Are traditional sail boats the future of trade?
The 19th century "Golden Age of
Sail" could be experiencing a revival. Modern-day cargo ship, Tres
Hombres (pictured), is relying solely on wind power for its eight-month
voyage to the Caribbean.
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Sailing into history
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- European merchant ships of the 19th Century were a lifeline to world's exotic goods
- "Golden Age of Sai" makes a comeback with modern-day wind powered cargo ships
- Sailing ship Tres Hombres leaves from Netherlands to Caribbean on eight-month voyage
- Part of 21st Century bid for environmentally sustainable travel
Editor's note: MainSail is CNN's monthly sailing show, exploring the sport of sailing, luxury travel and the latest in design and technology.
(CNN) -- With their billowing sails, towering masts
and long wooden hulls, 19th century clipper ships were staggering feats
of design -- and Europe's lifeline to the world's most exotic goods.
Laden with spices, teas
and chocolates from across the globe, the use of these wind-powered
sailing vessels reached its peak during the late 1800's, a period often
referred to as the "Golden Age of Sail."
Abandoned in the advent
of steamboats, the centuries-old transport is now enjoying a revival
among cargo traders, with a new breed of merchant ships returning to
wind power in an effort to promote environmentally sustainable trade.
Cargo ship Tres Hombres.
This week, the 32-meter brigantine Tres Hombres
set sail from the Netherlands to the Caribbean in an eight-month voyage
transporting ale, wine, rum and chocolate -- much the same way as
merchant ships would have done 150 years ago.
Named in honor of the
three friends who founded the ambitious scheme, the 35-ton
carbon-neutral vessel has no motor and relies on solar-powered fridges
to keep its cargo cool.
"A lot of shipping
companies are going bankrupt because fuel is so expensive," said one of
the ship's founders and co-captain, Arjen van der Veen.
"The model we have now of
shipping is unsustainable -- both for business and the environment. We
chose a traditional rig because it's a beautiful design and we wanted to
show people sailing can still be effective."
From its base in Den
Helder in the Netherlands, Tres Hombres will head to Brixham in England
where it will pick up 100,000 bottles of ale, delivering them to
Douarnenez in France.
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From there it will sail to ports across Europe and the Caribbean, transporting 500 liters of wine, 50,000 chocolate bars, 4,000 bottles of rum and 5-tons of cocoa beans in a round trip.
All the cargo is
organic, making it eco-friendly from the moment it is produced to the
moment it lands on the supermarket shelf, Van der Veen explained.
"The whole chain of production is sustainable," he said.
"For companies, it makes
their goods unique. It's a little more expensive but people are willing
to pay because it has no carbon footprint."
The Sail Transport Network (STN),
a green travel campaign group, is now looking to create a sustainable
transport certificate, much like the "Fair Trade" and "Organic" stamps
found on other foods.
STN founder Jan Lundberg
predicts that wind-powered cargo ships will soon be the norm as the
world's fossil fuel supplies continue to diminish.
"The accelerating rate
of change in the economy and finance, the peak oil factor and the
climate crisis are all tipping factors. If more people sense this soon,
you could see a jump in sail transport investment," he said.
The model we have now of shipping is unsustainable -- for business and the environment
Captain Arjen van der Veen
Captain Arjen van der Veen
"Many smaller older
cargo vessels are idle today and are also being recycled -- these are
realistic candidates for conversion to sail."
Recent figures show
there is much at stake when it comes to sustainable transport on the
high-seas. Around 90% of world trade is currently carried by the
shipping industry, according to the International Maritime Organization.
The industry contributes 4% of global carbon emissions, United Nations
figures show. Indeed, it says that if shipping were a country, it would
be the sixth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.
But it could be that the winds of change are on the horizon. From January next year, new International Maritime Organization regulations will require shipping companies to cut emissions by 20% over the next seven years and a further 50% by 2050.
"By 2025 all new ships
have to be 20% more efficient, so shipyards will also be compelled to
produce more fuel-efficient vessels," Simon Bennett of the International Chamber of Shipping said.
"What's also important
is that fuel costs have risen 400% since 2000 -- the operating costs are
huge. In any case, every shipping company wants to reduce its
emissions."
With these environmental
concerns in mind, Van der Veen and his fellow Dutch captains Andreas
Lackner and Jorne Langelaan set about building the Tres Hombres in 2007,
using the hull of a former passenger ferry in the Aran Islands off the
coast of Ireland.
Completed in 2009, this
is Tres Hombre's fourth trade trip after previous voyages across western
Europe, the Caribbean and even delivering relief aid to Haiti after the
2010 earthquake.
The trio are certainly
not alone in their quest to find green alternatives to the gas-guzzling
cargo vessels of the 21st century.
British wind power company B9 recently tested a model of its planned 100-meter, 3,000-ton carbon-neutral freighter.
The ship would use 60% wind power, relying on three computer-operated masts rising 55-meters -- as tall as a 14-storey building.
We're running out of fuel and we have to be a little bit cleverer about how we deploy our ships
Diane Gilpin, B9 co-director
Diane Gilpin, B9 co-director
This would be
supplemented by a bio-gas engine converting food waste into methane; the
food waste being anything from restaurant slops to out-of-date
sandwiches.
B9 co-director Diane
Gilpin said the design would best suit smaller vessels, and they are now
looking for between $30 million and $45 million in funding to get it
off the ground.
"In the last 100 years we've been absolutely besotted with what oil can do for us," she said.
"Now we're running out of fuel and we have to be a little bit cleverer about how we deploy our ships."
She admits it will be a
challenge changing the traditionally conservative shipping industry, but
added: "If we're looking at a new, green, industrial revolution, those
early movers will benefit from being there at the outset."
As Van der Veen said
when the Tres Hombres crew first floated the idea of a engine-less cargo
ship: "Everybody thought it was crazy but we've proved them wrong.
"It's so satisfying -- it's part of our goal to make a transport revolution."
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