I dont use a spinnaker, just too complicated for a simple minded
person like me, but I have been wondering...

SO....Useless idea #3437

What would happen if you put up a very large helium filled balloon
several hundred ft where there is really good wind, say in the trade
winds and attached it to your deck? Could you steer?

I suppose you'd need control lines, and it'd have to be symetrical; with one
hell of a long pole....

I think it'd just pull you along however it wanted....

On 29 Oct 2003 10:41:31 -0800, (Parallax) wrote:

I dont use a spinnaker, just too complicated for a simple minded
person like me, but I have been wondering...

SO....Useless idea #3437

What would happen if you put up a very large helium filled balloon
several hundred ft where there is really good wind, say in the trade
winds and attached it to your deck? Could you steer?

(Parallax) schrieb:

What would happen if you put up a very large helium filled balloon
several hundred ft where there is really good wind, say in the trade
winds and attached it to your deck? Could you steer?

Do you mean something similar like that:
http://www.skysails.de/en/home.html

T:-)m Berger

--
ArchTools: Architektur-Werkzeuge für AutoCAD (TM)
ArchDIM - architekturgerechte Bemaßung und Höhenkoten
ArchAREA - Flächenermittlung und Raumbuch nach DIN 277
Info und Demo unter http://www.archtools.de

Wow....Fly one and watch all the protest flags flappin' in the breeze
from the other racers....(c;



On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 21:52:03 +0100, Tom Berger
wrote:

(Parallax) schrieb:

What would happen if you put up a very large helium filled balloon
several hundred ft where there is really good wind, say in the trade
winds and attached it to your deck? Could you steer?

Do you mean something similar like that:
http://www.skysails.de/en/home.html

T:-)m Berger

--
ArchTools: Architektur-Werkzeuge für AutoCAD (TM)
ArchDIM - architekturgerechte Bemaßung und Höhenkoten
ArchAREA - Flächenermittlung und Raumbuch nach DIN 277
Info und Demo unter http://www.archtools.de


Larry W4CSC

"Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"

Larry W4CSC wrote:
Wow....Fly one and watch all the protest flags flappin' in the breeze
from the other racers....(c;

Yeah, but 5,000 square meters of sail up a couple of hundred feet up in
the air stream would make hull speed a non issue! The problem would
become keeping the boat IN the water. :-)

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

One would assume we could make a smaller, more-manageable wing for
sailboats....

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 19:01:45 -0500, Glenn Ashmore
wrote:



Larry W4CSC wrote:
Wow....Fly one and watch all the protest flags flappin' in the breeze
from the other racers....(c;

Yeah, but 5,000 square meters of sail up a couple of hundred feet up in
the air stream would make hull speed a non issue! The problem would
become keeping the boat IN the water. :-)

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com



Larry W4CSC

"Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"

(Larry W4CSC) wrote in message ...
Wow....Fly one and watch all the protest flags flappin' in the breeze
from the other racers....(c;



On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 21:52:03 +0100, Tom Berger
wrote:

(Parallax) schrieb:

What would happen if you put up a very large helium filled balloon
several hundred ft where there is really good wind, say in the trade
winds and attached it to your deck? Could you steer?

Do you mean something similar like that:
http://www.skysails.de/en/home.html

T:-)m Berger

--
ArchTools: Architektur-Werkzeuge für AutoCAD (TM)
ArchDIM - architekturgerechte Bemaßung und Höhenkoten
ArchAREA - Flächenermittlung und Raumbuch nach DIN 277
Info und Demo unter http://www.archtools.de


Larry W4CSC

"Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"

Hmmm, the sky sail thing,proof that not so great minds think alike.
Whats that principle where evolution occurs in seperate species
achieving the same result? Same thing happens with bad ideas.

Tom Berger wrote in message . ..
(Parallax) schrieb:

What would happen if you put up a very large helium filled balloon
several hundred ft where there is really good wind, say in the trade
winds and attached it to your deck? Could you steer?

Do you mean something similar like that:
http://www.skysails.de/en/home.html

T:-)m Berger

Hmm, I see Useless idea #3438 (based on Useless Idea #3732)coming on
......

So, connect the skysail to the craft using the "dacron 12 mm caving
rope with 4 copper wire conductors down the center" to allow you to
power the navigation light which will be mounted on the sail (to avoid
collisions with low flying aircraft) ;-)

Mark

I wonder what would happen in a storm with some lightning?
Could be popular in and around FL ;-)
May be the BBQ could be lit this way ;-)
--
c ya Wim
www.cruising.ca/thousand/f-index.html


"Mark" wrote in message
om...
: Tom Berger wrote in message
. ..
: (Parallax) schrieb:
:
: What would happen if you put up a very large helium filled balloon
: several hundred ft where there is really good wind, say in the trade
: winds and attached it to your deck? Could you steer?
:
: Do you mean something similar like that:
: http://www.skysails.de/en/home.html
:
: T:-)m Berger
:
: Hmm, I see Useless idea #3438 (based on Useless Idea #3732)coming on
: .....
:
: So, connect the skysail to the craft using the "dacron 12 mm caving
: rope with 4 copper wire conductors down the center" to allow you to
: power the navigation light which will be mounted on the sail (to avoid
: collisions with low flying aircraft) ;-)
:
: Mark

Mary Poppins used an umbrella. That would be cheaper.

What would happen if you put up a very large helium filled balloon
several hundred ft where there is really good wind, say in the trade
winds and attached it to your deck? Could you steer?