Man who spent 200 days building a solar-powered explorer yacht that can run forever reveals real reason he got trapped in canals

After spending 200 days building a solar-powered explorer yacht, effectively running ‘forever’, the maiden voyage for this man ended in disaster as he got ‘trapped’ in canals during the winter holidays.

With the hunt of ecofriendly travel, one man has found a solution to sailing the European seas and canals with a very green conscience.

Named HELIOS 11, the self-sustaining longboat could, theoretically, continue to crawl through the water without ever running out of power.

However, he didn’t account for one issue when it came to taking it out for the winter.

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This solar-powered explorer yacht is a one-off, self-sustaining masterpiece

Some of the wealthiest minds in the world have only just made self-sustaining yachts, and the likes of Bill Gates had to drop hundreds of millions of dollars to have no emissions.

But taking inspiration from some other projects, one man decided to use solar power to make his own barge – or ‘explorer yacht.’

Starting in Finland, YouTuber True North Yachts built his own boat based on the chassis of a pontoon and decorated it with solar panels to produce power.

“At the measured resistance levels of Helios 11, even a small 10hp engine would allow extremely long range at modest speeds…

“Solar or petrol, the hull doesn’t care. It is simply efficient and works with any propulsion system,” he revealed.

While the development was difficult, and he struggled to install some more regenerative features, the boat works like a dream and is insulated to be lived on.

Having set sail in Finland towards the rest of Europe, its maiden trip did hit a speedbump, though, as it got caught in the canals in France.

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How he got trapped in the French canals

In his latest update on YouTube, he revealed that the Helios 11 was trapped in the canals throughout France as the harsh weather hit and people set off for the winter holidays.

While the boat was functional, it was often locked in canals with no way out, especially as some lakes and canals froze.

“I left late, very late. Not because I didn’t know winter was coming, but because I underestimated how much time and energy the build would actually take,” he confessed.

“Another factor I underestimated was external operations.

“Canal systems don’t always operate smoothly, especially if you don’t plan around them. Lock closures during holidays delayed my progress, and those days compounded.

“My Christmas holiday in Belgium was the last drop that caused me to get stuck in the frozen canals of France.”

Solar power, typically, is less effective in the winter due to the shorter days.

But as the summer days begin to come around, the solar-powered explorer yacht will be a revelation while sailing around Europe’s finest cities.

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