On Sun, 21 Nov 2010 16:52:21 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:
On Sun, 21 Nov 2010 18:47:49 +0000, Justin C
wrote:
This is cutting edge stuff, most anecdotal rebuttals here have been
based on old ideas and technology. Here's a bit more about it:
http://www.matternetwork.com/2010/11...f-cruising.cfm
Several of us have done analyses based on the laws of physics, which
have yet to be repealed by new technology. Water mills are well
understood, have been around for a long time, and do not require the
application of quantum mechanics. A 20 inch prop being dragged
through water at 6 knots can generate somewhere between 1 and 4 KW of
electricity depending on how optimistic your assumptions are. Even
the high end number is not enough to recharge a *large* battery bank
in a reasonable length of time.
The whole thing is basically ludicrous.
Boats have been essentially "green" for centuries, in fact I once
owned a Friendship Sloop that was. No motor, no electric lights, no
navigation gear other then a compass. I sailed up and down on the
coast of Maine with no real problems. Has a little one burner kerosene
stove for cooking and woolen clothes for heating.
The Bugis sailed their schooners around the Java Sea until relatively
recently with no motor, air con, ice makers or fridges, and smaller
boats still do in that area.
I agree that these boats weren't completely green as they used
kerosene for nav lights and cooking but likely less energy then is
taken to make the batteries and motors that power that Million Dollar
Cat that Justen mentioned.
The real question is not how to build a yacht that uses no energy but
how to find a yachtsmen that doesn't demand all those luxuries.
The Pardies have sailed for years with no electricity except for
batteries and no motor and while I dislike Lynn's writing you can't
deny that they have made some impressive voyages - all relatively
green; probably if one includes the energy needed to manufacture all
the various bits needed to build a Green Boat, a far greener boat then
others.
What we need isn't green boats, it is green people.
Cheers,
Brice