Our next test is going to be a big one: we're going to send the SolarSurfer from Los Angeles to Monterey, CA. The total distance will be around 300 miles and will take 2-3 weeks to complete. We'll detail the whole thing here from launch to recovery, and we want to share our plans right now.

We'll launch in early October from the Los Angeles area (most likely Malibu) around October 14th. The SolarSurfer will travel south of the Channel Islands and then out to sea approximately 80-100 miles from shore to minimize the risk of getting near other boat traffic.

The SolarSurfer will then travel parallel to the coast before heading back towards the coast. It will return to shore in Monterey, where we will meet it. If successful, it will fully demonstrate the capabilities of the idea, the platform, and the interface. The whole trip should take about 2-3 weeks and hopefully we'll be able to retrieve it before the final Hackaday judging!

Here's the proposed path:

Stay tuned for more details about the launch!