Imagine a futuristic marine craft that looks like it jumped off the pages of a Jules Verne or H.G. Wells science fiction novel. Imagine breakthrough technology that captures the power of the sun for fueling adventures. Imagine traveling to exotic destinations in the equatorial regions of the earth using advanced technology. Imagine sailing around the world in a completely quiet vessel that does not cause adverse ecological or environmental impacts.
Imagine a futuristic marine craft that looks like it jumped off the pages of a Jules Verne or H.G. Wells science fiction novel. Imagine breakthrough technology that captures the power of the sun for fueling adventures. Imagine traveling to exotic destinations in the equatorial regions of the earth using advanced technology. Imagine sailing around the world in a completely quiet vessel that does not cause adverse ecological or environmental impacts.
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Stop imagining! The future of ocean travel is upon us, and it is called the MS TÛRANOR. This is the largest solar-powered boat in the world. Craig Loomes from Auckland, New Zealand, designed the ship, and Knierim Werft in Kiel, Germany, built it. It took Werft about 14 months to construct the futuristic vessel. The name TÛRANOR comes from J.R.R. Tolkien's book "Lord of the Rings" and means "the power of the sun" and "victory," according to the PlanetSolar Web site.
The large, 60-ton catamaran is nearly concealed by the solar panels topside. The ship's deck is an impressive 5,700 square feet of solar panels. The solar ship is large enough to hold up to 40 people: four crew members and 36 passengers.
Some of the solar cell panels are adjustable to optimize sunlight capturing. The solar ship also is equipped with rechargeable power cells that can sustain the craft for up to three days if the ship encounters excessively cloudy skies or poor weather conditions.
This voyage to circumnavigate the earth using only the power of the sun began September 27, 2010. The ship set off from Monaco amidst much celebration and fanfare. The crew plans to sail the craft around the world at a leisurely average of 7.5 knots.
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Image credit: PlanetSolar
