A radical new idea for eco-friendly boat travel has been proposed by Italian firm Luca Dini Design & Architecture. The electric propulsion technology and rooftop solar panels on the 28-meter Cetacean guarantee “total respect for the environment.”

 

The aluminum multihull was a joint effort between Luca Dini Design & Architecture and a marine preserve in the Middle East. The company’s goal was to create a ship that could travel through the region without causing any damage to the ecosystem.

Cetacean, with its 1.2-meter draft, is powered by batteries that can be recharged at a custom-built docking station. To fully charge, the innovative dock design needs around four hours of exposure to the water’s tides and waves. While at sea, the yacht’s lighting and home automation systems will be powered by solar panels located on the yacht’s superstructure.

Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci from 1470 showing a vessel powered by wind turbines served as inspiration for the design of Cetacean. Luca Dini Design & Architecture offered this explanation: “A vessel whose essence and philosophy is total respect for the environment combines clean and harmonious lines.”

The Cetacean can carry 25 people in addition to its five crew members at a speed of 12 miles per hour. The spokesman said that “Cetacean was designed to serve multiple purposes and can be outfitted with a variety of configurations,” such as a shuttle for transfers from the marina to smaller islands, a mobile hospital, a freight carrier, or even a wholly private vessel.