Kite-Powered Ships

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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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i wouldn't like to be in one of those during some kind of storm. (or any boat, for that matter)

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.

By FishGuyDave (not verified) on 21 Jan 2008 #permalink

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