This paper presents an economically viable, alternative method of harvesting ocean wave energy, comprised of a boat with an on-board wave energy harvesting system, and on-board energy storage capacity. A typical system consists of 50 meter boat with 1 MW capacity of wave energy harvesting equipment and 20 MWH of energy storage capability. Operationally, the boat cruises to a favorable location off-shore, harvests energy for approximately 20 hours, cruises back to shore, connects to the electricity grid, and releases the stored energy during high demand periods. Preliminary calculations promise electricity cost of US$0.15/KWh. The system offers numerous advantages including no expensive undersea cables, no permanent sea structure, easy maintenance, simplified permitting, and better survivability.
