In 2019, Canadian startup Ride Solar launched a Kickstarter to convert a 52-year-old water taxi into a solar-powered cruise ship for sightseeing tours on Prince Edward Island. The campaign was unsuccessful, but the idea lived on. The taxi has since been converted and renamed Islola Solaretto and prepared for use.
The ship, Canadian heritage, first entered service during the 1967 Montreal Expo as one of the few vaporettos carrying passengers around the World's Fair. Expo Service No.5 was subsequently decommissioned and spent the early 1970s in Charlottetown harbour and the West River before moving to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in the 1980s.
Renovation
Peter Ixkes and Steve Arnold of Ride Solar eventually found the vessel derelict on the coast of Shediac and bought it in 2015 for renovation. The original 11.66m hull made with fibreglass was torn down, the diesel engine removed and a new handmade cabin made of fibreglass installed.
An electric motor was then installed, along with a battery bank and lightweight photovoltaic panels. Dining tables, a full kitchen, bar and sanitary facilities followed, as well as on-board entertainment systems and Wi-Fi. The retrofit was completed in November last year.
The 6 kW solar panels on the roof are connected to a high-capacity battery bank that powers the ship's 20 kW engine. On sunny days, when the wind is not strong, unlimited cruising can be done on solar power alone. However, days like that are quite rare, so shore charging facilities have also been installed to top up the batteries between trips and at night when needed.
Reportedly the largest solar-powered boat in North America, the Islola Solaretto is ready to carry 41 passengers (plus up to four crew members) for 1.5- to 2-hour round-trip cruises in Charlottetown harbour.
