World’s Largest Solar Boat Travels Across Globe

by 01/23/12 49 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 Blanchard-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. Dale McCall

    posted on February 23rd, 2012 at 9:39 pm

    Solar causes wind

  23. Mark Brigham

    posted on May 6th, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    Sailing is good til the winds disappear and a boat is stuck dead in the water. This project ship can last 3 days without solar power. How many times have we read reports of sailboats being stranded at sea for days at a time because of no wind?

  24. Bill White

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

    love it

  25. 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.

  26. Terry Atwell Calvillo

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

    interesting

  27. Neal A. Gray

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

    Reggie Fountain eat your heart out!

  28. 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.

  29. Sherry Russell

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

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

  30. Eric Vasili Ehrhardt

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

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

  31. 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......

  32. Lauralee Brakey

    posted on February 22nd, 2012 at 8:15 pm

    With all the talk about oil going sky high again this summer and the fact that it so destructive to our home environment, why in the world have we not been doing this all along? RIGHT ON! Let the SUNSHINE! I would love this type of travel. Perhaps on a smaller scale though. ;) 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.

  33. James Sol Radina

    posted on February 23rd, 2012 at 4:39 pm

    Mix this with a sail boat that is wind powered, and we have a winner! I wonder how light this thing is... would a strong gust of wind pick it up and flip it?

  34. David Jensen

    posted on February 23rd, 2012 at 7:20 pm

    Ithink they did good on proving that power boats can be eco friendly, then I have and live on a sailboat!

  35. Barb Berringer

    posted on February 23rd, 2012 at 9:29 pm

    Hurray! Nice, for those of us who don't sail nor want the work of it! Although, if my boat, I would want railings to hold on to in the mighty ocean waves! Those solar panels look very slippery....

  36. Stephanie Rae Hubert Grenier

    posted on February 23rd, 2012 at 9:38 pm

    Was just "supposing" a couple days ago on how to solarize my little yacht, as opposed to firing up the two 454 Crusader engines.

  37. Jamie Henderson

    posted on February 24th, 2012 at 7:43 pm

    Go green! Row the thing...you will need a drum for cadence and some conscripts. Rc

  38. Wade Divver

    posted on February 23rd, 2012 at 10:01 pm

    unfortunately if they cant make millions selling it to you they wont.

  39. Stephen Finsel

    posted on February 23rd, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    If I could afford one I would be gone tomorrow!

  40. Emily Graves

    posted on February 23rd, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    groovy :)

  41. Jim Fling

    posted on February 23rd, 2012 at 11:35 pm

    An awesome expensive experiment. But there are far better ways to demonstrate the viability and cost effective use of solar power. Sailing ships have been circumnavigating the globe at any latitude carrying cargo for hundreds of years. Wind power is solar power.

  42. Andy DiFiori

    posted on February 24th, 2012 at 2:02 am

    pretty sweet ride....

  43. Maurizio Ibba

    posted on February 24th, 2012 at 8:43 am

    new beginning for floating vessel... thanks for sharing.

  44. Cody Firestone

    posted on February 24th, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    I believe that a combined solar / sail rig would be very nice! You could use wind wihen you have it, and solar when you need it.

  45. Richard Hussar

    posted on February 27th, 2012 at 7:08 pm

    Cocktail lounge .... Pool ..... Show lounge .... Suites with veranda ????

  46. Bob Walter

    posted on February 27th, 2012 at 9:41 pm

    This is a stupid waste of money. 18 months to circle the globe - ridiculous! Before you all shoot me down - I fully support research in solar energy as well as other renewable forms of energy. I'm just a realist. The technology just isn't there yet. The most efficient solar panels in production only convert 25-30% of the sun's rays to energy - when its directly over head. This stupid solar powered boat probably cost several $ million which would have been better served in basic PVC research.

  47. Mark Brigham

    posted on May 6th, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    It's a shame when people start talking negative before researching something. It took that long because the ship docked at various locations in port so people could view and tour it. I myself think it is neat. I encourage you fully read up on the project before calling it stupid. They didn't do the project to try to get people to buy solar powered boats; they did it for the simple reason to show that it can be done with solar power. It's so frustrating to me, to see people casually dismiss something without knowing all the facts because they have decided to become expert analysts on a subject just by reading 1 article on the Internet. So far today, I have read up to 10 articles on the project, and have watched several videos yet I will not say that I am an expert. I will just say as before, I think it is neat.

  48. Jim Fowler

    posted on February 27th, 2012 at 10:05 pm

    I am curious if keeping the panels clean is an issue...

  49. Carolyn Seran

    posted on February 27th, 2012 at 11:47 pm

    Wowzers !

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