Turanor is powered by two large motors which run on electricity supplied by batteries located in the hold. The batteries, fed by photovoltaic solar panels on the deck, can store enough power to last three days. Turanor captain Patrick Marchesseau says the global voyage has been problem-free so far, although he admits the longer sections require some tactical thinking.

He said, "When you leave you have a certain quantity of energy in your batteries plus the sun but you do not have enough to reach the next port, to cross the Atlantic. So you have to deal, everyday to deal with the weather forecast to make sure you balance what you will consume and what you will receive."

Turanor has been at sea for more than sixty days. Marchesseau says that in another ten months, the crew will hopefully have achieved its goal when Turanor becomes the first solar-powered boat to circumnavigate the earth.

Go to Forum >>0 Comments