Lecture and Solaris ride: Solar Voyage to Alaska: Adventure and Beauty

Date: Wednesday September 27, 2023

at Hudson River Maritime Museum

Solaris Boat Tour: 6:15 - 6:45pm

Lecture: 7 - 8pm

Lecture and Solaris Ride Pricing:

Members  $25.00

Non-Members $32.00

Lecture Only Pricing:

Members FREE

Non-Members  $7.00

Solaris Tour:

Join Captain Borton onboard Solaris as he gives a demonstration of his solar-powered technology in action, followed by a presentation in the Homeport Barn. David will lead a ride aboard the Hudson River Maritime Museum's solar powered boat; Solaris. This boat was built here at the wooden boat school using David Borton's solar concept. Enjoy this up close and personal introduction to Solaris.  

Lecture Topic: 

 David Borton presents how, in 2021 he and his son, Alex, piloted their solar-powered electric boat 1,400-miles from Bellingham, Washington, to Glacier Bay, Alaska, completing the trip under notoriously cloudy skies. A few years earlier David's wife, Harriet, and he had traveled by sea kayak to Sucia Island in the San Juan Islands, but this time Alex and David arrived at Sucia on a 27-foot solar boat. It was their first night out after leaving Bellingham and their last time on land until they reached Alaska. Because Covid closed the British Columbia shore to even their toes, they planned to be on the boat all the way and all the time.

Their boat, the Wayward Sun, is 100% solar-electric powered, similar to Solaris. They were making the first solar-electric voyage up the Inside Passage. The route to Alaska, which was made famous by the ‘49er gold rush, was first charted by sailboats in the late 1700s. Captains George Vancouver and James Cook described the waters as dangerous, the weather as inhospitable, and the tides and winds often overpowering. The route has a thousand islands and thousands of shipwrecks. It is also renowned for the grandeur of its scenery and its charismatic wildlife, which were not scared away by their quiet vessel.

Presenter:  

Captain David Borton has been in canoes and Adirondack guideboats since birth. In 2013 he stopped teaching solar energy engineering at RPI to focus his attention on developing solar-powered electric boats. After building his 25-foot wooden boat Sol in his garage, using his since-patented solar-electric design, he followed with the 44-foot tour boat Solaris, and the 27-foot Wayward Sun, the first 100% solar boat to cruise the northwest passage to Alaska.

This program is being presented in-person at the Hudson River Maritime Museum's Homeport Barn.

The Homeport Barn is located at 50 Rondout Landing, Kingston, NY 12401. 

*Members can recieve their discount by logging-in. Please note that you must be a current member the date of the event to receive your discount.*