Written by Amanda H. Miller
The largest solar-powered boat in the world will depart from its first port today with the intention of beating its own transatlantic speed record.
The MS Turanor PlanetSolar docked in Rabat, Morocco earlier this week after successfully navigating the 1,600 kilometers that separate the port from La Ciotat, France.
“We faced many challenges during this stage, as it’s the first time since its maintenance service that the boat was able to sail the high seas longer than 24 hours under difficult conditions at times,” said current boat capatain Gerard d’Aboville. “This is what particularly led us to realize how well the boat handled.”
Following some festivities and demonstrations in Morocco, the PlanetSolar is ready to embark on a second trip across the Atlantic to the Americas. The catamaran covered in solar photovoltaic panels journeyed around the world – 60,000 miles – in 584 days on nothing but solar power in a demonstration trip that ended a little less than a year ago.
“I strongly felt the wish to find something in order to demonstrate that solutions do exist, and that solar energy in general is functional,” the former ship’s captain Swiss Raphael Domjan said after he completed his around-the-world journey in May 2012. “We have shown that we have the technologies as well as the knowledge to become sustainable and safeguard our blue planet.”
This second trip, however, isn’t out to prove anything. The solar boat has already proven itself.
Along with five crewmembers, there is a team of climatology scientists from the University of Geneva on this PlanetSolar trip. They’re studying the jet stream and the solar-powered boat was the perfect vessel for the adventure because it will not emit any pollutants that could contaminate the scientists’ samples.
The boat is expected to move faster after some maintenance and improvements, including new water collection systems and a submerged rudder system. The boat is expected to dock in Boston in May
