History of Ephemerisle

History: 2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - Overview

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Ithaca Island - 2015

Seasteading is the movement to create autonomous communities (new cities or countries) on the sea. The Seasteading Institute (TSI) is a nonprofit that advances the movement. In 2009, TSI created Ephemerisle as a laboratory of seasteading. Patri's original website and info about Ephemerisle is still online.

After the first year, TSI stepped aside due to prohibitively expensive insurance costs. A group of seasteaders and friends decided to continue the event on an informal basis, calling it "Not-ephemerisle." In 2011, TSI graciously handed the name over to the community and we became "Ephemerisle" again.

From 2010 through 2012, there were an informal leader over the event each year who drew up the city plan and nominally had some decision-making power. In 2012, the community unanimously decided to decentralize from a single leadership team into a independent autonomous islands. That has been the nature of the event ever since.

Houseboats were a key element of Ephemerisle's early history. In 2015, every houseboat available for rent in the Delta was rented within hours of the date being announced. In 2018, Paradise Point who provided the rented houseboats closed that part of their business, and that was the first year without any rented houseboats.

2009

Ephemerisle 2009

The event was sponsored & run by The Seasteading Institute (TSI). The only year in Ephemerisle's history with tickets.

9 Houseboats and a community platform anchored to shore.

(details)

2010

Ephemerisle 2010

TSI officially abandoned the event about a month before it was to begin due to prohibitively high insurance costs. Instead, leaderless, decentralized "NotEphemerisle" was born.

About 120 people showed up, with 8(?) houseboats, and a platform.

(details)

2011

Ephemerisle 2011

TSI handed the name over to the community and the event became "Ephemerisle" again. Every houseboat available was rented and we built a U-shaped city.

Approximately 200 people and a 20'x24' platform.

(details)

2012

The first year of islands! A 40+ knot windstorm wreaked havoc and inspired the sundering.

21 houseboats. 9 other boats. About 300 people. (details)

2013

Islands won independence.

The first independent islands were Dromhaven, Ithaka, Titan, and Shitshow/Blanket Fort. (details)

2014

Ephemerisle 2014

The biggest year of Ephemerisle so far. Titan island was the "big island". First cooking competition: Titan Chef. (details)

2015

All houseboats were rented within hours of date being announced. Titan grows into the Elysium Archipelago. Bump bed made a bunch of noise. Oceanus brings out a big ship. (details)

2016

First year with a real pre-build (since perhaps 2009). (details)

2017

In early 2017, heavy storms damaged the Paradise Point marina. As a result, the marina only rented out 5 houseboats (instead of the 20+ that they normally rented out). (details)

2018

First year that there were no rented houseboats. First year with a submarine. Tenth consecutive year with no major injuries or deaths. (details)

2019

More / better platforms. More distance between islands (seemed more incidental than intentional). More big sound systems (details)

2020

Large parts of the community stayed away due to Covid-19. Those who went had a great time, and there was no reported cases. (details)

2021

A human launcher shows up (and is almost safe). Vinyl island gives out countless hot dogs. Bargey can't get unstuck from the mud. (details)