Age of sail 2 full#

It improves on a number of features of the original Age of Sail and proves to be an enjoyable slice of maritime action and strategy.

Wingsails are a one-time investment, after which the wind is yours to use for free.Nautical buffs who like the idea of venturing into the glory days of the 18th and 19th centuries and then blowing stuff up would be well advised to take a closer look at Age of Sail II. ThereвЂ™s been some research into using green fuels like hydrogen or synthetic hydrocarbons made from biomass, but those fuels are an expensive and ongoing cost. The shipping industry is well aware of its carbon footprint but has no economical alternatives to burning diesel. Sailboats built for ice racing run on blades that have very low friction, and when sailing abeam easily reach speeds 3X that of the wind. The top speed is limited primarily by friction between its hull and the water. With this geometry the speed of the boat can exceed the speed of the wind. Greater speeds can be reached when the wind blows (nearly) perpendicular to the vessel - a direction sailors call abeam (as is shown in the graphic). With a direct tailwind, after the speed of the ship reaches the speed of the wind, no further increase in speed is possible. One of the counterintuitive facts about sail propulsion is that the greatest speed is not obtained when the wind comes from directly behind the ship. In practice, multiple sails could be used given the length of cargo ships. Only a single wingsail is shown for the same reason. The vector diagram shows a keel just to keep the visualization simpler. The long body of the ship serves as a keel, preventing the wind from moving the boat sideways (much). I should point out that most large cargo ships (like the one in the top photo) donвЂ™t really have actual keels like regular sailboats. Surprisingly, the order in which you stack the component vectors (green) makes no difference - when you draw the net force vector from the tail of the first vector to the head of the last vector it always comes out the same. But for approximate visual solutions the вЂњhead to tailвЂќ method works well enough. The net force (red) can be calculated using trigonometry if you know all the vector angles and lengths. It ignores several other forces that would be present on real cargo ships and focuses on how the sail adds propulsive force: This graphic shows the forces involved on a vessel powered by wind. But whatever route is taken, depending on the benevolence of the winds, wingsails could significantly reduce fuel requirements and emissions.

Age of sail 2 full#

Unlike World Cup racing yachts, cargo ships run on strict schedules along prescribed shipping routes so they canвЂ™t take full advantage of the wind. The iconic вЂњMichelin ManвЂќ design allows for smooth and symmetric folding when the wingsail is collapsed. The wingsail can be deflated for passage under bridges and reinflated in minutes. It can be easily attached to existing superstructure on most cargo ship designs. MichelinвЂ™s wingsail system is an inflatable airfoil with better performance than a standard sheet sail. Most cargo ships burn diesel fuel, which is especially harmful to the environment. Shipping accounts for 2.5% of global carbon emissions and is predicted to reach 17% by 2050. The photo shows an experimental system designed by Michelin (yes, the tire company) that could reduce fuel requirements for cargo ships by 25вЂ“30%. We may now be on the cusp of the Second Age of Sail with new technology called wingsails that can be retrofitted to cargo ships. Steam power took over during the last half of the 19th century, followed by petrol-based fuels in the 20th century. The Age of Sail spanned 1600вЂ“1850, when wind-powered ships rose to dominate global trade and warfare.