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Indian Express
20-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Sail ships in the 21st century: Why ancient technology remains relevant today
Two people were killed and at least 19 others were injured after ARM Cuauhtémoc, a sail training vessel of the Mexican Navy, collided with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Sunday (May 18). In the age of mechanised propulsion, sail ships are somewhat of a novelty today. But modern navies — including the Indian Navy — continue to retain such vessels in their fleets. And amid growing concerns about climate change, they may actually make a triumphant return in the world of shipping. Unlike the great ships of the line during the Age of Sail, sail ships today are not meant to participate in naval battles. They lack the speed, endurance, manoeuverability, and resilience to participate in modern maritime warfare. That said, sail ships are excellent platforms to train naval cadets. 'Sail training ships are increasingly being used as basic seamanship and character building platforms by Navies the world over,' according to the website of Goa Shipyard Ltd which has built two sail ships — INS Tarangini and INS Sudarshini — currently in service with the Indian Navy. This is because sail ships are thought to provide the 'purest' experience of the seas possible. 'In an age of electronic navigation and advanced bridge simulators, nothing can replace the experience of going to sea under sail and feeling the power of the wind and waters that shape one's voyage and sharpen the senses,' wrote Captain Lawson W Brigham (retd). ('Training Under Sail in the 21st Century', Proceedings of the US Naval Academy, 2020). 'Sailing is transformative; it enhances environmental awareness and develops in a person a respect for the sea — fundamental lessons that will last a lifetime,' the former US Coast Guard officer wrote. According to a 2018 press release by the Indian Navy, 'the primary role' of sail training ships like INS Tarangini 'is to develop character and professionalism, as well as inculcate the qualities of initiative, courage, resilience and esprit-de-corps (meaning group spirit) amongst the Sea Trainees and also impart practical training to them, primarily on navigation, sailing and seamanship.' These ships also go on lengthy 'goodwill trips' — voyages to foster cooperation and improve relations between different nations. For instance, last November, INS Tarangini conducted a joint sailing exercise with the Italian training ship Amerigo Vespucci off the coast of Kochi. Tarangini has also gone on extensive voyages in the past, most notably a circumnavigation of the globe in 2003-04. Sail ships — wind-propulsion, to be specific — may soon make a big-time comeback in commercial shipping. Cargo ships, which carry more than 80% of the world's goods, are mostly propelled by diesel engines. By some estimates, shipping alone accounts for roughly 3% of annual climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions, similar to the contribution of the aviation sector. Scientists have long been looking to improve fuel efficiency of cargo ships. And a return to sail has been heralded as one of the most practical ways to cut ships' emissions. This is because unlike other cutting-edge technologies in the play, wind propulsion is tried and tested, and thus significantly more economical to be widely adopted by profit-driven merchant shipping companies. That said, do not expect modern cargo vessels to suddenly morph into the great Age of Sail-era counterparts. For one, wind propulsion will not replace but simply augment a ship's mechanical propulsion system. This alone can lead to significant emission reductions by allowing the crew to turn the engine down while still maintaining speed, and thus, meeting critical deadlines. For instance, in 2024, shipping company Cargill reported that its vessel the Pyxis Ocean, a diesel-powered cargo ship retrofitted with two 'WindWings' — solid sails installed to vertically catch the wind and propel the ship forward — used three tonnes less fuel each day on average, equating to '11.02 tonnes of C02 emissions' saved each day when sails were up. Moreover, the 'sails' on 21st century cargo ships will look very different from traditional sails. Some designs look more like power kites used in kite surfing. Others, like Pyxis Ocean's WindWings, may resemble airplane wings. Still others may not be 'sails' at all. One viable, century-old design is the Flettner rotor, designed by German engineer Anton Flettner in the 1920s. Essentially a revolving cylinder mounted on a ship's deck, the Flettner rotor utilises the Magnus effect — same principle that makes a cricket ball swing — to propel a ship forward. 'As the wind flows around the revolving cylinders, the rotation creates an area of high air pressure on one side and lower pressure on the other… [This] pressure differential creates a force at right angles to the wind direction… On a vertical rotor, it helps push a ship forward,' a 2024 article in The Economist explained. While improvements in the fuel-efficiency of conventional diesel motors and the falling prices of oil had put the development of Flettner motors on the backburner, multiple companies are now looking at this technology to cut their cargo ship emissions. While widespread adoption of such technologies might still be years away, stricter emission rules in many ports is forcing shipping companies to change as fast as possible. As the article in The Economist put it: 'If their vessels continue to belch fumes then shipowners will soon find themselves unable to operate within many ports. Though the number of vessels returning to wind power remains small for now, this technology clearly has the wind in its sails.'
New Indian Express
09-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
IOS Sagar returns to Kochi after landmark deployment
KOCHI: INS Sunayna, operating as IOS Sagar, returned to Kochi on Thursday after completing a landmark month-long deployment across the southwestern Indian Ocean. Jointly crewed by sailors from nine Indian Ocean Region (IOR) nations — Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania — the ship's mission was a first-of-its-kind initiative under the Indian Navy's larger MAHASAGAR vision for regional security and cooperation. 'This was a very thrilling experience, especially to operate so closely with India and personnel with other Navies in the Indian Ocean Region. It was challenging in the beginning, as you can imagine, but over time, we were able to work together as one crew, a tangible expression of our individual nations' growing partnership,' said Inspector Rambhojun of Mauritius Coast Guard. The journey began on April 5 from Karwar, flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Over the next month, IOS Sagar made port calls at Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Nacala, Mozambique; Port Louis, Mauritius; Port Victoria, Seychelles, and Male in Maldives, undertaking joint naval exercises, cultural exchanges, and coordinated patrols. Key highlights included participation in AIKEYME 2025 (Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement), a multilateral naval exercise hosted by India and Tanzania, as well as community engagements and interoperability drills with Mozambique and Mauritius navies. Sub Lt Martins Henriques of Mozambique, who was undertaking his first training with India, says, 'It is a privilege to be able to work closely with India and other IOR Navies, and to have undergone this training. I hope to impart all I have learned to my countrymen,' he said. At the homecoming ceremony arranged at the Naval Base in Kochi, Southern Naval Command chief Vice Admiral V Srinivas lauded the crew's efforts, calling it 'a new chapter in regional maritime cooperation'.
Western Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Milford Haven memories of VE Day and prisoner of war stories
It was a beautiful, sunny, early summer's day, but I can't remember the thousands of townsfolk, service men and women laughing, cheering, shedding tears of joy as they danced in the streets and filled the pubs and clubs to overflowing. I was probably asleep in my cot as the sun went down, when it was time for the Navies to join in the party, here described by the West Wales Guardian: "Sirens and hooters shrieked and blared out a constant morse -V for Victory and ships sent up a breath-taking non stop display of rockets of every colour, which went far into the darkness before bursting into a thousand coloured stars and slowly dropping onto the shining waters of the harbour. More Stories Kids in Glebelands in Second World War gear (Image: Jeff Dunn) "Searchlights swung on to the sea front and caught hundreds of people arm-in-arm, singing patriotic songs and cheering wildly as the rockets burst above them. "There was a stirring and sentimental moment when the town's air-raid sirens sounded the very last "All Clear" and the song of that title was emotionally sung by thousands of revellers." The St Katharine Tennis Courts were transformed into a dancing area, and there were free cinema shows for schoolchildren. For some reason I've always been fascinated by the Second World War, which is one of the reasons I wrote my first stage play, The Day War Broke Out, about a Milford family (based on my own) from 1939 to 1945. One of the characters I wrote into the script was the late Royal Marine Tommy Thomas, 101, Charles Street, who was captured during the fall of Crete, incarcerated in Germany for four years, and whose daughter Ann lent me a box full of letters that Tommy had written home throughout his captivity. I thought it might be an appropriate time to include these few memories. Firstly here is one of Tommy's last letters home, dated December 26, 1944: "Dear mother, I had to smile at your letter when you said 'it won't be long now, and 'keep your chin up'. You've been saying it for nearly four years, and my neck is getting a bit stiff keeping my chin up. "We received a letter a few days ago from one of the lads who made it back to England. "It was ever so funny, reading a letter from someone who, a short time ago, was here with us. He received a great welcome, as he says, he thought he'd won the war. "He told us of the fine work the Red Cross and everyone at home are doing for us over here. Waterloo Road end of Second World War party on the cockle bank (Image: Jeff Dunn) "I'm spending my fourth birthday in this here dump. "Dear God, I never thought it would have been so long. "By your last letter you seem to be worrying a great deal about me, don't mam, I'll get along. "Well this is Boxing Day again. We all had a holiday yesterday. We had a concert, and a sing-a-long in the evening. It wasn't too bad. I did think that we'd be together for this one, but I guess I built my castle too high. All I can say is, let's hope and pray that by this time next year we'll be together once more. "Give my regards to Nora. "Your loving son Tommy." Here's what happened when the Tommy Thomas story, and his captivity, came to an end. The prison camp had been quiet for two days, with no sign of their guards. In fact, not a German was to be seen. All the prisoners were in a state of complete confusion. They didn't know what was happening. Was it a trick? Or was the war over at last? Would they be shot if they tried to make their escape? On the third day, Tommy and three others couldn't wait any longer, so they ran into a nearby wood and spent the next 48 hours creeping away from their hell-hole of four years. They were still half expecting to be halted in their tracks. Then they came across a convoy. A Russian convoy! Robert Street VE Day party (Image: Jeff Dunn) They were taken and held for a week and were heading towards the border and undoubted internment again. One night, Tommy and his pals again slipped away and hid in the woods. Before long, an American unit picked them up and after four years as a Prisoner of War, Tommy Thomas was heading home. He had no desire for a huge welcome home party, so he'd sent no warning. When he got off the train at Milford station, no one was expecting him. His sister, Lily, was a Lister driver, and she was the first to see him as he slowly stepped down onto the platform. After her own tearful greeting, and fearing what a sudden shock might do, she ran home to warn her mother. As she dashed into the house her mother was coming down the stairs carrying two slop buckets. When Lily told her the news about Tommy she was immediately soaked by the two buckets her mother threw into the air. To add some pictorial flavour to the celebrations, along with a snap of Tommy Thomas, here are snaps of VE Day parties in Robert Street, Waterloo Road and Glebelands. That was 80 years ago, today, as we all know, terrible wars continue to rage around the world, so I leave you with these words from John Lennon: "All we are saying is, give peace a chance." Take care, please stay safe.
