Solar Sails for the Filthy Rich

Maybe, we could throw in a wind turbine as well, that could generate more power and would lessen fuel consumption as well. What do you think guys? (^_^)

A wind turbine would work (as long as it isn't too top heavy) but turbines are not known for their sleek lines. A super yacht with a wind turbine on top would look rediculous. Maybe one of those sort of cylindrical ones althoough it would still look goofy.

Easy, add a linear turbine underneath. Use the water to power the turbine.

Very interesting but irrevelant to most people.

http://thenerdherd.ucoz.com/

Just what i needed for my third and fourth yachts, good thing i read this

The minimal savings of diesel fuel with all that flashy sail/solar cell area showing does illustrate why alternative energies are really the rich man's way to pretend to be doing something cool and trendy. The fact remains that the alternative technologies simply do not produce nearly the energy we need to do brute force jobs like move an 100 foot boat through the water.

Not to say that there are not 100 foot sailboats, nor that mankind, indeed, once depended totally on the wind in order to travel the oceans, but that was in vessels much more cramped, cold, dark, dangerous, and slow (not to mention miserably small cargo capacity) than what we are used to today.

In other words, fossil fuels provide so much energy that, really, the smartest way to go for a yacht that will rarely spend a night on the open water would be with a combination of old fashioned labor-intensive sails and battery power, like the lithium batteries planned for the Chevy Volt. Main motive power would come from what essentially would be big electric trolling motors and the boat would be plugged in every time it makes a port call.

Turbines in the water wouldn't work, unless they use the water's movement instead of the ship's movement, created by the motor.
The motor gives the ship speed, with some kind of inefficiency. The turbines in the water create a huge drag, but they produce some power, also with some measure of inefficiency. Thus you actually a % of a % of power back...totally useless.
Wind turbines could help, if properly placed, but don't expect much power from that.

Advice: Use a sail...

What about a tried and tested way of generating power for a boat. A sail! It looks nice, costs very little to maintain, and makes very little noise. Add a small turbine generator under the water's surface to generate power while in motion and store the power in batteries for use while the boat is stationary.

Oh wait I forgot, these people don't want a sailboat, they want a power yacht.

What about a bunch of wind turbines out at sea that generate hydrogen fuel for a hydrogen fuel-cell powered super yacht?