Yieh Boats designs and builds low-cost passenger and cargo boats for African lakes. Their only propulsion energy is the sun.
Based on your requirements we design the required boat for you.
We look at how you want to operate your boat.
We find a design that is low in operational cost and maintenance.
Made mostly from locally sourced materials.
Speed, range and capacity can be adapted to the needs of a specific route.
Daily average, kWh/kWp
Speed matters most, so the boat needs a bigger motor and larger batteries. The propulsion energy comes from an on-shore solar charging station, where batteries are swapped. Panels on board add 10–20% of the energy.
Batteries, a solar charging station and the boat motor.
Speed matters less. For a slow boat, solar can provide all of the propulsion power.
A smaller battery and motor, and no solar charging stations.
A safe vessel design and a competent crew.
A simple propulsion system costs less to keep running.
It depends on energy generated locally.
The system runs without greenhouse gas emissions and does not pollute the lake that millions of people depend on for their livelihoods. It is cheap transport that benefits the people who live there.
The boats are built in Kenya, by Kenyans, mostly from Kenyan materials, creating quality jobs. Lower transport costs and less pollution open up new economic opportunities.
Our transport system ensures that the African lakes are not polluted by emissions and oil spills, caring for the life below water 14 and the life on land 15 at the same time. Ensuring that the millions of people living around the lake, and whose livelihoods depend on a healthy lake, can have access to clean water 6, and they can fish on the lake. And in turn fishermen have decent work 8 that is sustainable making sure there is no hunger 2 and poverty is reduced 1. With reduced pollution people around the lake will live with good-health and well-being 3. Creating a truly sustainable community of people 11 living around the lake, where inequalities are reduced 10 and peace and justice thrives 16. The transport system does not require fossil fuel and ensures access to affordable and clean energy 7 used for transport. Our transport system can be rolled out all over Africa where the conditions are right. Creating a new industry that is innovative and forms part of a new transportation infrastructure 9. To build our boats we are going to use quality education 4 to create the best boat builders, captains and maintenance crew. We will educate women and men ensuring gender equality 5. Our people will have decent jobs 8 with climate action 13 and responsible production 12 at its core. To make these bold plans a reality we need to form partnerships 17 with communities, governments, NGO's, companies, etc.
