S/Y NANUQ is a 17.8 m long sail-motor vessel with a displacement of 18 tons plus a 5 tons payload, including crew, supplies and equipment. She was designed by naval architect Peter Gallinelli, an expert in the construction of boats featuring high energy efficiency and low environmental impact. After a first sea trial in 2014, in 2015 NANUQ remained for 11 months – including the full wintering period – in Greenland. During NANUQ2020 the boat is conducting her 19th and 20th journey north of the Arctic Circle.
The vessel, which can easily reach and exceed 10 knots (18 km / h) on sail, is also equipped with a 85 Hp diesel engine. When the latter is used, the available range is about 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) at a cruising speed of 6.5 knots (12 km / h). NANUQ can accommodate up to a maximum of 12 people. She can support such crew with water, supplies and reserves ensuring, under normal conditions, complete self-sufficiency for about 30 days, which can be extended to over 1 year depending on available conditions. The hull, made entirely of aluminum, is designed to sustain harsher environmental conditions than normally faced by boats of the same category and size.
NANUQ is a technological demonstrator of the innovative concept of boats with high environmental sustainability, intended to operate in the polar regions at any time of the year. A fundamental element of the project is the so called “Passive Igloo”, i.e. a set of technical features around which spaces inside the boat are made. NANUQ draws a significant part of its electricity from a wind generator and four photovoltaic panels. These sources are useful to reduce the need for using a traditional generator. The walls, the portholes and the interiors are made of, or insulated with, high energy-efficient materials. They are able to store heat from the crew bodies and from various devices on board (systems, computers, kitchen, etc …).
