this post was submitted on 09 May 2026
543 points (99.1% liked)

Solarpunk

8897 readers
102 users here now

The space to discuss Solarpunk itself and Solarpunk related stuff that doesn't fit elsewhere.

What is Solarpunk?

Join our chat: Movim or XMPP client.

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
ex_06@slrpnk.net
poVoq@slrpnk.net
SteveKLord@slrpnk.net
543
Finnish man builds inexpensive solar boat and sets off to mediterranian. Gives out the plans for free (m.youtube.com)
submitted 2 days ago by Nickelalloy@lemmy.world to c/solarpunk@slrpnk.net
78 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

So i thought this fits here, he calls the boat Helios 11 and builds it with very little experience. He docunents the adventure quite well and shares what he learns, and also shares all the plans for the boat for free.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

Frankly waiting for the news story where he gets killed "proving" his concept...

The first warning bell was "rated for cross-atlantic"... "rated" by whom?

Of course then there's the latter part where he talks about the next one is going to be super amazingly polished autonomous vessel with everything up to and including a sauna from the solar... And of course the sovereign citizen take....

Cool doing a project like this, but it smells of overconfidence in what it currently is and how trivial it will be to get to something much much more...

[–] luthis@lemmy.nz 100 points 2 days ago (3 children)

You might be better off buying an old aluminium tinny and modifying that. Lasts longer than plywood, and is already a boat. Hardest part done. Making a roof and adding solar panels is relatively easy

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

hey that's my retirement plan

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 31 points 2 days ago (5 children)

I think the best option is to take two old sailboats (already efficient hulls) and connect them together into a large catamaran with a platform in between them. This greatly increases the possible surface area for solar panels, with a minimum of water resistance added. It allows you to add a large section of solar panels in the middle without anything adding drag in the water in that section.

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 33 points 2 days ago

LOL! That's the best option? Why wouldn't you just start with a catamaran?

If you ever built a thing like that please give me the link to your YouTube, that would be funny as hell to watch.

[–] MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de 20 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (4 children)

A single-hull can be made self-righting, in case it flips in bad weather. A 35 foot catamaran? You're not getting that back up-right with a crew of one - you basically hope and pray a bigger boat comes along at that point.

... Now I've watched the video, there is no ballast, not even a dedicated bilge space, and with the shallow draft, I am uncertain how the boat in OOP isn't too top-heavy to stay up-right. Forget the "Sovereign Living" bit at the end, I'mma need to see some solid design and build data before listening to another word from that guy.

In short: I take back any mean things I said or implied about Catamarans.

I was just stanning one of my favorite things about, and pet criteria for, properly-designed boats. I just sold my first sail-boat because I wanted a bigger one, with a better capsize-rating.

[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

there is no ballast, not even a dedicated bilge space, and with the shallow draft, I am uncertain how the boat in OOP isn’t too top-heavy to stay up-right. Forget the “Sovereign Living” bit at the end, I’mma need to see some solid design and build data before listening to another word from that guy.

Don't worry, he said up front it is "rated for cross-atlantic" so it's all good.

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Now I've watched the video, there is no ballast

He does end up adding ballast later. Added batteries, living stuff and about 150KG of rocks.

His takeaway was that it didn't really affect cruising speed and that he should have made a sturdier, heavier bottom hull.

Edit: he's in the process of turning it into a trimaran at the moment also for stability.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago

Catemaran hulls are specifically designed as such, you can't use normal hulls.

You do gain the extra room for solar, but equally you also make the boat wider, making it less flacrical in confined waterways like canals and rivers.

In high latitudes having a vertical solar sail might actually work quite well to well as both a solar array and a wind sail. But that will require significant engineering design time to get right.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] EvacuateSoul@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Fiberglass and resin or epoxy on plywood can last very well and is easy to repair if you go for "work boat finish".

I have every book I can find on this. Phil Bolger, Dynamite Payson, Jim Michelak, all easy and good designs.

The Birdwatcher style would lend itself well to solar panels, or Michelak's IMB (International Marine Beacher, from a magazine competition).

I have a half-built "Cartopper" in my shed. I need to go work on it more. Sometimes it's more fun to read about than do.

[–] KryptonNerd@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The birdwatcher is beautiful!

How long does the cartopper take to build? (In theory)

[–] EvacuateSoul@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

And yes, Birdwatcher is great. I bought the plans for IMB; if I ever finish this one, that's next. It is just short enough to not have to be registered in my state, and you can camp in it easily. And I think the sit inside with windows thing is neat. Safer to bring nieces and nephews along.

Actually the cartopper was used as a guest cabin towed behind a larger boat also, but one person only.

Here is a video of someone sailing the IMB https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XGVhZzj3JlE

[–] EvacuateSoul@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Judging by the book, he did his rowing version in like 4 days lol. I started 16 months ago, just haven't worked on it much. Hull is ready to glass, sailing stuff needs to be built, got the lead sitting there ready to weight centerboard and everything. Life just got in the way.

I probably have only worked on it for about 20-30 hours total, and that was with a whole lot to learn. Had to attempt the stem bevel 3 times before I gave in and bought an old bandsaw used for $200 to make it easier. I've just never done anything like this, so when I go out there now, I just read the book and get a bit intimidated by what is left.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago

It does not run forever.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 3 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If only we could build an undersea country in this way, but without the psychopaths. And let the land people make hell for themselves if they want, just freedom for the sane ones.

[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

Welcome... to rapture!

[–] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 39 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I remember reading about a Finn who spent 5 years, half part calculating, half building a small aeroplane in his apartment. Neighbours were let in on the knowing when he needed them to open their doors to poke a plane part into their apartements to get the thing down from IIRC third floor and out.

He flew it too!

I read it in the early nineties and the thing was maybe from the eighties. He didn't solder anything but drilled like 30.000 holes and riveted it all together.

Finns are cool.

[–] 0x0@infosec.pub 12 points 1 day ago (3 children)

And then there's this German champ hobbying together an entire tank in their basement:

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-33381772

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 2 points 1 day ago

The man had also been keeping an anti-aircraft gun in his basement

How big is this man's basement??

[–] Nickelalloy@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Reminds me of Richards Reactor, a dude in Sweden who attemoted to build a smal scale nuclear reactor of some sort in his apartment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Handl

Not too long ago his blogg was still up, found this but the nuclear stuff is gone:

https://richardsreactor.blogspot.com/2017/02/170222-visit-from-police.html?m=1

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

okay you can't just let those sit around. you have to maintain those.

[–] Speculater@lemmy.world 29 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Someone in the comments said it best, it's a very cool canal boat but nothing that light would stand-up to open ocean waves.

[–] olafurp@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

It could work in nice weather in the Mediterranean or some other more calm seas

[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

its ok for coastal mediteranean too. He did use it through canals of northern europe to get down to spain.

[–] Speculater@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

That's actually impressive.

[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 22 points 2 days ago

This specific design maybe not, but similar light plywood-epoxy catamarans based on designs by James Wharram are well regarded and proven open-ocean sailboats.

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

He gets into this in the later videos but he's living aboard it quite a while now in the Mediterranean.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 37 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (16 children)

He want's to make it

AI controlled

aww man

I respect his solar commitement, but listening to him it's obvious he's a libertarian Elon-Bro... my immediate reaction is "oh no... it's stupid."

And the concept isn't new, solar boats have been a thing for ages now and most of them are (like @OwOarchist@pawb.social suggested) catamarans or trimarans.

[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 18 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Can we please avoid using abelist slurs in this community?

[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 16 points 1 day ago

Heard and edited.

[–] _nb@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 day ago

AI is completely irrelevant to his project, I really don't know why he mentioned that. The solar/battery/motor setup looks like off-the-shelf from victron — we can see a screenshot of the app at some point.

[–] SteveKLord@slrpnk.net 2 points 2 days ago

I'd like to second Povoq's request and ask that we're more mindful of the words we choose and their impact please.

[–] jmill@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

Oh, it's OK, he specifically addressed how to get good AI results. He commanded Chat-GPT to give him good info. If you just ask nicely it won't work, you have to be forceful. Forget boat building, he should clearly be teaching classes on using LLMs.

load more comments (13 replies)
[–] ms_lane@lemmy.world 36 points 2 days ago (3 children)

USA: and I took that personally.

[–] oce@jlai.lu 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You have been blockaded by USA.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 15 points 2 days ago

The USA do be blowing up boats and murdering their crews on the regular these days...

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] D_C@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Leaving a comment so I can watch this later.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

maybe star/save your comment or something because i am doing the same. i'm planning on kitting out my camping setup with solar so i can take our ebikes with us and i bet this video has all the info i need (i am pretty sure i have it all figured out except the precise wiring but more knowledge never hurt okay i just thought up an exception to that but you know what i mean) i am not pausing babylon 5 tho

[–] D_C@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

On my version of Boost there are options to see your upvoted etc, and saved posts, but it doesn't work anymore

It did work. I atarted out saving things here and there and then an update wiped it all out and no longer works. Or it didn't the last time I tried it

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 23 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Such a cool project. Now, if only I didn't live 1000 km from the sea in a small apartment...

[–] MolochHorridus@piefed.social 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Just mod it into a helicopter to carry the boat, easy.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Yeah I'll make a design on the back of a napkin. Nothing can possibly go wrong.

load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›