The MV Sharpie is an Island Class Coast Guard vessel used by Sea Shepherd her former name is the Bainbridge Island. She is identical to her sisters MY Farley Mowat and the MY John Paul DeJoria all three being former Island Class Coast Guard Cutters. She is named after Chris Sharp president and CEO of Medtec and co inverter of the sharpie pen. The Sharpie is powered by two CAT diesel engines and can travel at 29 knots with a range of 3,300 nmi. The vessel was commissioned on December 11, 2017 in Miami and departed for Key West for outfitting. Her first campaign was Operation Milagro 4.
Hurricane Relief[]
After Harvey and Irma destroyed their home port Sea Shepherd deployed the Sharpie and the John Paul DeJoria to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico to deliver supplies to those affected by the storms. With the campaign wrapping up Sharpie transited the Panama Canal and headed for the Pacific to meet her sisters.
Operation Milagro 4[]
On the morning of March 7th Sharpie arrived in the Sea of Cortez and met up with her sisters. Right now all three boats are on patrol looking for nets and stopping poachers.
Operation Treasured Islands[]
Between patrols Sharpie is working with the Mexican Conservation Service to patrol the Sea of Cortez and Revillagigedo International Marine Preserve. Last year Mexico and the US which manage the cross border park banned fishing in the park to protect the wildlife. Lately poachers have been entering the park intent on killing sharks for oil. Sea Shepherd has sent the Sharpie, the Martin Sheen, the White Holly, The Mexican Navy and Fish and Game, and Sharpie's sisters to arrest them and make sure they don't set foot in the park.
Operation Milagro 5[]
In 2019 Sharpie was joined by her sisters and the White Holly in Mexico originally this was suppose to be a patrol and photograph campaign but the poachers started the season early and deployed more nets in the exclusion zone surrounding the Dolphin Sanctuary. Sharpie was in Galapagos finishing another campaign with the White Holly when the alarm went off and they were dispatched to the gulf to defend the Farley Mowat which was attacked and burned by poachers in January. To date Sea Shepherd destroyed 2,000 nets and saved 4,000 wildlife.
Operation Milagro 6[]
In 2020 Sharpie was deployed to the Sea of Cortez with her sister Farley Mowat and the White Holly they managed to pull 900 nets out of the water. On February 9, 2020 Sharpie was shot at by poachers. The crew were quick to defend their vessel against the attack and the Mexican Navy arrived on the scene a few minutes later with the Farley Mowat and arrested the poachers who fired the shots. No one was injured but two bullets ended up in the water close to the vessel. On the morning of March 3, 2020 the Sharpie was attacked again by poachers who did the same attack they did last year on the Farley Mowat. This year Sea Shepherd was ready for them and fired back at the poachers using water cannons and armed marines on deck. Two molotovs were thrown but they missed and the marines fired warning shots at the poachers. The attack was called off by 11:00 AM in which time Sea Shepherd removed the net and destroyed it.
Retirement
In June 2022, the MV Sharpie was retired in Mazatlan Mexico. Both generators blew and repairs were too costly. Useable equipment were transferred and put in storage for other vessels.