Craig is temporarily a post-doctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who is looking for a permanent position. He spends most of his time balancing his overwhelming geekdom with normalcy so he can function in the real world. Luckily his wife likes his geekiness.
Peter Etnoyer is a Graduate Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He studies deep corals and ocean fronts, and he loves to be on the water.
Kevin Zelnio is a Graduate Student Researcher at Penn State studying the ecology of hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities. He raises awareness of the plight of the spineless through folk music.
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Category: Conservation & Environment • Vessels and Equipment
Posted on: January 20, 2008 10:00 PM, by CR McClain
From the Telegraph via Neatorama...
Inventor Stephan Warge has devised a 160 sq meter kite, based on kitesurfing rigs, that can be attached to commercial ships to reduce diesel consumption. Warge figures the SkySail can reduce fuel consumption by 20% ($1600 a day). The new sail will be tested this Tuesday aboard the 462ft cargo vessel MS Beluga on a voyage from Germany to Venezuela.
You can view a great animation of the whole deployment and utilization process here.
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Comments
i wouldn't like to be in one of those during some kind of storm. (or any boat, for that matter)
Posted by: medfly | January 21, 2008 7:11 AM
Having been on a 54' fishing boat in 12' seas during a tropical storm, I can say with some authority that I'd take a 462' ship over a small boat any day! In all seriousness, the first thought for those ships in bad weather is safety, cargo, then cost savings, and in that order -- my guess is that these sails would be stowed by the ships during anything but (relatively) flat seas.
Posted by: FishGuyDave | January 21, 2008 9:24 AM
i never saw thing like that. Wow, amazing... masterminds :) Im not sure about full trip working but we will see. 160 sq/m not so big. On the picture looking bigger
Posted by: banner man | January 25, 2008 1:12 AM