could you make a windmill powered ship? would it be inferior to a sail powered ship?
>>7808263
>what is efficiency
Every mechanical process loses some of the energy to inefficiencies. You can't make a windmill+gearbox+prop that is more efficient than just using a sail that takes up the same area.
>>7808268
what about when you're sailing in a different direction than the wind is blowing?
>>7808273
goof question bro :)
>>7808273
You can sail in any direction relative to the wind. Even against the wind.
>>7808295
doesn't that require tacking though?
>>7808396
>>7808295
>>7808263
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_faster_than_the_wind
>>7808263
I remember reading about car that used a wind turbine (or was it a sail?) on top of it and it could go faster than the wind.
Lift vs drag baby!
>>7808263
>>7808690
But sailboats can already do that...