- The Captain Arctic was floated out from the shipyard in Mauritius in August
- The vessel features solar sails with 20,000 square feet of solar panels
- Each sail weighs ten tons and required extensive preparation for installation
- The ship will operate year-round expeditions in the Arctic
- Selar plans up to ten ships in this sustainable expedition series
Selar Expeditions has floated out the Captain Arctic from its building dock at the Chantier Naval de l’Ocean Indien in Mauritius. Set to be delivered later this year, the 36-passenger expedition vessel will be the first to join the fleet of the startup company. The ship touched the water for the first time in August, according to an update shared by the company’s CEO and Founder Sophie Galvagnon. Before being floated out, the Captain Arctic saw the installation of its solar sails, a pair of rigid aluminium sails covered by 20,000 square feet of solar panels.
Each of the sails weighs ten tons, adding that the installation process required hours of preparation and calculations. Selar said in late July that construction of the 70-metre-long vessel had surpassed the 75pc completion mark. Designed as a near-zero-emissions cruise ship, the Captain Arctic will operate a year-round schedule of expeditions in the Arctic. The recently installed solar sails are an important part of the vessel’s sustainability goals, allowing it to be powered by the sun and the wind.
The 2,200-ton vessel will be the first in a series of up to ten ships planned by Selar. The France-based company claims to be the first sustainable shipping company, allowing guests to explore polar areas with minimal environmental impact. Selar’s crew later joined the ship in Mauritius to prepare the operation, while closely monitoring the final construction steps afloat. The company aims to lead the way in a new category of expedition cruising focused on optimum sustainability.
Sophie Galvagnon, CEO and Founder of Selar Expeditions, shared “Our very strong lady explorer, the Captain Arctic, is now on the water with twin sails on.”
