Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!sgiblab!sgigate.sgi.com!olivea!grapevine.lcs.mit.edu!chaos.dac.neu.edu!random.ccs.northeastern.edu!cleary
From: cleary@ccs.neu.edu (Michael Cleary)
Subject: Re: Unpersoned sailboat race
Message-ID: <1994Jan24.205536.20205@random.ccs.northeastern.edu>
Sender: news@random.ccs.northeastern.edu
Nntp-Posting-Host: everest.ccs.neu.edu
Organization: College of Computer Science, Northeastern University
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 20:55:36 GMT
Lines: 23

In-reply-to: nhowland@matt.ksu.ksu.edu's message of 21 Jan 1994 11:37:15 -0600
References: <af.3068.33.0NAF6640@mecheng.fullfeed.com>
	<1994Jan20.030240.23427@osuunx.ucc.okstate.edu>
	<2hmmvp$6ot@usenet.rpi.edu> <2hmtku$atn@handler.Eng.Sun.COM>
	<2hp3sbINNm0j@matt.ksu.ksu.edu>

In article <2hp3sbINNm0j@matt.ksu.ksu.edu> nhowland@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Neal Patrick Howland) writes:
> Actually, smaller boats are safer in large ocean swells.  They behave more
> like a piece of cork bobbing up and down with the waves.  The most 
> significant danger is the boat tipping over, but if you use some sort of
> catamaran or trimaran the odds of tipping will be very small.

> One problem with the windmill sail is that it can't be hauled in.  If
> you run into high force winds the windmill would be destroyed.

If the boat is waterproof and the keel is heavy enough the boat will be
self-righting.  Of course, the rigging will need to be up for abuse.  How big
a sail do you need to provide sufficient propulsion for a small craft?

Mike
-- 
Michael Cleary              cleary@ccs.neu.edu              (617) 373-5242
Robotic & Vision Systems Lab,  Northeastern University,  Boston,  Ma.  USA
