Boats for sale

It must’ve required quite a brainstorming to invent this one. Not to invent, but even to conceive. But once you look at it you come to think that equipping a catamaran with a “windmill” instead of a sail is but a natural and logical thing to do. We still use the wind but in a different, innovative way.

The idea is brilliant and simple. This 36’ Catamaran, Revelation II – which is undoubtedly the best possible name for a boat like that – is powered by a 3 blade (20 feet long each) carbon fiber propeller on a 30’ rotating mast. The windmill transmits power to an underwater propeller. A construction like that ensures that the boat can sail even directly against the wind.

Certainly, it’s rather disputable whether such “windmill catamarans” are of great use, and if they are – then why aren’t there any happy owners sailing back and forth on Revelation-like catamarans? It’s also interesting whether such a boat can for instance go into the wind if wind and water drag are offset by the forward propulsion generated. And is the photo on the left a real one or a compilation?

Anyway it’s not the point. It’s quite possible that tomorrow is with such boats, although a windmill sailboat definitely lacks a traditional sailboat charm. After all going under sail is always an adventure whereas going under a windmill is – at the moment – some sort of hi-tech delirious fantasy. And some will never give up a good old sail and replace it with a windmill. It’s just not the same. The sail will never lose its everlasting romantic twist.

Sources: http://www.treehugger.com/