Hans Clemmensen makes regular voyages aboard his yacht SV Seagoon from Cairns, Australia, to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea to set up solar power systems in a region where electricity is either not available or not sustainable.

Published 10 years ago, updated 7 months ago

As reported by The Mojowire

Hans migrated to Australia from Denmark 40 years ago, and found his way to far north Queensland where he bought himself a yacht and has been making regular voyages aboard the SV Seagoon to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea for the past 17 years.

Hans has in particular been assisting island communities in the Milne Bay region, at the eastern end of mainland Papua New Guinea. “It’s a very beautiful part of PNG, lots of islands, people who are friendly, no crime to talk about,” says Hans.

But this is a remote part of the country, with little in the way of industry or infrastructure. The main source of income has been bech-de-mer fishing, but conservation measures have closed that industry and people have turned to hunting for shark fin to make a living. There’s very little money around, basic goods are hard to get and very costly. There’s no electricity, and Hans has a project going to introduce sustainable solar-powered lighting.

“So far, I have been very lucky to get sponsored with 20 solar panels and some batteries from the recycle shop and I bought a lot of wire to be used in running power to LED lights in the houses,” says Hans.

He hopes to sail back to Milne Bay in May with enough gear on board to get the sustainable lighting project running, and he’s looking for crew to make the journey with him. He would also like to make contact with any other cruising boats headed that way who can help transport solar panels, batteries, and cable across to the islands in August.

For further information contact Hans at svseagoon@gmail.com