Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Sailing (Re: Psub for Lew)

[Lew Clayman <lew_clayman@yahoo.com>]

--- "Michael B. Holt" <mholt@richmond.edu> wrote:
> Captain Nemo wrote:
> >
> > Howsabout a little more info on how you see that one working?
> 
> In 1964, the British Sub-Aqua Club produced the plans to a glider 
> that a diver would ride in a prone position.  With long wings, it 
> would soar and glide just like an airplane.  

Gotcha, riding thermals...
 
> The sailing idea is a development of that.  Let fly a couple
> of long spars supporting real sails, and let the current 
> pull along a tiny sub.  It would not work in rivers and in
> restricted waters, but in the open ocean it'd be slow,
> awkward and less expensive than nuclear for long distances.
> The physics of it would be the same as the physics of any
> sailboat. 

Losing you now.  Downwind (downstream, downtide) is no problem, but for reaching (current
perpendicular to course) or moving against the current (air sailboats can not sail directly
against the wind, but can get to as close as 30 degrees against the wind) puzzles me: what
prevents leeway, and what prevents excessive roll, in a "sail-sub"?

-L

=====
"Balee haih-aih ha-hutcha see,  
 Sanana na hutcha heah." 
          - Marvin Gaye
=====

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