Commercial Tour Boats
Commercial Tour Boats
Solar Sal 100% Solar Electric Boats
for People and Cargo
Our name harkens to a time and place “I’ve got a mule her name is Sal, 15 miles on the Erie Canal”. Transport by boat along the Erie Canal has changed over the years and Dave Borton imagined that solar powered electric boats were a no-brainer. Mr Borton was an early adopter of solar use, in his home and being a lifelong boater it wasn’t long before these two ideas came together.
Solaris
Solar Sal 44 is wooden boat reinforced on the outside with fiberglass and polyester and on the inside with epoxy. It is propelled by a 10 kW outboard motor powered by 32 12-volt batteries. The batteries are continuously charged by 16 360-Watt solar panels.
This vessel is the first ever 100% solar passenger vessel to receive a USCG Certificate of Inspection
Expertly designed by Dave Gerr
Proudly Built by the Hudson River Maritime Museum
Solar Sal 30
A fiberglass passenger boat, certified to carry 20 people. Approximately 30-feet length overall by 9- to 10-foot beam. The vessel is to be driven by electric power from solar panels located on the cockpit awning tops as well as by charging from shore power, all driving an electric motor.
The battery bank is to be of approximately 16 8D AGM batteries and is to be located below the watertight cockpit sole.
An Elco EP-20 48-V motor with an. Aquadrive standard CV-joint units allow the entire engine to fit under the cockpit sole.
Shore power connections at and under the helm seat. As a water-taxi, no onboard head/toilet facilities or food-service facilities will be aboard the boat.
Design by Dave Gerr
Video
Building the hull of Solaris
