Kite to pull ship across Atlantic (photo update)

Photo update to this article



Photo © Reuters/Scanpix

(more below)

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Kite to pull ship across Atlantic

Story from BBC NEWS

The world's first commercial cargo ship partially powered by a giant kite is setting sail from Germany to Venezuela.

The designers of the MS Beluga Skysails say the computer-controlled kite, measuring 160sq m (1,722sq ft), could cut fuel consumption by as much as 20%.

They also hope the state-of-the-art kite will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as it tugs the ship.

Fuel burnt by ships accounts for 4% of global CO2 emissions - twice as much as the aviation industry produces.

The MS Beluga SkySails' maiden transatlantic voyage is from the northern port of Bremerhaven to Guanta in Venezuela. The ship is expected to leave the German port at 1700 local time (1600 GMT).

It's kind of back to the future
Verena Frank, Beluga Shipping

The BBC's Steve Rosenberg, on board the vessel, says the computer will enable the kite to harness the full power of the wind.

"The maiden voyage marks the beginning of the practical testing during regular shipping operations of the SkySails System," says Stephan Wrage, managing director of SkySails GmbH.

"During the next few months we will finally be able to prove that our technology works in practice and significantly reduces fuel consumption and emissions," he said on the company's website.

Free energy

"We're absolutely excited," said Verena Frank, project manager at Beluga Shipping GmbH, SkySails GmbH's partner.

She told the BBC's World Today programme that the project's core concept was "using wind energy as auxiliary propulsion power and using wind as a free of charge energy".

"Nevertheless, it differs very much from traditional sailing, as we do not have any bothersome mast on deck which might be a hindrance to cargo-loading operations."

Ms Frank said the efficiency of the kite depended on wind and weather conditions.

But the advantage of the SkySails system "is that you do not need only backward winds - there can also be side winds and you can still set sail," she said.

She said the kite could be used on medium-size cargo ships, cruise liners and trawlers.

HOW THE KITE SHIP WORKS

• The kite sail will help reduce annual fuel costs by 10-35%. Reduced fuel also means fewer harmful carbon emissions
  
• The large towing kite resembles a paraglider and is shaped like an aircraft wing, to enable it to take advantage of different wind directions
  
• It operates at 100-300m above surface level - much higher than a normal sailing craft - where winds are stronger and more stable
  
• The kite can be used in winds of between 12-74km/h (7-40 knots) and not just when the wind is blowing directly from behind the ship
  

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Winter Sailing

by William Tuthill

Greetings All

I should be preparing for WISSA 2008, but today- this WHOLE week is unseasonably warm. It is global warming ;-((

We needed to move a boat from Newport, Rhode Island to New Bedford, Massachusetts. It is only about 40 nautical miles, but it involves going out into waters that are usually dangerous at this time of year. Today was more like a day in October than a day in January. +15C and sunny with a SW breeze. The boat was a Tayana 64. She is a blue water cruiser with an interior that is nicer than most people's homes.


We left Newport motoring into the wind and waves, and turned East to pick up our course. At that point the hydraulic powered head sail was released and our speed cracked 10 knots. The boat was surfing the chop as we ate and talked. It was peaceful and warm. One week ago this same place was violent and freezing- by next week it will be that way also. It is January and winter is supposed to be here to
stay.



Today was rare. There is only one month left until WISSA 2008 http://www.wissa2008.org/ Get psyched- get ready- see you there :-)

THINK ICE!!!!!

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WISSA 2008: Report from the Spot

Subject: WISSA 2008



The club house. Race committee HQ and possible gear storage/ waxing station. This is on the lake.



The main lodging. Maybe the architect liked Howard Johnson's ?



But check out the back yard! The WHOLE resort is OURS for the week!



Lost on the lake? Head for the twin steeples.



This is where meals, ceremonies, the Trade Mission, and many other activities take place. It is on the lake near the clubhouse. Everything is close. The main lodging at the mountain is connected by free shuttle bus.

Welcome to the land where the mountains meet the sea. Fresh shellfish, lobsters, and all manner of fruits de la Mer can be enjoyed with upland game, Maple syrup, and a rich array of locally farmed produce. Local dairy products are excellent as are the many items produced using the region's copious raspberries and blueberries.

The Gaspe is truly majestic. The geography and culture are special and unique to North America.

Its position down wind and up from the generally ice free gulf of St Lawrence makes it a catch basin for beaucoup de poudre and the winds are always cranking.

One whole side of Lac Matapedia is undeveloped wilderness. There are 3 towns on the lake and it is possible to sail from one to the next.

10-17 Feb.
This is a first installment. PLEASE plan on coming
Will

p.s. Bon Noel

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The Wild Sports You’ve Got To Try

Pretty funny post on BlueZeal News which puts Winter Kiting and Space Travel together as extreme sports worth trying.

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Rustler Ice

Here is the picture to illustrate the kind of ice described by Barney Kenney in the previous post. We call it "Rustler" in Novosibirsk. The photo is recent by Vladimir Travnikov. Enjoy the sound of thin ice needles crumbling.

By the way, the ice on the Ob' Sea of Novosibirsk is gone now and Vladimir Zakharov is testing his new Flysurfer kites on Azov Sea. I am planning to translate and post his reports in the next couple days.

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Still ice in Alberta!

By William Tuthill
Hey guys!
This is a report from Alberta where the spring ice sailing season is still going strong. It often stays good until Victoria Day weekend [that would be Memorial Day in the U.S.]!

What I like about this report is that it shows an in depth understanding of the factors that influence sailing conditions.

We all understand them in our own way, but THIS is well said.

By Barney Kenney

I am currently trying out a new method for making skis. If it works well and is economic, I may try selling a few. My preference is still to license the technology.

I was out at Spray again yesterday in strong gusty winds. Conditions were slushy because there was a snow/rain fall the night before. Normally the surface is fast and dry. Here's some of the physics.

The +15 C is produced by Chinook winds during the day. Westerly flow of warm moist Pacific air is forced upslope on the west side of the Rockies which causes rain and releases latent heat to the air. The downslope flow on the east side is therefore hotter and drier than at the same altitude on the west side. Often much hotter and drier.

Melt water produced by the warm dry wind either evaporates immediately or drains vertically along the candle boundaries and keeps the surface dry. (It is this vertical drainage that actually causes the ice to candle). Best time of year for ice sailing!

When it is clear, stability produced by back radiation decouples the surface from the westerly flow aloft at night. The surface wind stops and the temperature falls to below zero overnight. This helps to tighten everything up.

There is still a danger factor, however, because the ice sheet may be eroding from below by heat transported by baroclinic currents and stream inflows; the later you sail into spring, the more care is required.

It helps to know what you're doing, what to look for, and where not to go. We carry ice picks and drill test holes daily. It also helps if you have a board that can sail on water. Even then, one occasionally gets wet - but that's another story.

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