08/11/2026
He built a yacht that needs no fuel, then sailed it thousands of miles to prove it actually works.
In Finland, engineer Lukas Sjöman spent around 200 days building Helios 11, a DIY solar-powered yacht that cost roughly $20,000 to $30,000. Made from marine plywood and fiberglass, the boat is powered by rooftop solar panels, batteries, and a 6 kW electric motor.
On sunny days, the yacht can cruise at around 7 knots and reportedly travel as far as 270 kilometers in a single day. Even in less favorable conditions, it can still cover roughly 70 kilometers.
Then came the real test.
Sjöman sailed Helios 11 more than 3,000 nautical miles, or about 5,700 kilometers, from Finland all the way to Ibiza, Spain, without burning a single drop of fuel.
No gasoline. No diesel. Just sunlight charging the batteries while the yacht keeps moving.
He did not just build a solar-powered boat. He took it across Europe and proved how far clean energy can actually take you.
