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Flotilla and Send-off to OMV rig – Update

Oil Free Otago & Extinction Rebellion along with School Strike for Climate students are calling on boat-owning Boomers to help them sail to OMV’s oil rig – 160 kilometres off the coast of the South Island. We want to send a flotilla to sail off the coast of Otago to meet OMV’s oil rig in the open ocean. The COSL Prospector is currently in the Great South Basin conducting deep sea oil drilling. (PLEASE NOTE, we’re still searching for a vessel to get us there so have put off the send-off date to give us more time to pull together an awesome flotilla. Please help us find yachts).

We’re going to bear witness to OMV’s crimes against the climate. And to take a stand for climate justice and the life-giving waters that surround us. So far Aotearoa has had huge success with pushing big oil companies out of our waters – but it’s not over yet.

We need you! And WE NEED YACHTS capable of sailing in deep water. Ask your aunties, uncles, bosses, grandmas – who is up for an adventure? The drill site is 160km from Port Chalmers. That’s where we’re going. It’s going to be exciting, and it’s going to be hard. We will confront the rig and expose their actions. The voyage will be around 3-4 days. We don’t intend to enter the non-interference zone and do not anticipate criminal charges for skippers and participants. We are looking for people of all ages and backgrounds to join us.

We’ll keep up our search for vessels for as long as OMV stay in the Great South Basin.

We’re also looking for people to gather for the flotilla’s send off in Carey’s Bay once we’re ready to go. We want you there in style to give the flotilla a cracker send off. Bring down your kayaks, surfboards, paddleboards, dinghies, small boats, big boats, yacht or anything that floats, to accompany the flotilla towards the open ocean. We also need people onshore with colourful banners, cupcakes, music, voices – anything that makes this send off fun and colourful. As this action relies on a good weather window we need to be prepared to shift the date if needs be, so please keep an eye on this page, we’ll be posting more details and updates.

****Email us ASAP omvflotilla@protonmail.com if you:
a) have a yacht/vessel or know a keen person who has one
b) if you would like to be considered to join the flotilla (spaces will depend on the number of boats we can confirm)
c) if you would like to help in a organisational role on land or at sea – we need people power!

Check our FB event, or email ASAP omvflotilla@protonmail.com for more info.https://www.facebook.com/events/258565398452153

The rebellion mostly runs on love, but we sometimes need a bit of money too for gear and supplies etc. If you can donate a bit, please do so here: givealittle.co.nz/cause/extinction-rebellion. Thanks!

This is a big undertaking, and it will take a lot of energy, passion, people power and just a bit of luck to pull it off. When did that ever stop us?

Join us. Stop deep sea oil.