World’s Largest Solar Boat Travels Across Globe

by 01/23/12 29 Comments

planet solar, turanor

PlanetSolar's Turanor, the world’s largest solar-powered boat, will complete its 18-month journey around the globe this spring. Photo: PlanetSolar

PlanetSolar’s Turanor, which has already made history as the world’s largest solar-powered boat, is about to accomplish another impressive feat: completing its 18-month journey around the globe.

Setting sail in Monaco in Sept. 2010, the solar catamaran has traveled west on a route close to the Equator – to take advantage of the readily available sunshine – and plans to dock back in Monaco this April, TreeHugger reports. The boat’s four-sailor crew made stops in Miami, Cancun, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Abu Dhabi to promote the ship’s clean technology and historic voyage.

Measuring 101 feet long and 49 feet wide, the lightweight carbon vessel features 703 solar panels that charge a giant lithium-ion battery that powers the ship’s engine. Turanor captain and PlanetSolar founder Raphaël Domjan told TreeHugger that the boat’s solar system hasn’t once broken down on the trip so far and that the crew has not had to use the ship’s two backup diesel engines.

READ: U.S. Navy Deploys Algae-Powered Destroyer

Alexis Petru

Alexis Petru

Staff Writer


  1. Larry Owens

    posted on January 24th, 2012 at 9:31 am

    Awesome!

  2. Sally Dwaileebe

    posted on January 24th, 2012 at 2:00 pm

    Awesome again....

  3. Larry Sheehan

    posted on January 24th, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    EXCELLENT!

  4. Nancy Harmon Jenkins

    posted on January 24th, 2012 at 6:44 pm

    It may be the largest, but the very first solar boat (or at least the first we know of) was buried in a stone grave next to the Great Pyramid of Cheops on the Giza plateau about 4,500 years ago. You can read all about it in The Boat Beneath the Pyramid, if you can find it.

  5. Jack Charity

    posted on February 9th, 2012 at 9:22 pm

    However, none of the Egyptian Solar boats were solar powered.

  6. Nancy Harmon Jenkins

    posted on February 10th, 2012 at 12:21 am

    Jack Charity But they didn't use unsustainable energy either, Jack!

  7. Zali Sanchez Navedo

    posted on February 18th, 2012 at 11:58 pm

    Nancy Harmon Jenkins On-line copy of book. Takes a short while to open, 1st few pages blank then intro and onward. http://scr.bi/zvmi0W

  8. Nancy Harmon Jenkins

    posted on February 19th, 2012 at 3:58 am

    Zali Sanchez Navedo Thanks for this alert! Of course I never gave permission for this, and of course the copyright is still in my name. Not sure what to do about it but I will pursue it.

  9. Shakil Muhammad Ariff

    posted on January 24th, 2012 at 7:59 pm

    lets hope this willl encourage people all over the world to switch for energy.

  10. Sandy MacLean

    posted on January 24th, 2012 at 8:59 pm

    Woundn't it be better to use bio-degradable bags? What happens with garbage bags on the Big Island?

  11. Kerry Wicker

    posted on January 24th, 2012 at 10:09 pm

    Oh I want to go next.

  12. William K Schanz

    posted on January 24th, 2012 at 10:30 pm

    WORLD FUTURE FUCK BIG OIL! SOLAR SOLAR..BEAUITFUL IDEA AND DESIGN!

  13. Pat Silver-Lasky

    posted on January 25th, 2012 at 9:53 pm

    solar power is the future but it is here now. Convert.

  14. Carol J Murphy

    posted on January 27th, 2012 at 4:45 am

    Solar boats, in the photo, is he standing on the solar panels? How many can take a trip? Interesting.

  15. Sally Dwaileebe

    posted on January 30th, 2012 at 1:49 pm

    I want to go on the next trip too!

  16. Robert Gilbert

    posted on February 1st, 2012 at 3:16 pm

    That's my type of boat. I wonder how fast it goes?

  17. MariQuita Linda Muñoz

    posted on February 2nd, 2012 at 3:15 pm

    does anyone know how to make a bicycle easier to ride on the beach with reusable stuff?

  18. Scott Arnold

    posted on February 13th, 2012 at 4:30 am

    Love it! Glad to see us focused on utilizing our Energy sources from above, and less dependent on the harmful ones from below!

  19. Lynne Morris

    posted on February 18th, 2012 at 5:35 pm

    perfect kind of boat - wishing them sunny skies all the way!

  20. Richard Stone

    posted on February 19th, 2012 at 1:05 am

    Do get a free test drive.

  21. Dale McCall

    posted on February 19th, 2012 at 11:52 pm

    I would just mention conventional sailing vessels are solar powered.

  22. Bill White

    posted on February 20th, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    love it

  23. Jeffery Desmond

    posted on February 20th, 2012 at 6:08 pm

    If the 2 diesel engines where eliminated she would pick up knot or two.

  24. Terry Atwell Calvillo

    posted on February 20th, 2012 at 9:29 pm

    interesting

  25. Neal A. Gray

    posted on February 21st, 2012 at 11:34 am

    Reggie Fountain eat your heart out!

  26. Sherry Russell

    posted on February 22nd, 2012 at 12:20 am

    Great, I guess, but why is this superior to being under sail -- except that it only needed a crew of four.

  27. Sherry Russell

    posted on February 22nd, 2012 at 12:27 am

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/12/17/us-climate-germany-ship-idUSL1548100520071217

  28. Eric Vasili Ehrhardt

    posted on February 22nd, 2012 at 5:15 am

    Technical Details Here, Robert: http://www.planetsolar.org/the-boat.

  29. Wayne Manuel

    posted on February 22nd, 2012 at 11:42 am

    yea iam looking for a sponser for my 102' solar boat I don't need yur name jus send the money asap before and dale is right there are millions of sail powerd boatsall over the world but iam sure this one cost the most and lasts the least jejeje................omg what a joke this tub o shit cost some fool......

Recently Added to General

  • 7 Tips to Inspire Your Party Guests to Go Green

    Throwing a baby or bridal shower, birthday party or family gathering can be stressful. To make matters even tougher, the after-party cleanup often involves picking recyclables out of your trash can, removing litter from your lawn and disposing of guests’ …

  • PaperKarma App Sets Out to Reduce Junk Mail Waste

    If you’ve ever found yourself at your mailbox, baffled by the fact that you’ve received nothing but a pile of junk mail that will only find its way to the trash, there’s an app for that.

    PaperKarma, a smartphone application released …

  • 10 ?'s to Ask: When Ordering Vegetarian

    If you aren’t vegetarian or vegan (and sometimes even if you are), ordering a veg-based meal at a restaurant can be downright intimidating. If you order the wrong thing, you may end up sending your meal back and contributing to …

Advertise with us

Earth911

Earth911 is an environmental services company that addresses solutions for products' end-of-life for both businesses and consumers.

News & Lifestyle

Recycling 101

Business Solutions