Earthrace update: losing an engine here, damaging a propeller there

June 3, 2008 · Print This Article

Following a biodiesel flood during the Atlantic crossing, the Earthrace biodiesel-powered boat continued on its second attempt to circumnavigate using nothing but the biofuel as potential. The troubled ship is still having its share of problems (like losing an engine near the Marshall Islands - PDF), but, as Domestic Fuel puts it, is still limping towards the world record. It won’t be easy.

After leaving Palau, the ship hit some sea debris, the captain writes on his blog (can’t link to individual entries, so scroll down to the entry from June 3rd), and “just a few hundred

metres from the safety of open water. next completely out of the blue, Earthrace suddenly lurches as we hit something, and in a split second, I go from being on top of the world, to the bottom of it.” The hit ended up damaging the port propeller and (likely) the drive shaft. The ship is scheduled to be repaired in Singapore that week, but the record - while still possible - is getting less and less likely.

Gallery: Earthrace Biodiesel-powered boat