Posted on 01/20/2008 3:00:39 PM PST by blam
Isn’t that called a “Sail?”
This is such a great idea, because everyone knows the wind is always at your back.
Thanks for the post Blam. It’s actually fun to watch some of the antics of the mentally green.
So can it “tack” through a headwind?
Uh huh. With the Owl and the Pussycat as captain and first mate.
I think it’s wonderful what “true believers” are willing to inflict on actual people when they don’t have to deal with the day-to-day realities. Sea and wind conditions can change by the moment, and I’m sure deckhands are looking forward to the good old days of taking in sail at midnight, aloft in a squall, and owners really want to double and triple crew sizes so they can abide by the decisions of some drooling socialist government functionary.
It doesn't have to.
It uses prevailing winds for the long haul and then motors to make land fall.
Or it simply winches down in adverse winds and starts engines.
But you may guess what the weakness is.
Ask any sailor.
It has to do with electricity.
Another wangdoodle design idea.
I suppose the price of fuel is driving the idea.
YOu mean the wind isn’t always behind you? Who knew?
The other funny thing about this is going to be watching their investment rip apart and fly away during a squall.
If they only put it up in perfect clear weather with the wind behind, it won’t be up long enough to pay for itself.
Ping
Back in the 1920’s a man named Flettner came up with a wind powered rotor ship which could sail closer to the wind (20-30 degrees) than this oversized kite-surfing rig. It had tall cylinders resembling smokestacks that rotated against the wind direction powered by electric motors. The Cousteau boys built a large trimaran with a similar setup and traveled many nautical miles with it - I was lucky enough to get a tour while they were tied up in Juneau, Alaska in the 90’s.
Based on the chart, they could save the same amount of fuel by going 2 knots slower.
Fine. Whatever. Makes sense to use wind energy, but I’m not about to worship these people for adding a sail to their ship.
LOL
Sail boats are how old?
Been there, done that. Remember the clipper ship Lightening? Faster India to New York. Got its best speed in near-hurricane conditions. Was obsoleted by the steamship, as I recall...
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