HONOLULU -- A Japanese sailor is preparing to sail from Hawaii to Japan using just ocean swells.
The Suntory Mermaid 2 is a 3-ton, 31-foot-long wave-powered catamaran.
The energy is created when the swells move two fins underneath of the boat that generate a dolphin-like kick. It arrived in Honolulu over the weekend.
On March 16, Japanese sailor Kenich Horie, 69, will attempt to sail it solo more than 4,300 miles to Japan. The trip will last at least two and half months, according to Horie.
"The highest speed is less than 4 knots. However, during this voyage he expects above 4 knots maybe even 5 knots," Horie said through an interpreter.
The trip normally takes about a month.
Horie has already sailed solo across the Pacific in a solar-powered boat and a pedal boat.
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