3 ms·
I'm not sure to what extent this will be able to sail under wind power. They mention they will go through canals, which are too narrow to tack against a headwin
by zeteo 14y ago
I'm not sure to what extent this will be able to sail under wind power. They mention they will go through canals, which are too narrow to tack against a headwind. Back in the heyday of canals, sail power was not used much - barges would usually be towed by animals walking alongside the canal. If they're aiming for renewable (as opposed to just plain archaic), solar panels and / or a wind turbine (e.g. [1]) would be significantly superior.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbird_(land_yacht) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbird_(land_yacht)
- HeyLaughingBoy 14y agoI was wondering the same thing. In my merchant marine cadet days I've taken a ship (steam) up the Hudson from the Atlantic to Albany and it's quite a twisty river, sometimes with tall, steep, wind-blocking banks. Assuming they're planning to transit the Hudson, it will be an interesting trip. However, I love stuff like this and if I'm convinced that they can pull it off, I will contribute what I can. Now I'm wondering how many acres of soybeans it would take to power the barge by biodiesel.
- kristianp 14y agoMy first thought, along with "this is a cool idea", was that their design is antiquated. Better sails, lighter materials, and yes solar powered. I suppose they'd like to appeal to people who think that because it's made of wood, and not, say, carbon fibre, then it's more "natural".