[PCW] Island Pilot 40 DSe Hybrid

[Georgs Kolesnikovs]

As reported on http://www.hometownannapolis.com :

Florida-based boat builders Island Pilot came to this year's 
powerboat show armed with a model of the 40-foot DSe Hybrid, a solar 
powered catamaran.
The $500,000 boat, currently in production, will be the first of its 
kind, Island Pilot President Reuben Trane said, capable of cruising 
indefinitely at 7 knots without turning on its diesel engine.
"You've got to design from the keel up to make it work," he said.
Every surface except for the deck will be covered with photovoltaic 
panels to convert sunlight into electricity. Island Pilot is so 
convinced green boating will take hold, that it rushed the new hybrid 
into production, planning on debuting it at next year's power boat 
shot.
"We skipped the prototype stage," Mr. Trane said. "We're going 
straight from concept to production."
Single screw and 60-foot-long versions are also in the drafting stage.

http://dsehybrid.com