[ NAUTICAL NEWS + NOTES ]
M AK I N G WAV E S BY RANDY WOODS
[ A MOMENT IN THE SUN ]
Father-Son Team Completes First Solar-Powered Voyage to Alaska
After more than 15 years of planning and experimentation, Captain Alex Borton and his father David completed a 44-day trip from Bellingham, WA, to Southeast Alaska in a vessel powered entirely by the sun. The trip began on May 25, covering 1,216 nautical miles (1,400 statute miles) through the Inside Passage, stopping at Ketchikan and Glacier Bay, Alaska, before finally docking in Juneau on July 8. Near the end of the trip, Alex Borton was able to meet up with his son Kai making the journey a three-generation endeavor. This feat is thought to be the only voyage on that route made entirely without wind, fossil fuel, or human power. The modest cabin cruiser, named Wayward Sun, is equipped with 10 flexible Solbian solar panels on its roof, which covers most of the boat’s 27-foot length. The 1,700-watt array produces enough energy to run a Torqeedo Cruise 4.0 electric pod drive, as well as a separate 12-volt system for lights and navigation equipment. Being solar-powered, the boat maintains a stately pace of 2 to 5 knots and produces no carbon
emissions, exhaust fumes, and engine noise. During the voyage’s duration, it did not require maintenance. Wayward Sun was custom-made by Olympia-based Devlin Designing Boat Builders, using a stitch-and-glue process that produced a smooth, “slippery” hull, the company said, to ensure as little friction as possible for the lightly powered vessel. Alex and David Borton are also the founders of Solar Sal Boats, which is working on the release of its first production line of sun-powered commercial vessels. Now that Devlin’s prototype for the Alaska trip has proven successful, Solar Sal hopes to debut its own fiberglass-hulled Solar Sal 24 model before the end of 2021. For more on Wayward Sun’s journey, visit the Bortons’ blog: solarsaljourney.squarespace.com; information on Solar Sal Boats can be found at: solarsal.solar. (Also check out NWY’s earlier reporting on the company in the June and September issues of 2019, available at: issuu.com/nwyachting.)
PHOTO COURTESY OF SOLAR SAL BOATS
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