OUR VESSEL
Our vessel of change
Our sailboat, Chandeleur, which means "the return of light", is a beacon of hope for a brighter future; As we sail across the globe, she will serve not only as a vessel for our journey but as a living example of how technology and nature can work in harmony to create positive change. Just as light leads the way through darkness, Chandeleur is a shining symbol of change, resilience, and the collective effort needed to build a regenerative, harmonious future for our planet.
She is an ambassador of hope and biomimicry, and as such is being redesigned to hold the best biomimicry innovations worldwide. When this bio-inspired restoration is completed, we will embark on several world tour challenges testing these innovations and technologies in extreme real-world conditions. This will be an unprecedented proof of concept to show the world that biomimicry is the revolutionary practice that will lead the way in technical innovation for rapid, scalable and regenerative environmental impact.
A yacht with a rich history
The Chandeleur is a one of a kind classic sailboat that was built just after the second world war in 1950, in the same shipyard that had made submarines for the war. Using secret techniques, she was designed with a time specific riveted hull, and constructed with a unique aluminium alloy, said to have helped prevent radar detection. ​​
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The man who commissioned her had suffered enormously during the war and therefor wanted to create a sort of compact version of Noah's ark for him and his family. She was built to withstand any weather and would take them across the Atlantic Ocean to the safety of America in case the peace didn't last for long.
75 years later, this vintage vessel is undergoing a bio-inspired transformation to enable her to sail across the world to save life in a larger way. It won’t be contained to one family, but will help many communities and countless individuals at risk from rising sea levels and climate change across the world.
A bio-inspired rebirth
At the core of Chandeleur’s regeneration into a state of the art showcase of Biomimicry, we are looking at everything through the new lens of our 'regenerative compass'.
With each aspect of the restoration it is an opportunity to test or prototype new
healthy bio-inspired products and technologies.
It is asking the question, how would nature do it ?
Rethinking restoration
This question guides everything from material choices to energy systems. Her original handcrafted Mercedes diesel engine has been restored, but we are actively exploring clean, self-sustaining alternatives; rethinking propulsion, energy generation, and storage to align with regenerative principles.​
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​The Chandeleur isn’t just being rebuilt; she is being reimagined as a floating prototype for the future of sustainable design and ocean exploration.
External
Innovations
Internal
Innovations
Redesigned to be a system
The main source of energy, the SolariSails, will supply power to a platinum free, green hydrogen generator. It will be the only source of energy and back up for the propulsion of the vessel. We are also planning the development of a kinetic generator and a new bio-inspired wind-turbine. ​​​​​​​
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Amongst some external innovations we're planning to install on board are: ​
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Antifouling technology inspired shark skin and lotus flowers
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A water desalination system inspired by the capillarity of roots
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Batteries inspired from porous structure
Chandeleur in action
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A platform for prototyping, testing and promoting biomimicry innovations and practices around the world.
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Representing biomimicry communities and partnerships on various events.
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A educational tool for engineering schools. We help in the development of biomimicry innovations, prototyping and testing on board Chandeleur.
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Support other scientific research programs on board in our energy self-sufficient mobile lab collecting data throughout the journey.
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Logistic support for coastal communities.
