Wind-Powered Tall Ships Are Once Again Important As Oil Prices Hurt Trade
Sometimes it takes an energy crisis to make us realize the value of old technology. As oil prices soar, tall wind-powered ships are looking like an increasingly viable alternative.
The first commercial cargo of French wine to be transported by sailboat in the modern era is due to arrive in Dublin this week after a six-day trip. The 108 year-old British boat, chartered by French shipping company Compagnie de Transport Maritime a la Voile (CMTV), is carrying 30,000 bottles of wine.
Though the ship travels at a top speed of eight knots— half the speed of a modern cargo vessel—it is completely pollution-free. The 50,000 other merchant ships traveling the world emit 800 million tons of carbon dioxide each year.
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The Kathleen & May spent most of its life transporting coal and clay. It was taken out of commercial service in 1960. Now it’s once again hard at work, as CMTV has contracted for 80 vineyard owners from southern France to carry their wine bottles to Ireland on the ship. The company is also working on another deal to bring Irish whiskey and scotch to France using the boat, and it eventually plans on building its own tall ships for transport.
CMTV may be on to something; according to the French Association of Shipowners, wind-powered boats could capture .5% of the commercial shipping market. This may not sound like much—until you consider that 90% of the world’s traded goods are transported via boat.
Tall ships may move a bit slower than fossil-fuel powered ships, but their minimal environmental impact could make them sea trade’s best hope for the future.
There is also Alcyone, commissioned by the Cousteau Society, which supplements its diesel engines with a Turbosail to harness power from the wind.
Very interesting - thanks for the tip!
I’d sure like to know more about this. What’s this story’s source, and why isn’t it credited or linked?
John - the original story is linked in the first paragraph. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.
With the high price of oil, tall ships are appearing again. A French sailing ship just delivered a cargo of wine to Ireland. Although they travel at half the speed of conventional cargo vessels, they require no fuel (in the form of petrochemicals, at least - the crew still has to eat).
In related news, Halliburton has filed a patent with the Bush administration giving them credit for wind.
Ariel-
Do you have any idea what kind of manning a vsl like this requires? I cant imagine there are a whole lot of crews capable of handling a vsl like this.
To defend shipping for a second too, i work for an owner, we (the industry of course) carry 90% of the worlds cargo (or trade) yet only create 6% of the carbon emissions while another 18% of the worlds carbon dioxide pollution comes from other transportation. So please don’t be coming down on one of the cleanest and most efficient modes of transport in the world. I do agree that we could be more efficient. These efficiencies would lead to lower prices for everyone in everything, but until something more viable and reliable than wind power comes along. We must stay with using Heavy Fuel oils (which is just waste distillates from refineries).
wow, that’s a wonderful blog and as far as this blog post goes, it’s nice to see that people are doing things to keep things green even though they just want to save money, till the time it’s helping the enviornment, it’s cool!
One single company is using one single ship to move one luxury product. I don’t think the headline is justified by this.
Wind powered cargo vessels.Wow! What a great concept.
The only natural way of travel that man ever invented but discarded it as being inefficient for the job.Using the power of the earths resources to propel a ship.
With solar panels supplying electricity and winches to lower and trim sails this could be done with a small crew.
This issue comes up again and again every time there’s an oil crisis.
Actually you really don’t need a big crew with modern sailing technology. A good example is the Maltese Falcon and her revolutionary sailing system:http://www.symaltesefalcon.com/index2.asp
To us who love tall ships in would certainly be great news to see another reason for developing sailing technology.
I had a chance to she her sailing last summer here in Palma de Mallorca, really impressive!.
Regards.