Japanese sailor Kenichi Horie set sail for Japan Sunday from the Hawaii Yacht Club on what he says will be the world's longest voyage in a wave-powered vessel.
Horie, 69, will cover nearly 4,000 miles aboard a 3-ton yacht called the Suntory Mermaid II at a speed of up to 5 knots. The journey is expected to take Horie about 2.5 months. A diesel-powered ship could travel the same distance in about 10 days.
The unique boat is made of recycled aluminum relies on the energy of waves to move two fins at its bow and propel it forward. Horie has described it as a sturdy vessel, designed to right itself if it capsizes. It is equipped with an engine and 35-foot sail mast for emergencies.
"So many people came to see me ... I can leave with a very good spirit," he said through a translator.
Horie acknowledged he was a bit apprehensive.
Horie planned to carry rice, canned food, microwaveable meals and beer on the trip. Solar panels on top of the catamaran will allow him to power a microwave. He will have a satellite phone and access to e-mail. Horie also planned to read books and listen to the radio.
Ken Dota, who is promoting Horie's voyage, says the sailor hopes the shipping industry will eventually adopt the clean wave technology.
The journey would not be Horie's first time traveling the seas using green technology. In 1992, he powered a boat by pedaling from Hawaii to Okinawa. And in 1996, he sailed nearly 10,000 miles from Ecuador to Tokyo aboard a solar-powered boat made from recycled aluminum beer cans.
Source: Xinhua/Agencies
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