We have arrived in Brazil..., after a long crossing of the South Atlantic on our newly repaired ship we are anchored now in Paraty, one of the first major ports on the East coast of South America. An intruiging part of the world, this small coastal paradise situated between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo...and a good starting point for the next part of the expedition.
Heraclitus Press Release (April 2009)
Unique planetary sailing ship arrives in the historical gold port of Paraty from the Cape of Good Hope!
The planetary sailing ship R/V Heraclitus, has arrived in Paraty from South Africa, after a two-month voyage across the South Atlantic.
The R/V Heraclitus (www.rvheraclitus.org), an 84 foot three-masted junk-rigged sailing vessel with a ferro-cement hull, was designed and built in 1975 by the Institute of Ecotechnics in California, USA, synergizing an ancient Chinese design with modern engineering.
In September 2006, the Heraclitus began its present voyage, the “Coral Sea to Black Sea Expedition,” with an international crew of fourteen, sailing from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to Europe. This expedition is focused on ethnospheric (cultural and historical) and oceanic exploration, retracing the history of Western European cultural expansion by its Sea People.
The expedition was inspired by the ancient Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts and their sea adventures in pursuit of the Golden Fleece, possibly the first exploratory marine expedition. The myth of the Argonauts indicates the Greek training schools switched from being oriented toward horsemanship to sailing over 3,000 years ago. According to the story, this move to gain wealth from mastery of the sea occurred with Jason and his heroic crew securing the Golden Fleece in the Black Sea.
The Heraclitus has been continuously sailing around the world for 35 years, covering over 250,000 nautical miles on six oceans (including the Antarctic), exploring in the ancient tradition of Sea People, who make planet water their home. The Heraclitus has accomplished ten major expeditions, the first of which was a two-year ethno-botanical expedition that took it 2000 miles up the Amazon River from 1980 to 1982. This time the ship is back in Brazil to explore its diverse cultures.
The crew continuously investigates and learns about cultural and ecological phenomena. Since the beginning of the expedition in 2006, the expedition team has, in the spirit of mutual inspiration, engaged the local people they meet in cultural exchanges through theatre, creative arts, and joint projects and performances….
‘While in Paraty and the wider area of the ‘Mata Atlantica’ coastal forest, we will trace the cultural history of Sea People in the region where Brazil’s gold trade began. The expedition is working in collaboration with the Fundacao Matutu, located in the Matutu valley, and is planning a joint sailing voyage around Ilha Grande in an exchange between Sea People and Mountain People. The Heraclitus crew intends to track some of Matutu’s mountain trails on horseback, the traditional mode of transport on land.’
Christine Handte, Expedition Chief
There will also be educational tours and ecological adventures for young students during the Heraclitus visit in the Paraty region, and a public presentation about the ship’s past explorations and diverse history at the cultural centre in Paraty, at 7 pm, April 26, 2009.
The Heraclitus is owned by the non-profit Institute of Ecotechnics (www.ecotechnics.edu), and is operated by Planet Water Expeditions. The non-profit venture and volunteer crew have continued their educational voyages through the generous public support of companies and individuals (financial, material, and informational), as well as Sea People Program tuition paid by onboard expedition participants.
‘During the next stage of our adventure, the expedition will sail north, to encounter some of Brazil’s rich coastal cultures in Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza. We will also visit Tutoia, in the river delta of Parnaiba and help conduct an ecological survey of the nearby island of Croata together with the Matutu Foundation.’
Claus Tober, Captain
Sea People Training Program:
The Sea People Program on board the Heraclitus offers an experience of a lifetime: the chance to participate in genuine adventure and exploration of oceans and cultures, expanding one’s horizons, and finding new sources of creative inspiration. Participants learn to live at sea, get to know other cultures, develop theater and speech skills, as well as how to live and work with other people from diverse backgrounds. Previous sailing experience is not required. The recommended complete certificate program lasts for 9 months and costs US$1,200 per month. In the past 35 years, over two hundred people have participated from over 30 countries around the world, including most of Europe, Kenya, Solomon Islands, Australia, Venezuela, Mexico, U.S., Canada, South Africa, Argentina, and Trinidad & Tobago. Participants come from a range of backgrounds, and have included ecologists, engineers, craftsmen, musicians, artists, poets, adventurers, and actors, all of whom share the basic Heraclitus requirement of being “ready, willing and able.”
Current Route:
The Heraclitus will remain in the Paraty area until May 15, 2009 and will then sail north along the coast of Brazil, visiting different ports. In August, the ship will depart Brazil for Guayana, Venezuela, and Trinidad & Tobago, entering the Caribbean in 2010 after the hurricane season. The expedition intends to visit Margarita Island, Mustique, Puerto Rico and Cuba, before crossing the North Atlantic for port calls at Tangiers, Sicily, Alexandria, and other legendary ports in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
For further information and to apply for the Sea People Program, please contact Expedition Chief Christine Handte at Tel. +55(24) 81465132 or via email at christinehandte@gmail.com, and visit the ship’s website: www.rvheraclitus.org
Contact Matutu:
Manno França, President Matutu Foundation, Tel. +55(11) 30209503 and mobile +55(35) 91087006, email mannofranca@gmail.com, www.matutu.org and www.serradopapagaio.org.br
Local contact in Paraty:
Sandra Chemin e Lucas Freitas, Santa Paz Expedições a Vela, www.santapaz.com, Tel. +55 (24) 33715007, (24) 99994659 or (24) 99644667.
