David Borton News

Harnessing solar propulsion, the 39-foot vessel Solar Sal has recently completed the final leg of its maiden cargo run, carrying recycled cardboard along the Erie Canal without using a single drop of fossil fuel. Solar Sal traversed 72 locks and traveled a total of 650 miles across the state of New York, delivering four tons of cargo from Lockport to a paper mill in Mechanicville on its history-making journey. The vessel runs 8.3 mph on twin Torqeedo Cruise 4.0 electric motors.

Torqeedo recently won first, second and third places in the 13th annual Wye Island Electric Boat Challenge in St. Michaels, Maryland. This is the second time Torqeedo-powered boats have swept the 24-mile, electric motor-only race. In all the years of the race, any boat with a Torqeedo motor has always finished the marathon and this year was no exception. All Torqeedo-powered vessels crossed the finish line after completing the circumnavigation of Wye Island. This year five boats were powered by Torqeedo motors.