The Captain Arctic was launched from its building dock at the Chantier Naval de l’Ocean Indien (CNOI) in Mauritius.

Set to be delivered later this year, the 36-passenger expedition vessel will be the first to join the fleet of startup Selar Expeditions.

According to an update shared by the company’s CEO and Founder Sophie Galvagnon, the ship touched the water for the first time in August.

Before being floated out, the Captain Arctic also saw the installation of its solar sails, a pair of rigid aluminum sails covered by 20,000 square feet of solar panels.

“Our very strong lady explorer, the Captain Arctic, is now on the water with twin sails on,” Galvagnon announced.

She added that Selar’s crew later joined the ship in Mauritius to prepare the operation, while closely monitoring the final construction steps afloat.

CNOI noted that each of the sails weighs ten tons, adding that the installation process required hours of preparation and calculations.

Selar said in late July that construction of the 70-meter-long vessel had surpassed the 75 percent completion mark.

Designed as a near-zero-emissions cruise ship, the Captain Arctic will operate a year-round schedule of expeditions in the Arctic.

The recently installed solar sails are an important part of the vessel’s sustainability goals, allowing it to be powered by the sun and the wind.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the 2,200-ton vessel will be the first in a series of up to ten ships planned by Selar.

The France-based company claims to be the first sustainable shipping company, allowing guests to explore polar areas with minimal environmental impact.

In a past interview, Galvagnon said that the company aims at “showing a different alternative” within the cruise industry, leading the way in a new category aiming for optimum sustainability.