It all started with this tiny model, made of paper and cardboard. It floated perfectly, with the central hull just submerged for low drag running, and the outriggers just skimming the surface, to provide stability.

In the years that followed the swing wing system and wind turbine boom were developed on a land vehicle. The idea was to combine a rotary sail generator with solar panels to allow faster blue water transits, allied to advanced computer navigation for green lanes.

The Elizabeth Swann is an in-progress design study, under development through 2023, in the hope of defining technical solutions that will allow this high performance vessel to beat the present water speed record for solar 

and/or hydrogen powered vessels. 

For this we need robotic trimming of the solar wing harvesting apparatus, linked to geographical weather conditions and current location, for efficient course prediction and route optimisation.

FACTUAL

To enable this we use Hal AI™, coupled to Captain Nemo™, the name for our autonomous navigation autopilot system. Hal is also designed to interface with the Media when moored at dockside locations, alerting the Crew to visitors, via a two way intercom system. A system that is not overly difficult to incorporate, given the recent advances in telecommunications.

IN FICTION

In the fictional, John Storm ocean adventure franchise, Hal works alongside Captain Nemo™ in several plucky climate awareness chapters, including a long awaited re-boot of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island: a search for pirates gold, belonging to the notorious pirates Blackbeard and Henry Morgan, where the fictional incarnation of Hal protects the protagonist, John Storm, and his crew from umpteen perils. Never recovered. Captain Nemo also features with Hal in an adventure involving a cloned Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh queen of Ancient Egypt.

THE VESSEL

The Elizabeth Swann is a leading edge design with many innovative features designed to increase our knowledge and mastery of the sea.

She needs no diesel or other fossil fuels to travel from waypoint to waypoint, and no crew to hoist her mast or control the solar panels.

That is our dream and ambition. Are we asking too much from the scientists of today? We think not.

DRAFT SPECIFICATIONS

Autonomy level: Fully energy autonomous, and unmanned ready

Navigation: COLREGS compliant autonomy when 'Captain Nemo' autopilot engaged

AI: Onboard geospatial data harvesting 'Hal' system

- Hull drag estimates

- Interior design

- Propulsion

- Weight analysis