Two carbon-neutral vessels, the Solaris and the Apollonia, are currently underway on a nine-day cruise down the Hudson River to New York City. Each day of the voyage, each boat will stop at a city along the river.
The Solaris, which was built two years ago at the Hudson Maritime Museum in Kingston, New York, runs entirely on solar power and batteries. At half power, it cruises at five knots, and at full power, it cruises at seven. Solaris can reportedly run all day and night thanks to its 16 solar panels, which supply power and charge the batteries.
The Apollonia is the largest carbon-free merchant vessel on the Hudson. It is powered by wind and vegetable oil, and it is used to transport non-perishable cargo up the river.
On Thursday, August 20, both boats will cruise to the Statue of Liberty and Battery Park with several other boats from Classic Harbor Lines to complete their journey.
The Hudson River Maritime Museum is using this voyage to bring its programs to the water, since the pandemic has forced it to cancel its summer programs. You can follow the voyage with daily updates, live video, and blog posts on the museum’s Facebook page or on the RiverWise website.
