Wave Powered Boat Attempts Pacific Crossing
Prompted by my previous post on the subject of duty on Biodiesel for boat owners I’ve just been looking around for information on ‘future fuels’ for motorboat owners. Unfortunately Biodiesel looks like it is the only current option. However, I did come across this interesting story of a Japanese sailor who has just set off on a 4,400 mile journey across the Pacific in a wave powered boat!
Kenichi Horie is a 69 year old adventurer and eco-warrior. He’s also an experienced sailor who was the first Japanese man to cross the Pacific, single handed, in 1962. He went on to sail around the world in a yacht made from recycled beer cans.
He had the idea of harnessing the energy from the oceans waves some 20 years ago after losing his main mast in a sailing accident. His wave powered craft, which resembles a catamaran, was developed by scientists at Tokai University and Horie intends to use his trip from Hawaii to Japan to promote the viability of waver powered transport.
The wave powered catamaran travels at a speed that is slightly faster than walking pace so the journey to Japan will be carried out at a leisurely pace.
It looks like it will be some time before we see wave powered RIBs or speedboats travelling at the speeds necessary to pull a water-skiier!
The following video shows Kenichi Horie announcing his epic wave-powered voyage:
Written by Hybrid on April 10th, 2008 with
no comments.
Do you agree with
Hybrid? Read more
Boating green eco-friendly news.