Suntory Mermaid II

The Suntory Mermaid II is a catamaran, the first 9.5 meter, 3 tonne ship driven by wave power, featuring two fin tails which absorb wave energy and generate thrust by moving up and down with the tide. The ship was designed by Hiroshi Terao of Tokai University. On 18 March 2008, the boat and its sailor Kenichi Horie left Hawaii for its maiden voyage, currently en route to Japan. On April 17, Yomiuri Shimbun interviewed Horie through satellite phone , he responded the boat is running with speed of approx. 100 kilometre per day so far.

World record

July 4, 2008, Suntory Mermaid II reached the goal at offshore of Hinomisaki cape of Kii Peninsula, Wakayama Japan, without problem. Horie, 69, made the world's longest solo voyage across the Western Pacific Ocean in a wave-powered boat, using green technology. [ [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g0joaEAMTHqfOtl2MAFNrhmW646A afp.google, Japanese sailor first to cross Pacific in wave-powered boat] ] YachtPal and venerable sailing adventurer Horie ate mostly rice and curry, squid and flying fish he caught. [ [http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gh__u8TRDagqCjQyHrDdhhoaQICw ukpress.google.com, Wave-powered boat finishes crossing] ]

Kenichi left Honolulu March 16th and completed a 110-day solo voyage, reaching his destination in the channel between Honshu and Shikoku before midnight (1500 GMT Friday) after covering 7,000 kilometres (3,780 nautical miles) from Hawaii without a port call. His 9.5 metre (31-foot), 3-ton yacht used wave energy to move 2 fins at its bow and propel it forward, sailed at an average speed of 1.5 knots. It docked in Wakayama to return to his Nishinomiya home harbour. As environmentalist his mission is to use sailing boats powered by single solar battery or are made from recycled materials. He said: "Throughout history, mankind has used wind for power, but no one has appeared to be serious about wave power. I think I'm a lucky boy as this wave power system has remained virtually untouched." [ [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g0joaEAMTHqfOtl2MAFNrhmW646A afp.google, Japanese sailor first to cross Pacific in wave-powered boat] ] [ [http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080705/sc_afp/environmentclimatewarmingjapanwavesailingpeoplehorie_080705074552 yahoo.com, Japanese sailor first to cross Pacific in wave-powered boat] ]

References

* http://www2.suntory-mermaid2.com/english/index.html
* [http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/02/26/transportation-tuesday-the-wave-powered-boat/ The Suntory Mermaid II Wave-Powered Boat]

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