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Solar Boat To Cross the Atlantic

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the sun-and-sea dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes, "A group from Switzerland will soon attempt the first Atlantic crossing in a solar-powered boat. This ship, named SUN21, is a 14-meter-long catamaran able to sleep 5 or 6 persons. The goal is to leave Seville, Spain, in December 2006 and to reach ports in Florida and New York in the spring of 2007. This boat will achieve its 7,000-mile trip at a speed of 5-6 knots, about the speed of a sailing yacht, by using photovoltaic cells and without burning a single gallon of fuel. The consortium behind this project wants to demonstrate that the time has come for solar boats." The boat will cost about $556,000 to build and it will be for sale at some point after its crossing.

4 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. Been Done Already by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Every sailing vessel is basically a solar powered boat. Been doing that for eons. Why change now?

    Catboats with sails makes a very reliable clip night and day with little or no fancy technology - and can easily be mated up to such a solar-panel system for an added kick and redundancy...

  2. Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Finally, an alternative to the environmentally dangerous effects of the sail.

  3. But how much oil... by mr_stinky_britches · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But how much oil did it take to make the solar cells?

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  4. From the article: by fredmosby · · Score: 5, Insightful

    the ship will undertake the first motorized crossing of the Atlantic without using a drop of gasoline

    Except for all the nuclear powered ships and submarines.