Robert Dane News

Last year, Circle Line unveiled a state-of-the-art solar and wind powered hybrid electric ferry named Miss Statue of that it predicts will join their Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island fleet and will bring a green revolution to waterborne transportation in . Circle Line, the New York City ferry operator that provides millions of visitors with trips to the both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island each year, unveiled a model of the solar and wind powered hybrid vessel, which uses a solar sail covered in solar panels to collect energy from both the sun and wind and emits almost no noise, vibration or fumes. The solar vessel is being constructed in partnership with 's Solar Sailor Holdings, Ltd.

For centuries, sailing has been about how to catch the wind. Now it is becoming a question of how to catch the sun. Australian inventor Robert Dane has designed and built the world's first solar-powered ferry, the Solar Sailor, which is driven by both solar and wind power and took top prize in this year's Australian Design Awards. "Solar energy and boats are at the same stage as where the Wright Brothers were when they were first developing the plane," says Tom Godfrey from the Australian Design Awards. The Solar Sailor offers an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional diesel-powered craft and has been operating commercially on Sydney Harbor for the last six months.