BotH1118web

49 / 83

Holiday 2018 49 boatingonthehudson.com
the return trip to the Hudson and up to the papermill in Mechanicville for
recycling into paper products. This 750 mile solar only round trip followed
the historic and beautiful Erie Canal both ways.
Pete Bardunias, President/CEO of the Chamber of Southern Saratoga
County arranged for the cargo along with partners Cascades Paper and
Hullspeed Coatings and says, “Solar Sal was the first vessel to ever carry
a bona fide cargo the length of the Erie Canal and deliver a commercial
cargo to its destination without the use of any fossil fuels or mules. The
boat proved that this could safely be done, and the design continues
to be refined to efficiently carry people and/or materials in an effective,
affordable package. Not only does the Solar Sal line of boats never need
fuel, they never need an engine mechanic either, further reducing operating
costs.”
Some folks scoffed at these boats as Borton’s homemade toys. Solar Sal
44 can not be scoffed at. Her detailed design was by Marine Architect and
boatbuilding author Dave Gerr. This is a commercial design, meeting all
Coast Guard regulations for commercial passenger carrying vessels. Dave
Gerr comments: “Our recently completed speed and endurance trials
demonstrated that the Solar Sal 44 exceeds our expectations. Borton’s
solar-boat concept is opening a new, greener and more cost-effective
course for the future of marine transportation.”
David Borton chose Jim Kricker, Master Shipwright at the Riverport
Wooden Boat School to build Solar Sal 44. Jim may be best known for
rebuilding the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Besides boats he is
known for rebuilding water mills and other timber-framing projects. Jim
chose John O’Donovan a passionate wooden boat builder from Maine,
along with a skilled RWBS team, to build the hull, frames, stripping,
and waterproofing through painting. Jim was an excellent choice and is
enthusiastic about this build. “I just wanted to express my appreciation
for the way the Solar Sal works, the entire propulsion system is nothing
short of amazing. It has been a real treat to have traveled up and down the
river using just the power from the sun.”
Alex Borton, David’s son, wants to use these boats in Puget Sound and
the San Juan Islands. He has commissioned Sam Devlin Designing Boat
Builders of Olympia Washington to build a 27 foot version Solar Sal. Sam
has started construction and says “this is a very good looking boat, and we
are very excited to see a true solar electric launch on Puget Sound Waters.
We are incorporating wheelchair access into this first model with the
intention of being capable of handling any type of passenger needs.”
These wooden Solar Sal boats are beautiful and wood is the best way to
build one-off boats. However, wooden boats require a large amount of
hand labor. To accommodate a wider audience of boaters, these designs
need to be implemented in composite materials. Because Solar Sal 44 has
a fiberglass and epoxy coating the Coast Guard considers her a composite
boat. The next big step for Solar Sal is an all composite design.
Visit for videos and more.