What is Digg?47 Comments
- inactive, on 10/11/2008, -2/+20imagine one of thsoe things breaking off and landing in your backyard. Do you know how much 900 feet of SPECTRA rope would bring in on ebay!
- satyarth, on 10/12/2008, -0/+16Or 8.23 euros.
- Revovisionary, on 10/12/2008, -0/+15Who'd of thought we'd be depended on sails again in the 21st century
- phreak79, on 10/12/2008, -1/+15KiteShip's have been mooted for a while now. An order from the US Navy though would really propell them into the mainstream.
- inactive, on 10/11/2008, -3/+10IN THE NAVY
- bodegit, on 10/12/2008, -0/+6a million dollars.
- rahulkolasseri, on 10/12/2008, -2/+8Parah Salin , is that you?
- ccL1, on 10/12/2008, -5/+11Reduce fuel costs by 20 to 30%? Not if the oil companies can help it. They'll probably lobby the government to make the Navy not make use of this wonderful idea.
- BotchaMcCoola, on 10/12/2008, -1/+5They may have to go to Viking long boats if things don't get better soon.
- JohnBayne, on 10/12/2008, -0/+4Nice kite. Anyone know how these things are launched? Seems a little big for the usual "OK Billy, pick up the rope and run" method.
- captainLAGER, on 10/12/2008, -0/+4I think they calculated the daily savings with depreciation of the purchasing costs in mind. They do save 20 to 30 percent fuel, but the actual savings per day is lower than that because of the proportional amount of investment cost subtracted from it.
- burjzyntski, on 10/12/2008, -0/+4Yvan eht nioj, yvan eht nioj...
YVAN EHT NIOJ! - richlw, on 10/12/2008, -1/+4"The hippie flashback again?"
"They're becoming less frequent, sir" - Ryan2845, on 10/12/2008, -0/+3http://digg.com/environment/SkySails_5X_More_Effic ...
http://digg.com/tech_news/Using_sails_to_move_big_ ...
http://digg.com/environment/Using_Kites_to_Pull_Ca ...
http://digg.com/tech_news/High_tech_sail_to_cut_co ...
http://digg.com/environment/POWER_YOUR_BOAT_WITH_K ...
http://digg.com/environment/The_amazing_kite_which ...
This is one of those "cure for cancer" type stories that is on digg every other month, but you never hear of again. Maybe someone is actually using this technology finally? - captainLAGER, on 10/12/2008, -0/+3Check out the website of the inventor with videos of this thing in action:
http://www.skysails.info/english/products/skysails ... - CountryTime, on 10/12/2008, -0/+3Though wind power was not a factor in awarding the contract, the shipping company was likely "able to capitalize on fuel savings to make its offer more competitive,"
Go US government. - diggdat, on 10/12/2008, -1/+4Something does not seem right with the math in my opinion. I like the idea but if it saves just $1600 a day, it is not even close to saving 20 to 30 percent of the fuel.
A 32ft twin engine pleasure boat can typically use 25 gallons of gas an hour ($100 an hour) at cruising speed, for basically pushing a peanut through the water in comparison.
A 585ft Coastal gasoline tanker using 350 gallons per hour red diesel @ $4.00 a gallon it would be $33,600 a day in fuel (as an example). I know it is not the exact same ship and they may not fly the kite 24 hours a day but there is no way the kite is saving them 20 to 30 percent fuel if it is only saving $1600.00 a day.
Not that it is not a good idea, I think it is a great idea but I don't get the percentage they quote. - Akairenn, on 10/12/2008, -1/+3That's a known problem, which is being researched even now. I hear they're toying about with some sort of configuration of 'masts' and 'spars'.
Yeah, yeah, I know - the article has propaganda about masts supposedly striking bridges and whatnot. I'm looking at the boat and WTF happens with those cranes or whatever on the side, then? This just seems... gimmicky. - diggnik, on 10/12/2008, -1/+3My word, that ship must have a big dagger board
- geologist62, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1not a tanker....guess you didnt see the picture
- geologist62, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1not hard to deploy a large kite if its windy.....out in the open ocean. probably they use a drogue chute.
- sap959, on 10/12/2008, -1/+2brilliant *wipes tear from eye*
- protogenxl, on 10/12/2008, -1/+2It's a good Kite this.
- zerton, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1I never fully understood if these kites don't fall down when the wind dies down. Or if following wind patterns saves fuel based on the extra distance needed to travel to follow them.
- inactive, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1Doing whoever you please...
- WoollyMittens, on 10/12/2008, -2/+3Over 9000!
- geologist62, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1wind fills the kite, kite is attached to the ship. kite pulls ship. ship is steered by its own rudder.
- ditster, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1Keel?
- zerton, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1No I didn't. My questions are nowhere answered in the article.
- burjzyntski, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1what?
yes, i am...but you're obviously dumb. - inactive, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1Oh I see what you did there.... took an earlier news stor--- ahh you sly sonofabitch. =)
- Shananra, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1Using wind to power a boat? What a revolutionary idea!
- XZanatos, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1Do you know how much military support and gear most of those Middle Eastern oil rich countries get from us? To answer: a hell of a lot. Interfering in the functioning of our military capabilities would be bad for them so I doubt they would do anything about it. Besides, most oil is used in NON-military uses.
- ditster, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1You can sail the seven seas.
- sweetwater88, on 10/12/2008, -0/+1I wonder if you could use multiple kites for more force.
- ditster, on 10/12/2008, -1/+1It's a pun! The kite propels the ship, the Navy propels the company! Ha!
- inactive, on 10/12/2008, -1/+1what do you mean you never fully understood? you just read about it right now...
- gacorley, on 10/12/2008, -0/+0I'd be really interested to know how they steer the kite to get power from it. Seem's like it'd be a little harder to do than a conventional sail, what with no beams or mast.
- BigManOnCampus, on 10/11/2008, -3/+2That's the biggest kiteboard I've ever seen.
- nurbsenvi, on 10/12/2008, -1/+0Where can you find pleasure~
- Ramble, on 10/12/2008, -2/+1Wow, ships haven't been using sails for thousands of years at all.
- Bodezatpha, on 10/12/2008, -5/+0Is there anyone who really believes this article? A kite tanker? Come on...
- bixby1, on 10/12/2008, -9/+2I honestly thought this was an Onion article at first, swear to God.
- sap959, on 10/12/2008, -11/+2bet theres alot of seamen on deck
[Edit} EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW - inactive, on 10/12/2008, -13/+1Stupid......
If you can't see this is strictly a PR stunt, then you're OBVIOUSLY an Obama voter.
Digg is coming to a city (and computer) near you! Check out all the details on our 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is