This is just an unresearched idea so no for of feasibility, but what about helical windmills to generate electricity to augment power to a motor, ala hybrid gasoline/electric cars?
Largest cargo sailboat completes first Atlantic crossing
21–30 of 281 posts
Re: Largest cargo sailboat completes first Atlantic crossing
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
> or find a way to keep human crew happy on long, slow voyages across the Pacific. The few people I know who pursued jobs on boats did so because they liked being out at sea, away from land. Combine that with the modern availability of high speed internet via Starlink and entertainment is not a problem.
> The few people I know who pursued jobs on boats did so because they liked being out at sea, away from land. Maybe it wasn't just the land they were getting away from.
Not sure if you ever been at full sea. I was once, well I wasn’t working just visiting but it was kind of outer world feeling.
I lived by the sea my whole life so sea on its own was not much special for me but being on the ship anchored in the middle of water with no land in sight was just different.
Re: Largest cargo sailboat completes first Atlantic crossing
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
> or find a way to keep human crew happy on long, slow voyages across the Pacific. The few people I know who pursued jobs on boats did so because they liked being out at sea, away from land. Combine that with the modern availability of high speed internet via Starlink and entertainment is not a problem.
Spent 13 years at sea, loved every minute. I actually liked it better before phones and Internet came onboard.
What did you do with your time and enjoy?
Re: Largest cargo sailboat completes first Atlantic crossing
#24> The 136-metre-long vessel had to rely partly on its auxiliary motor and its remaining sail after the aft sail was damaged in a storm shortly after departure. Well, that's a bummer. That said, this does seem the way of the future. We just need to either figure out maintenance robots and/or find a way to keep human crew happy on long, slow voyages across the Pacific.
You've got to be kidding. Using a fully sail powered cargo vessel is a PR stunt, not the way of the future. Regular motorized cargo vessels will probably use some form of sails to slightly reduce fuel burn on downwind legs but it's physically impossible to move huge volumes of cargo purely by sail power in an economical way. There just isn't enough energy in the wind.
Modern sailing technology is amazing, and you may want to check it out. Speeds are, literally, 10 times faster (or more) today than the recent past. It’s absolutely astonishing.
The even better news is that the technology is becoming available to the general population and also commercially viable for projects like this.
Re: Largest cargo sailboat completes first Atlantic crossing
#25Fun fact: the fastest way to get around the world by boat is on a sailboat. Wild, but true.
Re: Largest cargo sailboat completes first Atlantic crossing
#26“The Neoliner Origin is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 90 per cent compared to conventional diesel-powered cargo ships.”
Is it cheaper?
Re: Largest cargo sailboat completes first Atlantic crossing
#27Re: Largest cargo sailboat completes first Atlantic crossing
#28“The Neoliner Origin is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 90 per cent compared to conventional diesel-powered cargo ships.” Is it cheaper?
Are you pricing in the externalities of GHGs?
Re: Largest cargo sailboat completes first Atlantic crossing
#29“The Neoliner Origin is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 90 per cent compared to conventional diesel-powered cargo ships.” Is it cheaper?
Are you pricing in the externalities of GHGs?
No.
If it isn’t cheaper it isn’t on the board for the next decade or two outside niche routes. The hard part is in making it economically viable. We already know sailboats work.
Re: Largest cargo sailboat completes first Atlantic crossing
#30“The Neoliner Origin is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 90 per cent compared to conventional diesel-powered cargo ships.” Is it cheaper?
If you take climate change externalities into account, it just might be. Sure, your chocolate might be a bit more expensive, but at least your descendants will have some chocolate at all.