Diesel powered holiday boats that need to be fed with millions of litres of imported fuel are damaging to the world’s oceans, the environment and your peace. They also carry a huge CO2 footprint – most especially in water bound areas such as island resorts. Step on stage the SoelCat 12, an ingenious, fully solar-powered electric catamaran stunningly designed by Soel Yachts that eliminates noise, smell and fuel costs, so you can sip your G&T and enjoy the sea views in blissful silence.

A finalist in the Tourism for Tomorrow innovation awards given by the World Travel and Tourism Council in 2017, the solar electric vessel does not need any fuel other than sunlight, so can operate effectively in remote areas. Battery systems provide all the energy needed at night or when there’s little sun, but shore power charging is also available. When it’s not in use, the boat’s solar array can also feed a resort’s electricity grid.

The first SoelCat 12, ‘Okeanos Pearl’, was a cooperation project between Soel Yachts, the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea and the Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort in the gorgeous Bora Bora to set an example for sustainable alternatives on the water. Soel Yachts specialises in solar electric naval architecture and has several solar electric models to offer for commercial and private customers. More information can be found on their website Soel Yachts.