Vertical Sailing Craft to circumnavigate Antarctica at 1 knot

[rwatson]

Here's a concept for masochists - drifting and sailing in the "roaring forties" for two years.

Famous polar explorer Jean-Louise Etienne wants to study the Southern Ocean in great detail, drifting in a "vertical" sailing ship similar to those upending oil rigs.

Seems to have a lot of thought and research POLAR POD - Jean-Louis Etienne - Explorateur https://www.oceanpolaire.org/en/polar-pod/

 

[JamesG123]

That is quite the hazard to navigation.

 

[Rurudyne]

The "sails" for drift correction? And, though it didn't mention it, maybe a bit of damping?

An interesting concept.

Call it the "Congress" because every two years it goes no where.

 

[Dejay]

Sounds like a marketing campaign for the next "The Thing" movie. I've read enough Lovecraft to know the deep sea and antarctica is bad news!

 

[Ilan Voyager]

It's not for masochists, it's for serious scientists and a very interesting and serious project. The primary concept the deep vertical pod is already well known and has been used successfully.

 

[fallguy]

Interesting, but the Titanic comes to mind. Ice is tuff stuff.

I wish them the best.

 

[Angélique]

Below the video from the link in post #1:

There is no floating ship more stable than a vertical ship, FLIP when vertical moves less than 3" up/down in 30' waves, and also hardly moves in any other direction whatever the sea conditions are . . .

FLIP (FLoating Instrument Platform)

 

[Angélique]

That is quite the hazard to navigation.

No hazard to navigation at all, it will let everybody know where it is.

 

[Dejay]

There is no floating ship more stable than a vertical ship. FLIP when vertical moves less than 3" up/down in 30' waves, and also hardly moves in any other direction whatever the sea conditions are .

How does that compare to a swath ship?

 

[Angélique]

Interesting, but the Titanic comes to mind. Ice is tuff stuff.

At a speed of 1 knot there's time enough to detect icebergs, which BTW sail by the same currents and winds, so it would be hard to meet if one wants to, and then due to the great depth and mass of both while moving in the same direction it can't be more than a soft touch by the ballast end of the vertical ship to the iceberg, while both are vertically moving the same, so no hazard at all.

 

[Angélique]

How does that compare to a swath ship?

Due to the twin hulls you'll never get the same stability from a SWATH, but to get close you have to scale the SWATH to the same proportions as a vertical FLIP to get a near FLIP stability, a SWATH is about stable efficient speed, a vertical ship is only about stability.

 

[JosephT]

He's going to be closer to icebergs for sure. It will be interesting to see if this vertical vessel can maneuver around them in gale winds, which are pretty much 24/7 down there. This looks like it will be a smoother ride though compared to surface vessels. I will be following this unique expedition.

 

[Angélique]

Think the biggest hazard would be a lee shore which he can't fight away from by his sails, but if the shore has enough slope then beside getting stuck with the ballast end it won't do much to him I suppose, however he might need to be towed off a few times, but there are most of the time no ships around there, think I would install a diesel and a prop to change course and avoid any of those lee shore groundings.

 

[JamesG123]

It would take a lot of thrust to affect the momentum of something so massive and draggy. Probably its only option will be to blow out its ballast go "horizontal" and "boat" its way back out to sea.

No hazard to navigation at all, it will let everybody know where it is.

Since it effectively can't maneuver, and has to be maneuvered around, it is by definition a navigational hazard.

 

[Angélique]

It's known days ahead that it needs to be maneuvered around, so it's a simple navigational task, not a hazard.