Comments on: The Beagle, Redux

By: Sam Wise

Sam Wise — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:28:53 +0000

Peter & nunatak — thanks for the linkage!

PhilDS — I agree, the promotion of modern sailing technology is a worthy cause. But personally, I think that the Beagle Project has enough on its plate as is, particularly given how evolution is getting politicized in some quarters of late.

Besides, other outfits have already taken up the flag, as it were…

By: PhilDS

PhilDS — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:58:55 +0000

Peter, thanks for the answer.
Good luck with the project. Safe sailing.

By: nunatak

nunatak — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:10:40 +0000

Thanks for the plug, Sam! PhilDS, I can see your point but I would hope this world has room in it for both a replica Beagle and also bigger “high-tech” sailing ships for science. I have just started writing a piece on science in the (new) age of sail; we hope the Beagle will be an inspiration for a whole flotilla of sailing ships for science!

By: Peter McGrath

Peter McGrath — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:46:50 +0000

SOS, many thanks for the link and plug, you’ve been thanked and blogrolled.

PhilDS, the marine architect we are using on this is working on motor-sail projects which will demonstrate just this. The Beagle will be able to, too: we know the fuel use for a vessel of that hull length, and will be able to make very accurate calculations of the fuel savings using just sail or motorsailing compared to a pure stinkpot (motor boat).

By: PhilDS

PhilDS — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:02:21 +0000

I like the idea, but I have one quible with it.
Instead of making a copy of the original Beagle, I think it would have been better to make a modern high tech large sailing ship. That way one could maybe prove that sailing ships have a role to play in these times of energy conservation.