the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's list of registered ships.
Age of Union in 2014 as Sam Simon | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Japan | |
| Name | Seifu Maru |
| Owner | Japan Meteorological Agency |
| Operator | Maizuru Marine Observatory |
| Builder | Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co Ltd |
| Yard number | 3035 |
| Laid down | 6 April 1992 |
| Launched | 11 August 1992 |
| Christened | 1993 |
| Completed | 22 January 1993 |
| In service | 1993–2010 |
| Homeport | Maizuru, Kyoto |
| Identification | IMO number: 9053452 |
| Fate | Sold in 2010 |
| Japan | |
| Name | Kaiko Maru No. 8 |
| Owner | Offshore Operation Co., Ltd |
| Acquired | 2010 |
| In service | 2010–2012 |
| Renamed | 2010 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sold in 2012 |
| Tuvalu | |
| Name | New Atlantis |
| Owner | New Atlantis Ventures LLC |
| Port of registry | Funafuti |
| Acquired | September 2012 |
| In service | September 2012 – December 2012 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Management assumed by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society; transferred to Australian register |
| Australia | |
| Name | Sam Simon |
| Namesake | Sam Simon |
| Owner | New Atlantis Ventures LLC |
| Operator | Sea Shepherd Conservation Society |
| Port of registry | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| In service | 2012–2013 |
| Identification | Call sign: VJN4108 |
| Status | Re-Flagged to the Netherlands |
| Netherlands | |
| Name |
|
| Owner | New Atlantis Ventures LLC |
| Operator | Sea Shepherd Conservation Society |
| Port of registry | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| In service | 2013–present |
| Identification |
|
| Status | in active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Research/Survey Vessel |
| Tonnage | 484 GT |
| Length | 55.5 m (182.1 ft) loa |
| Beam | 9.8 m (32.2 ft) |
| Draught | 3.50 m (11.48 ft) |
| Depth | 4.30 m (14.11 ft) |
| Installed power | One 6-cylinder diesel by Akasaka Diesel Ltd, Japan. 1,300 kW (1,800 hp) |
| Propulsion | Single shaft; controllable-pitch propeller |
| Speed | 12.9 knots (23.9 km/h; 14.8 mph) – 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Capacity | 200 tons fuel |
| Crew | 43 |
Age of Union is the former Japanese weather survey ship Kaiko Maru No 8. Sea Shepherd paid the Government of Japan AUD $2,000,000 for the vessel. She was renamed MV New Atlantis shortly before being moved to Brisbane, Queensland. She was subsequently re-registered under the Australian flag as a pleasure craft called Sam Simon.