Wind Assistance

Although still considered visionary, designs for wind assistance continue to be pursued, and shipping may well return to the power source it abandoned a century or so ago. Three approaches are being pursued.

• Sail. Advances in materials, automation and designs (as well as high fuel costs) may open a role for modern sails, particularly on vessels with clear flat decks, such as tankers and bulkers.
• Wind Turbines. Various turbine designs may offer ways to capture wind energy in a more flexible way than sails, allowing, for example, sailing directly into the wind.
• Kites. Large kites can fly far above a vessel, using the steadier and stronger winds above the boundary layer to pull a ship along.

All these technologies will also gain from optimum route planning, using the winds to maximum effect.