Sailboats: A greener, safer alternative for cargo transport

The world’s largest cargo sailboat, Neoliner Origin, completed its first transatlantic voyage on 30 October despite damage to one of its sails during the journey. The 136-metre-long vessel had to rely partly on its auxiliary motor from a storm's damage shortly after departure. The vessel’s ability to perform fully on wind power was reduced but despite the difficulties, the ship showed strong resilience by reaching its destination with only a short delay. The vessel is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 90 per cent compared to conventional diesel-powered cargo ships.  https://lnkd.in/eYp9teAe

The World's Largest Cargo Sailing Ship Joins Growing Global Windship Fleet. The Neoliner Origin cargo ship #sailingship from #French marine transport company NEOLINE, just completed its first transatlantic trip from St. Nazaire, France, to St. Pierre & Miquelon (French Overseas Territories, near Canada,) and then to Baltimore, Maryland. The 136m/ 446ft, Ro-Ro (Roll On, Roll Off) cargo ship designed by shipbuilders, MAURIC, "has two (2) 76m SOLID SAIL innovative folding masts provides an environmentally friendly cargo transport system," to haul up to 5300 tons at a speed of 11 knot speed under sail, cutting emissions by 80-90% compared to convetional ships. Beyond creating a bespoke #sailingship, the UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub says retrofittiing convetional ships can reduce emissions by 5-20%, "with no opreational changes." NEOLINE also had help from Chantiers de l'Atlantique and FOURE LAGADEC Marine who designed the SOLIDSAILS and worked on "anti-drift plans" to help keep the ship's heading steady under sail, respectively. Cool, video and packed with info. This follows a post here about another #French sailing cargo ship from Grain de Sail earlier this year. You can also travel on the Neoliner Origin as passenger too. Part of #windships #sailingship trend in maritime shipping with other entrants like SAILCARGO INC. and "#windassist technologies like Airseas, BAR Technologies, SkySails Power Norsepower to name a few." Reuters NEOLINE Jean Zanuttini MAURIC Vincent Seguin International Windship Association Chantiers de l'Atlantique FOURE LAGADEC Marine ZEPHIR PROJECT by Antoine Albeau & Marc Amerigo #windship #windassisted #sailship #windwings #maritime #shipping #cargo #hybrid #electricships #decarbonization #futurist #trendforecasting https://lnkd.in/gwnvk_uk

Great to see our UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub research by Jean-Baptiste R. G. Souppez and Jiajie Huang in rethinking traditional sail propulsion with a range of wind assisted technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions being picked up in this piece by Reuters about the new cargo vessel by NEOLINE. Read more about wind assisted technologies here https://shorturl.at/vZ9rj #maritime #cleanmaritime #shipping #decarbonisation #innovation

“Most people don’t think of boats as capable of flight. But for engineer-turned-entrepreneur Sampriti Bhattacharyya, the key to decarbonizing the maritime industry began with a simple, radical question: What if they could?” Read full article below: https://lnkd.in/eHBWqWtg

Here’s a direct cruise-industry failure: Norwegian Cruise Line (or a “Norwegian cruise company” referenced in media) ran a 14-day cruise where 2,000 passengers weren’t informed that major on-board construction would occur simultaneously — drilling, noise, pool closures, breathing issues. The fallout was swift. Passengers documented the noise and fumes on social media, news outlets picked it up, and Norwegian faced waves of negative press and refund demands. Lesson for guest success: Transparency isn’t optional. A guest expects “relaxation at sea,” not surprise noise and disruption. Action: Always communicate any onboard work or itinerary changes before embarkation — ideally with apology + goodwill gesture. #PaulRutterSpeaks #customerserviceproblems #customerservicetips #customerservices #customersatisfaction #customerexperience #customerappreciation #CustomerServiceExcellence #EmployeeEngagement #Teamwork #Empowerment #TeamAppreciation #CustomerExperience #HappyCustomers

World's Largest Cargo Sailboat Completes Historic First Atlantic Crossing: Long-time Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shared this report from Marine Insight: The world's largest cargo sailboat, Neoliner Origin, completed its first transatlantic voyage on 30 October despite damage to one of its sails during the journey. The 136-metre-long vessel had to rely partly on its auxiliary motor and its remaining sail after the aft sail was damaged in a storm shortly after departure... Neoline, the company behind the project, said the damage reduced the vessel's ability to perform fully on wind power... The Neoliner Origin is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 90 percent compared to conventional diesel-powered cargo ships. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global shipping produces about 3 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions... The ship can carry up to 5,300 tonnes of cargo, including containers, vehicles, machinery, and specialised goods. It arrived in Baltimore carrying Renault vehicles, French liqueurs, machinery, and other products. The Neoliner Origin is scheduled to make monthly voyages between Europe and North America, maintaining a commercial cruising speed of around 11 knots. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Viking reached a major milestone in the cruise industry, surpassing 100 vessels worldwide. The company celebrated the naming of its 100th ship, Viking Honir, in Basel, Switzerland, alongside eight other river vessels located at different points around the world.   The milestone ship, Viking Honir, is a Longship designed to sail the Rhine, Main, and Danube, accommodating 190 passengers in 95 staterooms. The eight other new river ships include designs for 82 passengers on the Nile, 80 on Southeast Asia’s Mekong River, and 106 on Portugal’s Douro River. Other vessels are tailored to river limits, such as the Seine.   Viking started in 1997 as a small river cruise operator. Today, it operates 89 river ships, 12 ocean cruise ships, and 2 expedition vessels. Its fleet sails 21 rivers, five oceans, and all seven continents.   Viking’s ocean cruise ships carry fewer than 1,000 passengers per ship and are currently in their second design, adapted to regulations. The company is also building two ocean ships with advanced hydrogen power systems in partnership with Fincantieri.   Viking plans further expansion. By 2028, its river fleet will grow to 112 ships. Ocean and expedition ships will increase to 23 by 2031. Most river ships are built with Meyer Neptun in Rostock, Germany.

➡️ Neoliner Origin, a modern sailing Ro-Ro cargo vessel, built for French operator NEOLINE, has begun revenue service. #NeolinerOrigin #WindPower #WindPropulsion #Shipping #Maritime #WorldCargoNews https://lnkd.in/gsVaMC_y

🛬 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘆! 🌊 Few places in the world can stop an aviation lover in their tracks like Barra Airport (EGPR) in Scotland — the only airport on Earth where scheduled flights operate from a tidal beach. 📍 Opened in 1936, Barra Airport was founded by Highlands and Islands Airways, connecting the remote Outer Hebrides to the mainland. Since then, it has become an iconic symbol of aviation's adaptability. ✈️ The airport uses three sand runways, marked only by wooden poles. There’s no concrete or asphalt — just wet, compacted beach. ⚠️ Flight times are dictated by the tide schedule, not a digital clock ⚠️ The runways are fully submerged during high tide ⚠️ No lights, no ILS – just pilot skill and local knowledge ⚠️ Passengers may share the beach with walkers or even shellfish pickers! 🛩 The aircraft that makes this magic possible? The legendary DHC-6 Twin Otter: ✅ STOL capabilities allow takeoff/landing on extremely short runways ✅ Built to operate in rugged, remote, and unconventional airstrips ✅ Entered service in the 1960s and still flying strong ✅ Used worldwide in Arctic, jungle, and island missions 🌍 Why is this important? Barra isn’t just an airport — it’s a lifeline. It connects a remote community to hospitals, goods, and families. It’s a brilliant reminder that aviation doesn’t always need mega runways or big jets — sometimes, all you need is sand, tides, and a reliable aircraft. 💬 Would you dare to land on a beach runway? Let us know in the comments ⬇️ -------------------------------------------------> If you like my content you can follow me Hector Pujadas and hit the bell button 🔔 to stay always informed on my latest posts #BarraAirport #Aviation #Airport #Scotland #AviationHistory

"Cruising is among the shipping segments pursuing new environmentally sensitive technologies, with exploration and luxury at the forefront. Large cruise ships have adopted LNG, scrubbers, and solar panels, while two newly launched expedition cruise ships will be among the most environmentally advanced to date." #sustainability #shipping #digitalisation #cruiseships https://lnkd.in/d3iafTVc