The vessel, which was previously a commercial diving boat, underwent a retrofit, repower and refurbishment operation, at a cost of USD 4 million.

[1] In addition to its main power train, which consists of Tier 2 marine diesel engines, the Hornblower Hybrid uses power generated by two ten-foot-tall twisted Savonius wind turbines and a photovoltaic solar array covering the awning on the top deck.

For example, when the boat is idle at the dock, the engines may shut off so that the motors may run on energy stored in the battery banks.

A significant portion of the interior signage is printed on Plyboo, a composite material made from sustainable sources and containing no harmful chemicals.

In 2008, the operator announced it hoped to achieve 75% fuel consumption reduction thanks to the San Francisco Hornblower Hybrid's technology,[1] however no independent evaluation of the vessel's ecological impact has been published.