New Age Trawler/Motorsailer; Kite assisted PowerYacht

I am quite intrigued by these pictures. Thank you for posting.
One seams to be on a good stream of wind.
Height motion? Like my kite as a kid?
Well I have a lot to reassess in my mind, perhaps I am thinking to much as a sailing gear, and it is not, it is closer to a flying gear almost. So the rules are different.
It caught my interest and I have to put my mind ready for something very unusual and very far from my own logic.
Not an easy task for a stubborn like me.
I am going to start reading seriously about that kite propulsion.

I will be not left behind

Daniel

 

When they come down with size and price, and that will happen soon, that will become the standard "get home" propulsion on every other long range boat.
And we will see many more single engine "trawlers" than today.

I am following them since the very beginning, a very impressive story.

Richard

 

Things are not being easy for Skysails in spite of the enormous effort they are doing. I've met them last spring in Vigo where they gave another presentation on the system and the present development and commercializing stage.

Although the system already pays for itself in three or four years when used in the right ship and route, I think they will be able to come down with prices when production is at full speed. Anyway I think it's going to take time since it comes to the yachting industry.

 

"And we will see many more single engine "trawlers" than today."

Most of the oxymoron "fast trawlers" have 2 engines and seldom have enough fuel for a half day of fast travel.

The folks now going offshore in displacement boats ARE ALREADY single engine engine , tho a few will need "get home engines" if the marinization installed is not really industrial strength .

FF

 

Sure, they have no free ride with setting up such business. And they could survive the first years only due to the fact, that the main supporter was a modern thinking, unconventional shipping company, "Beluga".
But recent info made clear, they have the yacht market in focus and are aware of the great potential.

As true, to some extend. Many of the passagemaking displ. vessels today are already single engine, though not all.
The best selling so named "Trawler" on the market comes quite often with a dual engine setup. And if it is single, it has a tiny "get home engine" with a Gori prop.
Thats all belt and suspenders philosophy and shows clearly how inexperienced the customers even in this market segment are.
But here the kite will bite.

Regards
Richard

 

Richard,
Why they didn't start on yacht, it is smaller, less expensive, and far easier to develop?

 

The computer system is a expensive device that does not scale down easily to yacht dimensions (costwise).
And the first supporter was Beluga shipping.

 

Make sense,
I didn't thought about the computer angle.
Thanks

Daniel

 

I dont see the computer as a major cost, the standard fast pc would have enough power

I think the actuators and programing would be the costly items

 

It was meant that way...............thanks.

 

In the paper Brian references above the acquisition and installation cost (2008) was 465,000 euros.........and yearly maintenance about 45,000....... with today's tiny shipping margins it will take some time to recover that.......

 

TAD

I don´t think so. The shipping companies have ordered the system for all newbuild vessels after testing for one and 3 years respectively.

IFO 180 or 380 at 430$ tonne makes the kite cost equivalent to 1200 tonnes of fuel. They are easily burned on one roundtrip EU / US east coast.

 

Update on Omega Sails (Kite)

Hello,

For people interested in smaller kites, here is an link
describing two journeys using the Omega Sail kite.

Mike

http://www.omegasails.com/blog

 

Cute system,

we had that here already in the past discussions.

 

The whole integration of the routing systems and kite flying system was no easy or inexpensive project...less likely a single or several yacht owners would buy into this development cost.

If the fuel prices had continued to skyrocket they wouldn't be experiencing as much trouble selling this idea to the big guys...the shipowners. And you can bet this will eventually happen in the not to distant future...big fuel prices coming.

Meanwhile I suspect there is a growing interest from the yachting groups that a few select applications could be good publizity for SkySails...maybe why they might consider this at the moment...until fuel prices force the issues.