PlanetSolar anchored in Cancun, Mexico. [Photo Credit: PlanetSolar]

Planet Solar, a giant catamaran shaped boat powered entirely by solar energy generated by its own solar surfaces has traversed the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean and is currently in Cartagena, Colombia where crew members are resting for the next leg of the boat’s historic around-the-world journey.

PlanetSolar has made stopovers on three continents – Europe, North America and South America -- and has travelled more than 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) – a quarter of the total distance of its round-the-world voyage. Before putting down in Colombia, PlanetSolar anchored in Miami and then Cancún for the World Conference on Climate Change.

A map charting PlanetSolar's progress, with the final leg showing its arrival in Colombia missing. [Graphic Credit: PlanetSolar]

Removable parts allow the unique solar boat to expose a total of 500 square meters of photovoltaic surface (solar panels) to the sun. This, says the PlanetSolar team, makes it the biggest solar run ship in the world.

Planet Solar is aiming to become the first boat to circumnavigate the globe on solar power only. All told, the German-designed and built boat will travel 50,000 kilometers, stopping in a number of ports around the world, among them, Miami, Cancun, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney and Abu Dhabi.

The planned route has the boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean, going through the Panama Canal, crossing the Pacific and then the Indian Ocean, and then passing through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.

You can follow Planet Solar's pioneering solar-powered journey around the globe at -- http://www.planetsolar.org/index.en.php

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