The Vermont Sail Freight Project

[Thagarr]

This is one of the coolest stories I have found in all my years of searching for stories to post on PA. There is a small cargo sailing project underway on the Hudson river that delivers goods from farmers upriver downstream to farmers markets and ports along the river to New York. The cargo is delivered on a custom built sailing barge called Ceres. I couldn't begin to describe this project accurately in the short amount of time I have to write this article, so I will let the people involved do it in their own words. I ran across this Youtube video posted a little over a year ago.

There is a much better article written up over at CivilEats.com that does a much better job of explaining what is going on. They also have a video posted that was done by the New Yorker Magazine. You can read that article, and I highly recommend you do, HERE! This is one fantastic project that I really hope catches on worldwide! You can read much more about the project, the barge design and much more over at their Wordpress blog page HERE!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I know there is a project somewhere to start operating with some sort of clipper style ship as well.

When we're thinking of more modern types of wind propulsion, there is also this:

And this:

My real life job has me involved with both types of ships.
Currently working on voyage simulations with that second ship, for example.

Wind propulsion may just make a come-back!

 

[Thagarr]

That second one looks pretty cool, at least the sail structure looks a lot more traditional. That first one though is just down right ugly, efficiency and productivity aside. I have read a few articles on modern day sail, it is quite a cool concept and quite fascinating for sure. Sounds like you are enjoying your new job too!

Personally however, my opinion is if it aint broke, don't fix it. Traditional sail seems to be doing quite fine the way it is!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

That second one looks pretty cool, at least the sail structure looks a lot more traditional. That first one though is just down right ugly, efficiency and productivity aside. I have read a few articles on modern day sail, it is quite a cool concept and quite fascinating for sure. Sounds like you are enjoying your new job too!

Indeed the Flettner Rotors will never win a price for beauty. And efficiency isn't incredible yet either.
But you have to start somewhere. And I'm very glad something is actually being done with these ideas.
Especially considering that the Flettner idea was first tried at full scale in 1926(!) and Jacques Cousteau made a similar concept work on the Alcyone in 1980-1985.

Personally however, my opinion is if it aint broke, don't fix it. Traditional sail seems to be doing quite fine the way it is!

I do like traditional sailing vessels! I can imagine them not being efficient enough for modern cargo shipping, but there is something that only a ship under full sail has.
If there's one thing I would still like to do some time, it would be to sail (and ideally work as an officer) on one of those old style ships.

 

[Thagarr]

I do like traditional sailing vessels! I can imagine them not being efficient enough for modern cargo shipping, but there is something that only a ship under full sail has.
If there's one thing I would still like to do some time, it would be to sail (and ideally work as an officer) on one of those old style ships.

Yeah, those big shipping corporations only look at one thing, the bottom line. Speed and money is everything to them.

I also ran across this video earlier today, I had never heard of the reproduction before! I am seriously considering a move to the East coast!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Yeah, those big shipping corporations only look at one thing, the bottom line. Speed and money is everything to them.

Can't blame 'em. They do try to make a profit and their ships looking awesome is probably not going to make that happen.
I'm still glad at least some companies are willing to try new stuff with using the wind. Even if it doesn't look as awesome as old-fashioned tall ships.

 

[Thagarr]

Can't blame 'em. They do try to make a profit and their ships looking awesome is probably not going to make that happen.

In my opinion though, that is the problem, all these mega-corps look at is the bottom line, they do not consider anything else. I certainly understand the need for a company to make a profit, what I don't understand is that factor being the only thing considered when making a decision. Wood and canvas are renewable, relatively sustainable and comparatively non polluting. It is also a lot tougher to sink a properly maintained wooden vessel. There are many instances where using canvas and wood make a lot more sense than using steel vessels that require gas and oil, along with all the other not so environmentally friendly processes that go in to making all 3. The above article is a very good example.

I am certainly no tree-huger, and perhaps I am more than a little influenced by the nostalgia and romance of the era. I am not suggesting that the big container ships or tankers should be replaced by wooden sailing vessels, they certainly have their place in today world. I just don't understand why wooden sailing vessels no longer have a place in todays economy, outside the niche story's above, they did help to build it after all.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Economically, I understand that wooden ships with canvas sails don't really work for serious cargo ships anymore.
They can still serve as brilliant cruiseships, though.

It does seem that new developments like the Dynarig I am currently involved in researching are similar in use to conventional sails, but much more efficient.
Since they can be remote-controlled, you would also require a much smaller crew.
Indeed doesn't have the same look to it, though.

I don't think wooden ships being harder to sink would be much of a consideration. You have to do real stupid things to sink a well-built modern steel ship.
Or something REAL weird and unexpected would have to happen. The biggest safety issue on modern ships is fire. And wooden ships are a lot worse on that, I'm afraid.

That being said, I can confirm there IS a lot of stupidity going on at sea these days.
And it is quite possible for stupid people to sink even well-built ships, no matter if they're steel or wood.