Sea-Watch 4

[9] The ship was able to stay at sea as a research vessel for around three weeks[3] and had an operational radius of around 4,200 nautical miles.

The fixed propeller, which is equipped with a Becker rudder, is driven by an electric motor from the manufacturer Lloyd Dynamowerke with an output of 930 kW at 280 rpm.

This expanded the range and operational area of the ship, which could now also sail the open North Atlantic.

[10] The ship is equipped with a bow thruster designed as a water jet drive with 290 kW of power at 500 rpm.

[3] On 31 January 2020, Sea-Watch e.V., with the support of the United4Rescue [de] alliance and the Evangelical Church in Germany, bought the ship for around 1.547 million euros,[11] for use to rescue migrants from distress in the Mediterranean.

[12][13][14] Regional Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm vowed that the church would assist with operation of Sea-Watch 4.

[16][17] The activists set out on their mission on 15 August 2020 from the Spanish port of Burriana in the province of Castellón and headed for the central Mediterranean.

[18] On 22 August they took over seven people from another rescue ship off Libya in the sea area off Tripoli and the smugglers' stronghold of az-Zawiya.

[22] The ship was finally allowed to call at Palermo, where the 353 migrants were transferred to the GNV Allegra ferry on 2 September for a two-week quarantine.

[23] According to their own information, the crew of the Humanity 1 rescued 200 boat migrants from distress at sea on December 2 and 3, 2023 and brought them to the southern Italian port city of Crotone.

The operating organization wants to take legal action and sue against the arrest in the port city in Calabria.