A cargo ship with 123-foot ‘WindWing’ sails has just departed on its maiden voyage::Retrofitted with 123-foot ‘WindWings,’ ‘Pyxis Ocean’ is testing two giant sails on its six-week journey from China to Brazil.
I appreciate this headline referring to them directly as “sails” and not trying to dress it up as some crazy new invention.
The idea is cool, and there’s cool new tech involved. It’s a great example of how we can fight climate change by finding better ways - even updates on old ways - to solve problems (technology alone will not solve climate change but that’s a separate discussion).
But it’s hard for anyone to take it seriously when breathless tech writers insist on describing sailing as a “Pioneering new breakthrough in maritime technology” or whatever. Sometimes the playbook just doesn’t fit, and it really shows.
Everything old made new again. I was watching a video the other day making a strong case for electric airships for short trips. They’re not as fast as planes but are far more efficient.
Yeah just don’t make the balloons out of thermite and fill them with hydrogen.
Oh man I remember reading articles about this kind of tech in magazines like Popular Mechanics and Popular Science ages ago on how in the future ships might use these rigid sails to save fuel. They were always portrayed as being right around the corner, even though it was clearly not the case.
Wind is finally cheaper than oil and gas. 🙃
I too remember reading about this ships already 30y ago in the German P.M. mag.
I would consider this like a hybrid vehicle. The sails reduce the emissions but you’re still relying heavily on bunker fuel.
The real question is how much is the retrofitting vs the cost saved through the ship’s life.
There was a famous non-cargo ship that had these when I was a kid.
