Suntory Mermaid II
Encyclopedia
The Suntory Mermaid II is a 9.5-metre, 3-tonne catamaran
driven by wave power
. It features two fin tails which absorb wave energy and generate thrust by moving up and down with the motion of the boat. The ship was designed by Hiroshi Terao of Tokai University
.
Kenichi Horie
left the Hawaii Yacht Club, Honolulu, in the Suntory Mermaid II, bound for Japan. He arrived at 2349 (1449 GMT) on July 4, 2008 in the Kii Channel offshore of Hinomisaki cape, Wakayama
, Japan
, without incident. Horie had made the world's longest solo voyage in a wave-powered boat, using green technology.
The non-stop voyage across the Western Pacific Ocean
had taken 110 days and covered 7,000 kilometres (3,780 nautical miles. During the voyage, Horie ate mostly rice and curry, and squid and flying fish he caught . The 9.5 metre (31-foot), 3-ton yacht
used wave energy to move 2 fins at its bow and propel it forward, sailing at an average speed of 1.5 knots. After arriving in Wakayama, Horie sailed on to his home harbour in Nishinomiya, where a homecoming ceremony was held.
The Suntory Mermaid II was powered by single solar
battery
and made from recycled materials. Horie 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."
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
driven by wave power
Wave power
Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work — for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water...
. It features two fin tails which absorb wave energy and generate thrust by moving up and down with the motion of the boat. The ship was designed by Hiroshi Terao of Tokai University
Tokai University
is a private university in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1943 by Shigeyoshi Matsumae, who had formerly been the engineering president of the Ministry of Communications...
.
World record
At approximately 1100 (Honolulu time) on March 16th 2008, then then 69-year-old Japanese sailor and environmentalistEnvironmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
Kenichi Horie
Kenichi Horie
is a Japanese solo yachtsman. Horie first rose to prominence when he became the first person to sail solo across the Pacific Ocean in 1962. He has made other significant solo voyages, usually involving boats exhibiting some sort of environmentally friendly theme, including his 2008 voyage across...
left the Hawaii Yacht Club, Honolulu, in the Suntory Mermaid II, bound for Japan. He arrived at 2349 (1449 GMT) on July 4, 2008 in the Kii Channel offshore of Hinomisaki cape, Wakayama
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, without incident. Horie had made the world's longest solo voyage in a wave-powered boat, using green technology.
The non-stop voyage across the Western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
had taken 110 days and covered 7,000 kilometres (3,780 nautical miles. During the voyage, Horie ate mostly rice and curry, and squid and flying fish he caught . The 9.5 metre (31-foot), 3-ton yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
used wave energy to move 2 fins at its bow and propel it forward, sailing at an average speed of 1.5 knots. After arriving in Wakayama, Horie sailed on to his home harbour in Nishinomiya, where a homecoming ceremony was held.
The Suntory Mermaid II was powered by single solar
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
and made from recycled materials. Horie 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."