SAIL TANKERS!

A Newsweek article is too appealing to not mention--SAIL TANKERS! These aren't just sails, they're "smart" sails that calculate and chart the most efficient course for the ship:

June 26, 2006 issue
File this under "what's old is new again." A German company is introducing sails it says may help propel ships across the sea cheaper and faster than modern engines.

SkySails' system consists of an enormous towing kite and navigation software that can map the best route between two points for maximum wind efficiency. In development for more than four years, the system costs from roughly $380,000 to $3.2 million, depending on the size of the ship it's pulling. SkySails claims it will save one third of fuel costs. It recently signed its first contract with Beluga Shipping of Bremen, Germany, for one kite, but says it expects to sell 300 more within five years. Beluga says that the giant kite will help the company meet environmental regulations as well as cut fuel costs.

The sail systems are meant as a retrofit technology that can work with any cargo ship as well as yachts of more than 79 feet. Ships can use their engines to begin and end voyages and use sail power in lieu of engines for the middle portion. Use both, and you go even faster.

—Linda Stern

Click here to see a picture. Admittedly there must be an oil cost in manufacturing the sail but it looks like the EROEI is likely to be really favorable!