Couple who had never sailed before plan world circumnavigation in all-electric sailboat

After a decade of preparation, Dan and Kika Deckert are preparing to take their 36-foot sailing boat Uma on a round-the-world trip, with departure planned for November 2026.

Their target is to complete a circumnavigation within 12 months without fossil fuels for propulsion, onboard power or cooking. Sailing will provide Uma’s movement, while solar panels, batteries and regeneration under sail will power life at sea.

Route plans will take Uma south-west out of the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic before heading around Cape Horn. Travel will then continue through the South Pacific, Australia and the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope and back across the Atlantic.

An electric boat built through experience

Uma is a 1972 Pearson 36 that Dan and Kika bought after graduating as architects. Neither had sailing experience, but they spent the following 12 years learning at sea, rebuilding the boat and documenting their adventures.

More than 30,000 nautical miles and 30 countries later, Uma has become a long-running test bed for electric sailing. Their first system used a second-hand forklift motor and batteries before they moved to Oceanvolt electric propulsion.

Svalbard also features in Uma’s story. In 2021, the boat reached the High Arctic without a diesel engine after Dan and Kika crossed the North Atlantic.

No diesel, generator or cooking gas

Uma 3.0 uses twin Oceanvolt electric propulsion, 3kW of solar generation, 50kWh of battery storage and up to 1kW of regeneration under sail.

Hydrogeneration allows the boat to turn movement through the water into electricity while sailing, helping recharge its batteries during longer passages. Oceanvolt says the amount generated depends on factors including boat speed.

Dan and Kika say every essential system, including navigation, communications, cooking and water production, must work within the energy available from solar power and regeneration.

“We never set out to become experts. We simply kept asking better questions and learning what the next step required,” they say.

Could Uma make history?

Previous attempts at fossil-fuel-free ocean voyages have not followed the same rules, according to the press kit. Some carried backup fuel or generators, while others did not complete the voyage.

Success would give Uma a claim to becoming the first all-electric cruising sailboat to complete a circumnavigation under the couple’s stated conditions.

Adventure is only part of the project. Dan and Kika want to show what long-term life aboard an electric cruising boat can look like.

Readers can also follow the voyage through Sailing Uma’s website, YouTube and social media, with future live tracking planned.