Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The boat has just finished a few days' stopover in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Sunshine State? Yes and no... Our crew had to face thunderstorms and torrential rains. Yet, with 237 days of sunshine per year, Florida is the 3rd state hosting the most solar panels in the US after California and Texas !
Coming from: Fort-de-France, Martinique
Weather conditions: Sunny
Time of arrival: 6:00 PM
Land temperature: 25
Travelled distance: 2 358 km
Water temperature: 23
Here and for all coastal populations in the United States, climate change and rising sea levels have disastrous consequences and threaten the population living near the coasts.
It is worth noting that every year, the level of oceans and seas rises by 3.2 mm. According to research conducted in the United States by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and published in 2022, the level of oceans is rising faster and is expected to increase by 30 cm by 2050. In the United States, 127 million people live in a coastal zone with a density 5 times higher than the American average, which means almost half of the population is threatened by climate change.
*source : https://www.noaa.gov/news-rele...
During this stopover in Florida, we were able to showcase our ship and share our zero-emission innovations, notably with the Sea Keepers association, which provides privately owned boats for oceanographic research and preservation. Representatives from the city as well as neighboring boat owners also paid us a visit.
“A little over 1000 days after saying goodbye to the Golden Gate, with 28,000 miles behind us (and almost as many anecdotes...), we're back in the US! We're bidding farewell to the turquoise waters, but the Gulf Stream will lift our spirits as it will be a significant ally during our future navigations along the East Coast over the next two months. We're right in the middle of our stopover in Fort Lauderdale, juggling maintenance of our systems, ship visits, and administrative tasks (which incidentally are the last ones in a foreign country 😁), so there's no time to get bored. We've had some wonderful encounters, especially with the Sea Keepers association, who are involved in marvelous projects that we're eager to participate in; it's reassuring to see an active community advocating for the environment in a country where the energy transition appears steep, judging by the number of super yachts surrounding our research vessel...”
The boat is now leaving Florida with 50% of hydrogen on board, as a missing spare part on the compressor prevented us from fully filling our hydrogen reserves. Our hoisting system broke on the port wing, marking the second time in 7 years! However, our flatwinder (a large winch) was ordered and replaced in time.
If we have few images and videos to share from Florida, it's because we didn't have a reporter on board! Fortunately, Agathe Roullin, our onboard journalist, has just arrived to document this journey up the East Coast on all our platforms! Get ready for a 2-month American tour with the following schedule:
- Washington DC from March 14th to 20th, 2024
- New York City from April 10th to 22nd, 2024
- Boston, from May 2nd to 5th, 2024
Follow us to experience the final major stop of our world odyssey and learn more about the energy transition in the world's leading economy!
