sailboat generator

[sparks]

   How about putting together a fleet of specialized sailboats that work the tradewinds. These sailboats, able to capture thousands of horsepower from a 20knot wind, hydrolize seawater and compress and store liquified hydrogen.  Once full, sail into port off load and go get some more.  Right now there is a storm over new england and this baby is generating enough wind energy to power the region for the next year.

[ken_nyus]

Kind of like going out to fish for energy, filling up your cargo hold, and coming back into to market to unload.

[hansvonlieven]

G'day all,

Can someone explain to me how these sailboats are supposed to harness wind power. On a sailboat moving with a 20 knot wind there is NO WIND! The boat is moving at wind-speed, the air on the boat itself is perfectly still.

You can only harness wind with a boat for power generation if you put the boat at anchor. Land is much better for this sort of thing, it is more stable.

Hans von Lieven

[gaby de wilde]

Can someone explain to me how these sailboats are supposed to harness wind power. On a sailboat moving with a 20 knot wind there is NO WIND! The boat is moving at wind-speed, the air on the boat itself is perfectly still.

Now you make me giggle Hans. How could you say something like that? No boat ever moves at wind speed man. LOL! You are joking right? .... pfff I guess not! haha

It reminds me of that time I tried to have a discussion in a sailing newsgroup about sail cars and sail trains. The sailors insisted the wind had to come from straight ahead making the train unworkable in their opinion. ROFL talk about being uninspired??? WTF?? Those where sailors for crying out loud. I'm still recovering from the shock...

The reality is that you can even sail directly upwind.  That would be the only angle where the boat goes slower as the wind. lol

[erickdt]

I think this is a great idea. Put wind turbines on a barge if you want to.