A way to define a Pirate Ship, an ship without a country?
I thought you had to rape and pillage to be a real pirate.

Joe


http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...733738567.html

Sea Shepherd's anti-whaling flagship, the Robert Hunter, is stranded
in Melbourne after its British registration expired today.

And by Thursday, Melbourne will host two "pirate" ships when the Sea
Shepherd's other anti-whaling protest vessel, the already-unregistered
Farley Mowat, joins the Hunter - perhaps never to leave.

With Port Phillip suddenly the centre of the maritime environmental
protest movement, it is unclear if either vessel will again steam away
under any flag, jolly roger or not.

Yesterday, Sea Shepherd president Paul Watson said the group planned
to decommission the Farley Mowat and hoped it would find a permanent
home in Melbourne as an anti-whaling museum.

And today, a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile told
theage.com.au that vessels must be registered before they depart
Australian waters.

With the Robert Hunter not expected to re-register under a new flag of
convenience for at least a week, it is effectively impounded at its
Docklands berth.

After months hunting and confronting the Japanese whaling fleet in
Antarctic waters, including a metal-rending collision with a factory
ship, the Hunter limped into Port Phillip Bay yesterday as the
deadline for its de-registration loomed.

Sea Shepherd was racing to register the vessel under a new flag before
11am today (midnight British time), when its British registration
expired.

Johnny Vasic, international director of the Sea Shepherd Society,
today told theage.com.au the group had been unable to register with a
country prepared to claim the ships.

"But we're in the process of doing that now and it usually takes a
week or two to get that process through," he said.

The organisation has declined to say which country it was negotiating
with to re-register the ships.

Mr Vasic said: "We want to make sure we have it before we announce it
so we don't get pressure by Japan again."

He said there have been no issues with Australian governments so far
over the ship's pirate status.

"They know we're in the process of re-registration and we don't think
it's going to be a problem - as of now everything is OK.

"We've cleared customs, we've cleared immigration and this ship seems
to be fine."

Armed customs officers inspected the ship and crew shortly after they
docked in Melbourne's Victoria Harbour yesterday afternoon, approving
their arrival.

A spokesman for Mr Vaile today said the Government had been told by
the British shipping registrar that the Robert Hunter would be
deregistered after 11am today as its "activities were considered
inconsistent with its registration as a pleasure craft".

"Australian law, however, requires vessels to be registered before
they will be given customs clearance to depart an Australian port for
a destination outside of Australia," the spokesman said.

He said there had been no application for Australian registration.

"If this is the case, it is a matter for the foreign government to
decide."