Japanese Man to “Hang 10″ in Pacific Journey with Wave-Powered Boat
There are various ways to travel the sea in style. One of the most environmentally friendly ones would certainly be using sails alone. I mean, wind is free, right?
Well, a Japanese man named Kenichi Horie is attempting to be just as environmentally friendly but without the sails.
How does he do it? With a wave-powered boat. Wave power has been discussed quite a bit recently, with a lot of applications including traditional grid energy generation. However, Kenichi is taking things to the next level by powering his ocean going vehicle with the very thing it bobs atop.
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As you can see in the photo (click for larger view), the boat is powered by two fins that raise and lower with the tide, which drive the propellers. On board energy is provided by solar panels and the boat is primarily made out of recycled aluminum.
By sailing from Japan to Hawai’i, Kenichi and his Suntory Mermaid II hope to set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled in this type of wave-powered ocean goer. To be sure, this boat doesn’t go very fast (it’s got about half of the speed potential of a diesel powered craft), but this type of innovation is certainly interesting to see. As long as recreational sailing exists, why not try to minimize environmental impact as much as possible, right?
In fact, if you visit the sailor’s page you can track his progress as he crosses the wide Pacific. As of writing he looks to be almost there!
Source: EcoFuss and Kenichi Horie’s page
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Does Benjamin Jones proofread? Anyways, I think this technology is the same that driftwood uses to reach a shore …
To top off all the other problems with the article already mentioned:
“the boat is powered by two fins that raise and lower with the tide, which drive the propellers”
Actually, there are no propellers. If you read the articles on his website, he says he uses hydrofoils which move the boat forward, similar to how a dolphin moves.
So it’s not going to Hawaii, it’s moved by waves not tides, and it does not have propellers.
Plus, “it’s got about half of the speed potential of a diesel powered craft”, is silly as someone mentioned, because diesel all depends on the size of the engine. I see “2 knot potential” mentioned all over his website, so I’m thinking that 2 knots speed potential is a lot more accurate of a statement.
This guy is way cool. What a neat idea for a boat.
You can follow his story at the wave powered boat and Kenichi Horie fan page: http://yachtpals.com/wave-boat
Looks like the boat is moving at about 2.2 knots, and is doing well. Another month or two and he’ll be in Japan.
I read about this recently in a yachting magazine. What the author of this article above does not mention is the antique age of the guy involved, or that he’s got a bit of an obsession with this kind of trip.
There’s my penny’s worth
Chris
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Well the Inventor should get a pat on back……….. The author ,it seems, needs a dope slap……… Can’t tell the start of a journey from the finish ….. And I too am stilll wondering just what the diesel comparison was about…… And writing about the sea and not knowing tides from waves…….. Are we sure this isn’t an automobile running on goose farts ???