Welcome to the abortion boat.......
June 11, 2001 12:04 PM   Subscribe

Welcome to the abortion boat.......
A ship carrying an on-board gynaecological clinic has left the Netherlands for Ireland, where it plans to offer abortions to Irish women.
posted by nonharmful (14 comments total)
 
"Anyone wanting an abortion will be ferried outside Ireland's territorial waters" because abortion is illegal in Irland.
posted by nonharmful at 12:07 PM on June 11, 2001


The Free Republic thread, SomethingAwful style, was illustrated with remix photos of ships being sunk by torpedoes. Funny, light-hearted people over there! With nary a moral contradiction! Then, sensing no irony, they wondered who could be sued, and under which laws, should the abortion be "botched".
posted by dhartung at 12:39 PM on June 11, 2001


I wonder if they will have a theme like The Love Boat. Probably not.
posted by tranquileye at 12:45 PM on June 11, 2001


Actually, the Abortion boat should probably be a dinghy attached to the Love boat, in case of emergency.

(today's a poor-taste kind of day)
posted by Succa at 1:38 PM on June 11, 2001


dhartung, that question does arise. It is a surgical procedure and complications can arise. If the ship is in international waters, what does international maritime law say about medical malpractice? My (albeit brief) searches can't find a word. One perfed uterus, one exsanguinated patient carried off board in a bag, and then what?
posted by Dreama at 1:39 PM on June 11, 2001


Ship ahoy
Sailor boy
Don't forget
Your dinghy
posted by Postroad at 1:40 PM on June 11, 2001


"Hi, I'm Julie, your cruise director"...
posted by DiplomaticImmunity at 1:41 PM on June 11, 2001


Dreama: I'd imagine they have some sort of contract required for you to come on board.

"I hereby accept that ABORTIONBOATCo is not responsible for any damage caused to The Patient, whether intentional or accidental, whilst on ABORTIONBOAT 1."

etc. It's only fair. I mean, the women will be breaking their country's laws, right? (I didn't actually know abortion was illegal there.)
posted by wackybrit at 1:58 PM on June 11, 2001


Dear Wacky Brit, in international waters, the Irish don't have to break their country's laws, because they don't apply. That's the beauty of it.........
posted by nonharmful at 2:13 PM on June 11, 2001


When the ship is international waters, it will be under Dutch jurisdiction, because it's sails under the Dutch flag. Problem is that the ship doesn't have a permit to perform abortions yet from the Dutch authorities.
Permit or not, Women on Waves does already have a website.
posted by tsja at 2:15 PM on June 11, 2001


How does Issac figure in to all this?
posted by owillis at 2:43 PM on June 11, 2001


(slup)...guh! That's not grenidine in my Shirley Temple!
posted by dong_resin at 3:00 PM on June 11, 2001


my question is how will the women get on the ferry? wasn't there a recent case in which the government tried to prevent an irish woman from traveling to england for an abortion? what's to keep them from preventing women to board the ferry?
posted by centrs at 3:05 PM on June 11, 2001


We have these cruises to nowhere where I live [Miami], too. But they're for gambling or hookers.

Being a lesbian, I'll never have an unintended pregnancy [barring rape], but I can't imagine not being able to have an abortion if I wanted one. Or birth control. I think you have to be married in Ireland to get it.

On a lighter note, there is a theme song in this Abortion Boat thing somewhere, and I'm sure Isaac would have plenty of customers at the bar.
posted by jillmatrix at 4:16 PM on June 11, 2001


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