Wind powered expedition yacht?
Imagine saving 30-50% in fuel cost when crossing the Atlantic or Pacific or while cruising in the Caribbean! Skysails from Germany has the solution to achieve that.
m.v. Beaufort, an 800 ton expedition yacht conversion shown in the picture above – I actually saw it in Cartagena last December - is partly powered by a huge kite developed by the German company Skysails. We can’t imagine a greener way to power our ship and this system is available now and in use at even bigger ships such as this 132 m (425 ft.) cargo ship.
The system can be operated from the bridge. Launch & control is achieved with a push of a button. During launch, a telescopic mast lifts the towing kite, which is reefed like an accordion from its storage department. At sufficient height the kite then unfurls to its full size and can be lauched. A winch releases the towing rope until operating altitude has been reached. The recovery process is performed in reverse order.
The system is designed for operation in windforces of 3 to 8 Beaufort. The system can be recovered, but not launched, at windforces below Beaufort 3.
Estimated cost for our particular vessel? I’ll let you know soon. Meanwhile, check out the very informative website of Skysails and the solutions they offer for yachts.
To learn more about how we plan to make this a ‘green’ ship see this blog’s environment section. Watch the video below and also check this one.
