On Nov 17, 12:53*pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:28:04 -0800 (PST), Joe

wrote:
Do you plan to use the captured energy to supply house loads or to use
it as recharge/propulsion when the wind dies?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Both would be the goal.....zero emissions. They have some very good
re-generative systems and nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion
batteries. The boat would have plenty of room for some huge battery
banks.

You could probably supply house loads with just solar panels and/or
wind generators. * However I'm a bit skeptical about standby
propulsion regardless of battery banks size. * By the time you drag
props that are big enough to capture significant power, you'd be
adding enough drag to considerably slow the boat.

From personal experience I know any drag from the prop can easily be
made up from the sails. A controllable variable pitch prop will play
an important part in tuning in the best input with the least drag.

*On the other hand
if you are just looking for talking points in a marketing plan, what
the heck.

Marketing is important for any company, but developing a heavy cargo
transport system that uses only the wind as a source of power could
change the world for the better IMO. It worked for thousands of years
before oil was discovered.and should work for thousands of years after
cheap oil.

Joe