Swiss boat claims first solar Atlantic crossing

[jpak]

http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/top_news/detail/Swiss_boat_claims_first_solar_Atlantic_crossing.html?siteSect=106&sid=7496172&cKey=1170661592000

A Swiss-made catamaran has become the first solar-powered boat to cross the Atlantic after reaching the French Caribbean island of Martinique.

The boat's owners said at the weekend that Sun21 had docked in Martinique, 63 days after leaving the Spanish port of Chipiona near Cadiz.

It is claimed to be the first-ever motorized vessel to complete the journey without using any fuel.

The 14-metre boat largely followed the historic route sailed by explorer Christopher Columbus on the first known maritime crossing of the Atlantic in the 15th century, making its last stopover in the Canary Islands.

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[sakabatou]

1. Excellent news

[brentspeak]

2. Had to re-read, make sure it didn't say "swift" boat

[jpak]

3. I was waiting for that

don't Swift boat the Swiss boat

:evilgrin:

[zbdent]

8. NO MORE SWISS BOAT VETERANS ...

[Ezlivin]

4. I wonder if a wind-powered ship is feasible?

:)

Technology marches on...

[donsu]

6. believe we have been there and done that :) or do you mean wind power

running tech items, the motor and the galley?

[Ezlivin]

7. I was being too subtle

It was an implicit reference to the ancient art of sailing.

[donsu]

9. that's what I thought you meant but then I wondered if there was wind tech

energy or whatever it's called.

I've traveled by sail-only before, has it's challenges

[Porcupine]

10. You mean this.....Wind Turbine powered boats....

or this:

or this:


Somewhere there are pictures of a boat built with a vertical axis wind turbin on it but I can't find them.

:evilgrin:

[Dead_Parrot]

11. Cousteau's Alcyone?

(Strictly speaking they're Magnus turbines, not VAWTs)

[Porcupine]

12. Still not as fun as this link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=81679&mesg_id=81679

[donsu]

14. thanks for the link, interesting thread

nt

[jpak]

15. Too funny!!!

I look forward to the announcement of the make-believe-molten-salt-breeder-reactor-powered yacht invented in mommy's basement...

:evilgrin:

[Dogmudgeon]

16. You mean "aircraft carriers" and "submarines", right

It's tough to run a floating city with a few solar panels -- although Kevin Costner may be planning a sequel to Waterworld.

--p!

[jpak]

17. Thank the Godess that PV cannot be used to power instruments of imperial might

and mega-death.

Gee, where DO they dump that spent reactor fuel anyway???

[Dogmudgeon]

18. Where they dump spent reactor fuel

Ever since the High Council of Nevernuke (and its law-users) objected, they have been forbidden to recycle it into inert metals. So, they dump it in the same landfills and rivers into which the PV cell factories dump their waste cadmium and arsenic, mainly in the form of strong alchymical reagents, like acids and alkali, and salt-bearing compounds found sweet unto Goddess' taste, but deadly unto Her holy flesh. But at least it ain't radioactive, and that's all that counts.

Oh, wait a minute, I'm wrong about that. They put "spent" reactor fuel in special casks and keep the casks isolated. The places where they are isolated are marked "WARNING! HERE BE NUCLEAR DEMONS!" That way, the risk of demonic nuclear possession is minimized, although the "exo-jewel" exorcists of Nevernuke continue chanting "Che-Ney! Che-Ney!" in the belief it will keep the demons away.

That way, the good peasants of Nevernuke only have to worry about the toxic cadmium and arsenic wastes that have been used to make the demon-free, clean, "green" energy.

:evilgrin:

Long have I feared instruments of imperial might and mega-death, often both at the same time. I fear poverty and cold and hunger and the deaths of the world's billions even more. And I gravely fear that such will be our fate under any circumstances.

:scared:

--p!

[jpak]

19. hee hee

:toast:

[donsu]

13. yes plus other wind driven tech things - thanks for the pictures

nt

[donsu]

5. wonderful

nt