Denise and Deanna Gisborne take a break at Kilmarnock Lock on the Rideau
Canal in August 2006. The solar-powered vessel “the Loon” appears
in the background.

Orillia, Ontario - It was a sign of the times and it read clearly: $1.55 per liter. But rather than wince and reach for his wallet, Canadian Monte Gisborne actually cracked a smile as he waved to the gas dock attendant expecting him to make the customary fill-up. “No thanks” he said “Today I’m filling up with a blend of sunshine and relaxation!”

In August 2006, the Loon, Mr. Gisborne’s solar-powered boating invention, departed from Kingston, Ontario and buzzed quietly into Canada’s capital city of Ottawa 6 days later, without a roar or a ripple to be seen or heard. Not a drop of oil was burned in the process and the Gisborne family, including wife Denise and daughter, Deanna, nine, seemed rested and comfortable as they greeted media and government at Dow’s Lake Marina near Hartwell’s Lock. The family stayed aboard the boat during the entire trip, cooking meals and sleeping under the large overhead solar array. “I think that the main difference between our Rideau cruise and those made by others is public perception” stated Gisborne. “People expect to give up so much by ridding themselves of oil, but that really wasn’t the case here at all. We enjoyed ourselves equally or perhaps more than those who miss so much over the roar and smell of a gas motor or barely see anything due to the blur of the landscape and wildlife going by. Most creatures are skittish and tend to scatter when a faster and louder boat goes by.”

The Loon is a solar-assisted boat, meaning that it can take advantage of shore electrical power to help keep the batteries topped up. The Gisbornes would do exactly as gas boats do and plug into a power outlet readily supplied by the marinas and lock stations they docked at overnight. Each day would start with a fully-charged pack of batteries and end with about half of a charge still left. “At no time ever did we feel uncomfortable that we would get stuck without a charge” Gisborne stated “ that notion simply goes away with experience”. All onboard devices such as a fridge, kettle and microwave also got their energy from the same batteries.

The futuristic travelers will be touring the Erie and Oswego Canals this August, from Oswego to Albany. Stops are planned along the way, to greet and meet people who are interested in zero-emission boating. A press conference is being planned in Waterford, the end terminus of the trip, as well as visits to the numerous planned events, attractions and fairs along the world-famous recreational waterway. “To my family, the NYS Canal System was a “no-brainer” choice for our first international solar cruise” Gisborne explained “its state of development as a recreational asset is immense. People need to experience this boating adventure playground for themselves”. A schedule of stops will be published on the internet and made available upon request.

It is the first time that anyone has traveled an American canalway using solar electric energy as the primary fuel source. The Loon is the world’s first commercially-available solar-powered recreational vessel and in May 2007, the first solar-powered boat to cross the Atlantic, the Swiss-made Sun21, arrived in New York Harbor.

Gisborne comments: “The sustainable future of the world’s canal systems depend on a new boating regime and electric boating offers just that. We need sensible options if we want to leave something for future generations to enjoy… and I believe that water, fun, safety and electricity do mix!”

For more information, please contact:

Monte Gisborne, B.Tech
The Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company
monte@tamarackelectricboats.com
(416) 432-7067
www.tamarackelectricboats.com

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