Wave Powered Boat to Sail From Hawaii to Japan

CaroKann writes "In the middle of May 2008, Kenichi Horie, an adventurer known for such feats as paddling a pedal powered boat 4,660 miles from Hawaii to Okinawa in 1993, will be sailing a wave powered boat from Honolulu's Hawaii Yacht Club to the Kii Channel in Japan. The boat, a 3-ton catamaran named the Suntory Mermaid II, works by virtue of the fins located at the front of the boat. These fins "generate thrust force by moving up and down like the tails of dolphins and whales and absorbing the energy of the waves." The system can propel the boat no matter which direction the waves come from. Because the wave propulsion system absorbs the energy from the waves, a passenger on the boat will experience a smooth ride. With a top speed of about 5 knots, the journey is expected to take about 2 to 3 months."

Future journey times.

[owlnation]

the journey is expected to take about 2 to 3 months

Probably still faster than getting through airport check-in and security.

Interesting way of transportation

[Daimanta]

I am intrigued by transport using the power of nature. I myself am working on moving a ship by "catching" the wind with a large upright "surface" altough I don't exactly know how I am going to contruct this "surface". I was personally thinking about using a soft fabric and bind it to a pole. I am also testing if multiple surfaces work better than one.

I'll keep you informed if I continue to the next fases of my daring contruction plan.

Re:Wave powered boat

[Anonymous Coward]

Looking at a map, most of the trip would be kinda downhill if he went from Japan to Hawaii, so he should be able to coast if he went in that direction.

Re:Interesting way of transportation

[bartappleous]

Insanity... I'm thinking dolphin tow rope, and fish launchers. You see you launch the fish out ahead of the dolphins and that's how you steer the boat. Oh and it can easily scale up too! Think Blue Whale tow and krill launcher. I'm not twelve. Really. I think it would be fun, but PETA would be all over me on that one. But the Blue Whale Loves pulling the boat.

waving

[bandersnatch]

When he leaves, he always waves goodbye

Re:Interesting way of transportation

[bartappleous]

Great white and or Orca tow plus sea lion pup launcher. Now I am done for.

Re:Interesting way of transportation

[bartappleous]

Olympic swimmer tow and gold medal launcher. You can even use steroids to improve performance.

Re:Says it'll also have solar power

[The_Wilschon]

A blog of the voayge! That does sound really exciting! I can almost see it now...

Captain's log, seadate 52145.7: There are lots of waves out here. There is also lots of water. The boat keeps going forward.

Captain's log, seadate 52271.2: More waves. Also more water. Still on the boat.

Captain's log, seadate 52361.9: Saw a fish this morning. Most exciting thing all week. It had fins. Also a tail.

Re:Interesting way of transportation

[Anonymous Coward]

Cuban refuge tow, but it only works if you are going to Miami.

Re:Wave powered boat

[Anonymous Coward]

Nah. I have hands. In fact, I have two hands. There's redundancy for you.

Re:Interesting way of transportation

[elrous0]

Aye, but you shall need many a good man to tend to such a ship, good sir. We shall need a method of obtaining such men in an unscrupulous manner. Perhaps, with the aid of a local grog establishment we can deceive these men into drinking themselves into a stupor, then kidnapping them into the service. But we shall need a city to function of as our base of operations. Perhaps somewhere in the Orient.

Re:Wave powered boat

[srussia]

That's not sailing; it's just drifting with style!

Re:Interesting way of transportation

[fuzznutz]

This sounds very interesting. I highly suggest putting fixed cannons on the back of your transportation vehicle and firing them in a steady interval. Any other way way would be pure insanity!

My God, Mr. Scott. You've invented impulse engines. Now get started on that warp drive.

So Japan has developed the Wave Motion Engine?

[Anonymous Coward]

Somehow, this doesn't come as a surprise.

Re:waving

[kitsunewarlock]

When he leaves, he always waves goodbye

Or does he wave "aloha"?

That would double the meaning...but does it double the amount? Will he go 2 times faster? If he paints it red will it go 3 times faster?

These are just the kinds of things real daredevils and, dare I say, geniuses (tm) of our day and age experiment with.

That and lightening bolt stickers. Which frankly, I'm too afraid of experimenting with on my own vehicles, lest I break free from the earth's gravitational pull and hit the sun.

Maybe if I go at night...

Re:Future journey times.

[neuromancer23]

Also, regaining your land legs is easier from sea legs than it is from cavity search legs.

Re:Wave powered boat

[JCSoRocks]

Natalie Portscan!? Is that the one with the sweet interface and the nice rack?

Call Greenpeace

[StikyPad]

Great, but what happens when we use up all the waves?!? This is an environmental catastrophe waiting to happen.