''Suntory Mermaid II'' is a 9.5-metre, 3-tonne catamaran driven by

wave power Wave power is the capture of energy of wind waves to do useful work – for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or pumping water. A machine that exploits wave power is a wave energy converter (WEC). Waves are generated by w ...

. 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 is a private non-sectarian higher education institution located in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded by Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae. It was accredited under Japan's old educational system in 1946 and under the new system in 1950. In 2008, Tokai ...

World record

On March 16, 2008, then 69-year-old Japanese sailor and

environmentalist An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that s ...

Kenichi Horie is a Japanese solo yachtsman. In 1962 he became the first person to sail solo and non-stop across the Pacific Ocean. He has made other significant solo voyages, usually involving boats exhibiting some sort of environmentally friendly theme, inclu ...

left the Hawaii Yacht Club,

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the islan ...

, in ''Suntory Mermaid II'', bound for Japan. He arrived 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.afp.google, Japanese sailor first to cross Pacific in wave-powered boat
The non-stop voyage across the Western

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

took 110 days and covered 7,000 kilometres (3,780

nautical miles A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today t ...

). During the voyage, Horie ate mostly rice, curry, squid and

flying fish The Exocoetidae are a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes class Actinopterygii, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven to nine genera. While they cannot fly in the same way a bird ...

he caught. The 9.5 metre (31-foot), three-ton

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

used

wave energy Wave power is the capture of energy of wind waves to do useful work – for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or pumping water. A machine that exploits wave power is a wave energy converter (WEC). Waves are generated by win ...

to move two fins at its bow and propel it forward, sailing at an average speed of 1.5

knots A knot is a fastening in rope or interwoven lines. Knot may also refer to: Places * Knot, Nancowry, a village in India Archaeology * Knot of Isis (tyet), symbol of welfare/life. * Minoan snake goddess figurines#Sacral knot Arts, entertainmen ...

. After arriving in Wakayama, Horie sailed on to his home

harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...

Nishinomiya 270px, Nishinomiya City Hall 270px, Aerial view of Nishinomiya city center 270px, Hirota Shrine is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 484,368 in 218948 households and a population density of 4 ...

, where a homecoming ceremony was held. ''Suntory Mermaid II'' was powered by single solar

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

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." yahoo.com, Japanese sailor first to cross Pacific in wave-powered boat

References

* http://www2.suntory-mermaid2.com/english/index.html
The Suntory Mermaid II Wave-Powered Boat

Notes

{{reflist Energy conversion Wave power Water power