Superyachts
Published on Jul 05, 2026 at 6:07 AM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Jul 05, 2026 at 6:07 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by Mason Jones
The man who’s been traveling the world with a solar-powered yacht on an (almost) zero-dollar budget for fuel managed to cover 60 nautical miles with zero fuel in Ibiza, Spain.
Naturally, it was entirely powered by the sun like his previous journey from Finland.
But this journey was done in the yacht because he was completely out of options.
It all started with a small dose of misfortune, actually.
Lukas Sjoman, the guy behind the TRUE NORTH YouTube channel, said the dinghy he and his partner were intending to use to travel from Ibiza to Xàbia, Spain, was stolen.
This left them with no choice but to use the solar-powered yacht.
Dubbed Helios 11, the boat was able to handle the trip quite efficiently, maintaining an average speed of 6.2 knots using nothing but solar power.
Apples to apples, yachting is probably the most expensive method of transport.
If you factor in absolutely everything – crew, upfront costs, insurance, fees, and so on – the cost per mile of a boat is probably the highest in the world.
It’s miles worse than that of a car or a motorbike, and depending on the aircraft, can even eclipse the cost of flying.
Still, building a DIY yacht that’s potentially capable of sailing under its own ‘steam’ on a zero-dollar budget with you at the helm is something you can definitely brag about.
Below: the yacht anchored near the port in Ibiza, Spain
Even so, as a side note, he still ended up replacing the dinghy.
But he replaced it with a kayak.
His latest video also showed him installing a freezer and constructing a foldable swimming ladder from leftover timber, allowing easier access from the water after taking a dip.
We should probably start with a preface that’s not always understood or accepted: there’s no such thing as a free meal.
Solar power isn’t free because the panels you need to actually harness solar power need specialized materials and semiconductor components that are neither cheap nor easy to source.
Even so, generating your own solar power remains highly cost-effective over time.
While the upfront infrastructure requires maintenance, the fuel source itself is free and unlimited.
Automakers like Aptera Motors have experimented with solar-assisted cars designed to generate power directly from the sun.
Meanwhile, large-scale maritime projects such as PlanetSolar have already demonstrated that solar vessels can travel vast distances across oceans.
Energy prices are going up across the board, which means that solar is the lesser of two evils.
With that in mind, solar technology is still definitely on its way up, not down.
# Tags – Solar-powered, Solar-powered yachts, superyacht, superyachts
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
Supercar Blondie finds and covers the coolest cars, tech, luxury and gaming in the world.
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