Rebuild the Heraclitus Crowdfunding Campaign
Back Our Ocean Research PlatformCampaign Overview
The most unique sailing vessel for planetary and cultural studies
ever built.
The ship has sailed over 270,000 nautical miles in every sea in the world, except the Arctic. This includes 3,700 km up the Amazon River. The current campaign is to support the ship being rebuilt and getting it back into the water. Next steps will include voyaging to Colombia, the Amazon River Basin, and the Caribbean. Ports of call will include Cartagena, Santa Marta, Baranquilla and navigating the Magdalena River.
All donations received are tax deductible.
Contact chloe@ecotechnics.edu for questions
The Heraclitus is owned and operated by Ecotechnics Maritime, UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Institute of Ecotechnics.
The Last Phase of the Rebuild:
The new ferrocement hull has been rebuilt and we are now almost to the finish line!
Our Ask
We are seeking contributions in the form of:
- Financial donations
- Committed and skilled volunteers who would like to join us on our expeditions
- Sponsors
- Research institutions and organizations that would like to partner with us and utilize the Heraclitus
For those interested in sponsoring, partnering, or volunteering please email chloe@ecotechnics.edu
Our History
RV Heraclitus, the Chinese-junk sailing ship built and owned by the Institute of Ecotechnics in San Francisco, has sailed the world’s oceans since 1975 voyaging more than 270,000 nautical miles in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Pacific, Antarctic Ocean, including a 3,700 km trip up the Amazon River.
Over the course of its 13 epic expeditions, the ship has been a nautical home to hundreds of seafarers from all walks of life and ages and hailing from over fifty countries. The Heraclitus is a mobile platform for art, science, and adventure.
Learn more about our key milestones here.
Our Vision and Goals for the Heraclitus:
“The ocean’s decline is an existential threat to us all… every second breath we take comes from the oxygen created by phytoplankton and other marine plants. The decline… [has] dire consequences for the future of many marine and terrestrial species, including humankind.”
– Peter Thomson, UN Special Envoy for The Oceans
We are currently in a global climate emergency. The ocean biome is facing the destructive impacts of multiple planetary crises, with rising temperatures and sea levels impacting marine flora and fauna, acidification of water and major meteorological consequences to rapidly changing marine environments. We need immediate solutions that help mitigate these impacts on people and the planet to ensure our survival.
The sea is the front line for research, monitoring, and documenting the planet’s changes. We can and must develop effective and inspired solutions to these urgent problems through innovative and targeted oceanic studies.
The Heraclitus is one of the most unique research vessels for accessing remote areas and engaging with local cultures. The ship will be outfitted with state-of-the-art data collection instruments, host seamanship training programs, and citizen science action.
Educational programs are an essential piece of the ongoing expeditions.
Programs will include:
•Education and Learning: We are expanding our hands-on training program. In ports we will host and facilitate hands on workshops and collaborative learning seminars about the ocean and our work.
•Citizen Science and Data Collection Once launched, Heraclitus will register for NOAA’s Ship of Opportunity (SOO) Program for ocean data collection.
We will engage in global citizen science observations of seabirds, cetaceans, coral reefs, algae, weather, plastic pollution and more.
•Art and Residency We will host onboard art residencies, workshops and educational art projects to disseminate experience and knowledge.
•Climate Justice and Community
The climate emergency is impacting coastal and island communities. As a ship’s crew and maritime organisation we will engage and collaborate with local communities
and ocean ecologies thru our Sea People Heritage Project
Educational and Training Programs
Over forty years, hundreds of aspiring managers, ecologist, artists and explorers have joined the crew. The skills acquired on this very unique ship are many: sailing, navigation, small group dynamics, public speaking, interactions with multiple cultures, direct contact with the forces of nature. Many have gone on to make important contributions in the worlds of ecology, science, and management – their time on the Heraclitus has left an indelible positive mark on their personal journeys.
Theater
As part of the cultural exchange with the people met in ports, the crew of the Heraclitus puts on original theatrical productions about life at sea.
All the funds raised in this campaign go directly to the Heraclitus.
Donations are tax deductible via the Institute of Ecotechnics, UK and Institute of Ecotechnics, USA. In the UK, please consider contributing under Gift Aid.
We also welcome gifts-in-kind, such as air miles, equipment and services.
Thank you for your help to fund the rebuild of this legendary ship and get her back into the oceans where she can continue to sail to new cultures, map and monitor the health of our seas, and educate a new generation of Sea People.
Thank you for your donation!
Institute of Ecotechnics: U.K. Educational Charity, Central Register of Charities (No. 1081259)
24 Old Gloucester St.; London, WC1N 3AL. UK
or
Institute of Ecotechnics: U.S.A. 501(c)(3) Not-for-profit Organization (No. 74-3177755)
1 Bluebird Ct; Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508 USA
“Our mission is to sail the world’s oceans and great rivers to connect people and cultures and inspire a deeper understanding of the biosphere through the art of navigation.”
Captain Claus Tober using a sextant to navigate.