Rainbow Warrior, formerly known as Sir William Hardy, is a trawler. It was built and launched in 1955. Greenpeace bought the ship for 40,000 pounds and rebuilt it. The Rainbow Warrior made its maiden voyage on 1979 and sailed against whaling in the waters near Iceland. Since then, the Rainbow Warrior has sailed many times and engaged in environmental protection movements.

The name Rainbow Warrior comes from a legend in North America, in which people of different colors and tribes defend the earth together.

On July 1985, the Rainbow Warrior went to Moruroa Island in the South Pacific to protest against France's planned nuclear test in this area. On July 10, the ship was sunk by a bomb planted by a French agent when it docked in Auckland, New Zealand, and a photographer on board was killed. As a result of this incident, French President Mitterrand formally apologized to Greenpeace, and the French government paid $7 million in compensation. After the incident, Greenpeace put forward the slogan "You can't sink the rainbow" and found another ship to replace the Rainbow Warrior.

On July 1989 and 10, Rainbow Warrior II was launched from Hamburg, Germany. From then to 2004, it made 17 voyages with different themes, including stopping the export of toxic waste, stopping deforestation, assisting victims, and opposing and stopping whaling. Rainbow Warrior II, formerly known as Grampian Prestige, is a trawler built in Yorkshire, England, and was launched at 1957.