After 100 years of coal- and later diesel-powered ships, the sailing ships are now returning with a considerably changed format. Swedish engineers are developing the world’s largest sailing ship based on a new concept based on five sails shaped like airplane wings.
The ship will be called Oceanbird and will be launched as early as 2024. The first mission will be to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Now around 450 ships transport on this route and burn around 40,000 tons of oil every day.
Oceanbird will be 12 days en route. It takes longer than the oil-powered ships, but in return, 90% of the greenhouse gases that an oil-powered ship blows into the air are saved.
The sailing ship Oceanbird is supposed to be able to transport 7,000 cars across the Atlantic on each trip. In good weather, the journey takes 12 days.
The sailing ship will weigh 32,000 tons, be 200 meters long and 40 meters wide, and the sails will be shaped into a capsule like a telescope and can be slid together and apart.
Sails lowered under bridges
At full height, the sails reach 80 meters above the ship and 105 meters above sea level. In the lowest position, however, the total height of the ship will be only 45 meters. That much the sails will only be lowered in noisy winds and then when you have to sail under bridges.
The company Wallenius Marine, the consultancy SSPA and the Royal University of Technology in Stockholm are responsible for the construction.
The most difficult part of the design is said to be getting the hull and sails to form a single entity against the laws of aerodynamics, thus achieving the highest possible speed.
Video: See how the ship’s sails work:
The sails will be made of steel and composite materials and will be able to be turned in a complete circle, so that it will always be possible to use the wind as best as possible. The maximum speed will be 10 knots or about 19 km/h.
The ship will be equipped with a spare engine, possibly electric. However, it should only be used when the ship needs to be turned in a small area and, for example, when sailing in or out of a port.
