Man living on his hand-built solar-powered yacht that can run forever has traveled 3,106 miles while using zero fuel
Published on Jun 14, 2026 at 8:08 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jun 14, 2026 at 8:08 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones

The man who lives on a hand-built solar-powered yacht has just traveled 3,106 miles without using any fuel.
Lukas Sjoman spent 200 days creating Helios 11, a yacht that lived on sunlight.
This negates the need for stopping in marinas to fuel up.
But his latest trip was truly ambitious, making it from Finland to Spain on a self-sufficient journey.
This solar-powered yacht was Ibiza-bound
Lukas Sjoman, through his YouTube channel TRUE NORTH, has documented various facets of his Helios 11.
The Helios 11 had gotten a king’s share of coverage over recent months, from its ability to overtake boats three times its size to its maiden voyage on the frozen canals of France.

Sjoman has constantly been keeping his followers updated about his progress, having revealed the build guide, and discussed new upgrades.
In a recent video, he undertook a journey from Finland to Ibiza, which would test the limits of self-sufficiency.
A big challenge arises while anchored in Spain
While anchored at La Rápita, Sjoman and his crew suffered a big blow when their utility dinghy was stolen.
This was an EZ Raft, equipped with a Momentum Electric Marine U2 outboard motor.
Why was this significant?
Well, because the Helios 11 is too big to pull directly onto shallow beaches or tie up at small docks, the utility dinghy acted as a ship-to-shore tender.

This would obviously serve a beneficial purpose whenever it was time to go ashore for supplies.
Unless they wanted to swim with groceries on their back, Sjoman and his team were left in a pickle.
This left them with no choice to build an emergency Catamaran dinghy.
Could this solar-powered yacht make it to Ibiza?
Made out of foam and wood, the makeshift dinghy proved surprisingly stable in shallow waters.
But this wasn’t the only hurdle they were going to face along the way.

While trying to get some respite from heat, the team were under siege from local vandals throwing rocks from a nearby bridge.
One of these rocks struck the ship’s solar set-up.
Fortunately, there was zero measurable loss in terms of power outage.
“I did the cross comparison of today’s solar input and yesterday’s solar input… and we have the same solar input as yesterday at the same time of the day,” Sjoman noted.

That’s a relief.
At long last, he made it to the sunny shores of Ibiza.
Now it was time for Sjoman to relax; we can all agree that he’s earned it.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.