Man who built $20,724 solar-powered yacht that can run forever faces disaster as the boat capsizes after 3,728-mile journey

It’s fair to say that the solar-powered yacht has hit one big hurdle, as it capsized after a 3,728-mile journey.

Lukas Sjoman has thoroughly documented his travels on the Helios 11 ever since he set sail.

That’s included every up and down along the way.

But this latest development could spell disaster for the whole project – would he be able to find a solution?

This solar-powered yacht has been a thrill to follow

Sjoman, who documents the Helios 11 on his True North Yachts YouTube channel, has shared a lot about his project over the months since he set sail from his native Finland.

Since embarking on his travels, he’s put his yacht through heavy wind test in the Mediterranean sea and faced troubles in Spain – from a stolen utility dinghy to being pelted with rocks.

He’s been honest and frank about his experiences living out at sea.

“Pros – always able to swim. ‘Unlimited’ electricity for my devices. Never needing to refuel, or start motoring (as a sailboat) when there is no wind,” he previously told Supercar Blondie.

“Cons – Occasional moisture and heat due to lack of air conditioning. I did not expect Spain to get so hot. Sometimes ending up in a rolling anchor, not ideal sleep as the light prototype needs some improvements.”

But in a recent video, Sjoman and the Helios 11 came up against the biggest challenge yet.

Disaster struck when this solar-powered yacht capsized

The accident happened on a ‘completely calm day’ inside the harbor of Dénia, a coastal city in Spain.

According to Sjoman, a large ferry had arrived in the harbor and created waves of between three to four meters.

The batteries sitting at the bottom of the boat had moved as a result of the waves colliding with the boat, and the center of gravity was shifted.

This resulted in the boat being capsized.

“One seemingly small accident caught us off guard and it felt like our dream ended,” Sjoman lamented.

“Over a year of planning, building and living on my handmade solar boat. Now we might lose it all. That we might lose our home.”

This left the Helios 11 out in the water, partly visible.

What could be done to save it?

Could the Helios 11 sail again or was it all over?

Trying to retrieve the boat proved to be difficult, thanks in part to local bureaucracy and an approaching storm.

This was understandably frustrating for Sjoman: “We could have taken it out in the first hour on the first day. I had the plan, but not the authority.”

After the storm, the Helios 11 was in pretty bad shape, washing up on the shore with a pounded plywood hull.

“This is not the ocean. This is not a natural disaster. It’s just waiting for bureaucracy and nobody does anything, even though I’m ready to take away the boat with a team,” Sjoman fumed.

On the bright side, the locals had been extremely hospitable, supplying him with food, clothing and lots of help.

“People like this restore my hope for humanity,” he said.

Ultimately, Sjoman decided the boat wasn’t worth repairing and it was time to move onto the next project.

“[The next boat] needs to be stronger so that human sabotage and human error cannot cause events like this,” Sjoman concluded.

So sadly, it was the end of an era.

But as the saying often goes, ‘When God closes a door, he opens a window’.

We’ll be intrigued to see what happens next.