I’m sorry I’ll miss most of the 21st century. It could be interesting. I’m enjoying the headlong growth in conectivity and bandwidth – which is spreading to the mobile phone networks in parallel with the Internet - but transport is changing, too. We’re already seeing serious attempts at producing electric cars, but it’s bulk transport by sea that looks ready for real changes:
- Fast power boats only exist as toys for the ostentatious and wealthy, and for the world’s navies. In fact, some superyachts look like warships, too.
- Bulk carriers are now cruising at around 10 knots because that halves the cost of operating them. If speed is essential, distributors ship by air.
- There are various experimental vessels that use wind power to reduce costs even further. Maybe the time will come when engineless bulk carriers are towed out to sea where they continue their voyages under wind power…
- The absolute record for a round the world voyage is now held by Franck Cammas in the big trimaran Groupama, at just over 48 days and an average speed through the water of about 24 knots. He carried no payload, but there’s no reason why a bigger vessel couldn’t do so.
- The successor to l’Hydroptère is intended as an ocean-going vessel. What speeds can we expect from her?
I’ll be watching with interest.
