The 69-year-old Japanese sailor Ken-ichi Horie plans to sail from Hawaii to Japan in a novel "wave-powered" boat.
Sailing 6,000 kilometers from Hawaii to Kii Suido, Using the World’s First Wave Powered Boat. Go For It!! Keinichi Hoie!! SUNTORY mermaid 2
Solo sailor Kenichi Horie has used wind, solar and man power through a series of nautical adventures. For his next bold undertaking, he will harness the energy of the waves. "There is no limit to waves, like winds, as a power source. It is suitable for a long voyage," the 68-year-old Hori said after taking the 9.5-metre (31-foot) vessel for a short test run in the Setouchi Inland Sea.
The three-tonne catamaran, built at the Tsuneishi shipyard, has two parallel fins in front which convert wave movements into dolphin-like kicks to propel it. It carries an outboard motor and a sail for emergency use.
The boat is set to leave Honolulu in mid-March and is expected to move at an average three knots (5.6 kilometres/3.5 miles per hour) for the trans-Pacific voyage over two and a half months.
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clipped from news.sawf.org
clipped from www.popsci.com
