> Malcolm Tennant wrote: > I must say that I agree with Pat reischmann. What is wrong with the normal > catamaran as a motor sailer? > > However I might deviate slightly from that contention and fit a rig to one of our CS power cat designs. The only real advantages of this would occur if youwanted to go a bit faster than the sail boat hull was capable of. > > If you are still determined to "boldly go where no man has gone before" you > could go where we went in 1992 and fit a wind turbine driving in the water > propellers [see web site- the "Revolution"]. However today I would go and buy a reasonably substantial "off the shelf" wind turbine electric generator and fit it to one of our CS hulled stock power cat designs. This would drive a > couple of electric motors in the hulls. > > Incidentally, despite what several physicists have to say on the internet, the Revolution would proceed directly to windward. ________________________________________________________ Brian replied: I suspect this new world of energy awareness will produce a lot of new and interesting technologies to conquer our continued pursuit to venture across the oceans....should be interesting. Here is another group of discussions on: "New propulsion sytems for ships" <http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9630> Brian PS: Malcolm, I also like your hull shape with an alternative 'wind propulsion' adapted: <http://www.runningtideyachts.com/dynarig/Tennant_Hull_V_ChainDrive.php> or <http://tinyurl.com/38qdqy>