Unusual Catamaran with Wind Turbine Propulsion in Guernsey

A video of an unusual catamaran with a wind turbine instead of sails to propel it through the water. It is moored in a marina in Guernsey in the Channel Islands.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Unusual
• catamaran
• with
• wind
• turbine
• propulsion
• in
• Guernsey
• Channel
• Islands
• marina
• yachts
• boats
• harbour

[undry11]

excuse me, what is the exhaust smoke and the cooling water doing coming out of the exhaust pipe on the transom. I didn't know that electric motors need cooling water or that they produce so much fumes...

[MrBooojangles]

@undry11 Don't know, you got me there, I never noticed it before.

[enicao]

what kind of speed do you get (down wind, cross wind and upwind)

[MrBooojangles]

Not my boat, but on the sign that is by it it says it can do a constant maximum speed of 7 knots in any direction regardless of the wind direction.

[iam4godru2]

Forget the danger of getting hit in the head by a sail, watch out for the giant blade cutting you in half!

[R5H4D0W]

center of gravity must be nuts

[adamcturnbull]

what strikes me is if it wasnt done just as a joke, by, as many have claimed, propping up a turbine as it sailed, why didnt he properly video it? I mean you'd think with such a feat you'd at the very least get someone to take video ON the boat or next to the boat. Hence attract a lot less skeptics.

[enliltheone]

@adamcturnbull , i agree, but would it be better if he'd installed a vertical axis windmill instead.. it would've spared him a lot of trouble adjusting the mill towards the wind...

[adamcturnbull]

very interesting idea. I give him kudos for actually making one and not just arting it up as a concept as so many do.

[alphasxsignal]

Dam keep that away from my boat.

[hckie]

@undry11 its been motored to the marina like normal sailboats. The windmill blades are at low angle to the wind so I think its running free and not generating any propulsion/electricity there. My guess is that the inertia of the rotor would make handling a bit more difficult in such a small space so they just motor in.

[m1leswilliams]

@undry11 Also why would a wind powered turbine need a wind turbine on the back too ?!?

[PlanetGreat]

@m1leswilliams I think that you can travel against the wind, ofcourse at a lower speed than the wind, but you will still move towars it. 

[Dan221075]

You have additional seats that mount onto blades. You can then charge $5 per ride. The Carni comes to the marina, yippee.

[nickolastd21]

i know the hull design is a heavenly twins made locally here in Plymouth UK

and the engine would e running because you would be stupid to sail in a marina, and the marina would require you move under power

[1crazyfocker]

@m1leswilliams yes you can. that debate was proven wrong over a year ago. the biggest thing is looking at it wrong. its not drag like how a sail works, its lift. and a cart has been built and managed to travel straight into the wind and go over 2 time fast then the wind was going. and no it dont just keep going faster and faster. its been published try looking it up. this is one of those physics mind benders, like can a plane take off on a tread mill (yes it can). both have been proven, facts