Help with the cost of 'my' Northwest Passage Expedition

Hi, my name is Stefan Hacker. I'm 49 years old and I will be taking part in this year's Northwest Passage Expedition.

Taking part in an expedition like this has been my dream ever since I can remember.

Last year's team rowed from the Passage's entry point, Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada, to Cambridge Bay (also in Nunavut, Canada, about 1,950km west of Pond Inlet).

This year's expedition will attempt to complete the mission and row from Cambridge Bay to Herschel Island (Yukon, Canada), next to the Alaskan border, another 1,950km. We will face severe storms, extreme temperatures, strong currents, high waves, icebergs, shallows, thick fog, and polar bears, to name just a few of the risks. For up to ten weeks, we will not set foot on land and we will be completely unsupported. The Canadian Coast Guard would take days to reach us (and obviously we'll try our hardest to avoid a Mayday call).

My share in this expedition is £25,000, which I will attempt to raise through direct sponsorship from corporate sponsors and through this crowdfunding campaign. My personal costs, in case of successful fundraising, will still be significant, to say the least. Apart from having to finance four months or more out of work as a small business owner (including paying others to chip in on my behalf, where needed), I'll have to pay for my own expedition gear & clothing (£5,000), electronic safety equipment (£400), insurance (£450) air travel (£3,700), training (£500), health checks (£1,200) and miscellaneous expenses (up to £2,000) like food & accommodation in Cambridge Bay for up to 3 weeks, in case of delays due to bad weather.

You'll be pleased to hear that this expedition is not just about rowing the Northwest Passage. It is also about raising awareness of climate change. Our expedition is one that should not be possible. It is only possible because of climate change. During our trip we will collect data every other day, which will be used by New York University in their climate research.

We are also working closely with a number of environmental NGOs and charities. On top of that, another member of the expedition and I will raise funds for a number of charities, such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution/RNLI, Cancer Research UK, and Hackney Quest, a charity for disenfranchised young people in the London Borough of Hackney.

While I have not found a publisher yet and there cannot be any guarantees, I have every intention of writing a book about my experience as a member of this expedition. Should my book be published, then every GoFundMe sponsor who has donated £150 or more, will be offered a free, signed copy of my book and a free invitation to the book launch party with complimentary drinks.

Any amount, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated.