Did last week’s post on biodiesel and alternative fuel get you thinking? If it did, you’ll probably be interested in the new, alternative fuel, sea-going vessels that are covered in today’s blog entry. So get ready to cast off mates. The first vessel we’ll be stepping aboard is the solar powered Sun21 catamaran. Built in Switzerland, the 14-meter Sun21 was the first solar powered ship ever to cross the mighty Atlantic Ocean! On its epic 117-day journey from Seville, Spain to Miami, USA, the Sun21 charted the path followed by Columbus in 1492 when he “discovered” the new world. The only power used this time was that provided by the Sun. Thanks to solar panels and batteries that were able to store solar energy, the ship was able to travel in the daytime when the Sun was shining, and in the night when the world was dark! 

Does this mean that all ships will soon be solar powered? Not quite yet.  The Sun21 was able to cross one of the world’s largest oceans, but it did so at the snail-speed of 10 km/h! So what are the alternatives? Biodiesel for one. A lot of the world’s ships already run on diesel, so this is a great alternative fuel choice for sea-going vessels. Several biodiesel ships have already been created. These include the wickedly cool looking Earthrace, a biodiesel-powered speedboat with both speed and good looks to match! It is currently on a world tour (it’s in Europe right now). Check out the awesome video and pictures of this boat in action at http://www.earthrace.net/.