Posted on August 4, 2020
The half hull model of an engineless, emission-free, sailing cargo ship has been presented to the founder of a company which aims to develop a series of such vessels to transport cargo and passengers globally.
On 24 July, the half hull prototype of the EcoClipper500 was handed over to the EcoClipper B.V. shipping company’s captain, Jorne Langelaan, at the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. The model was presented by ship carpenter Leo Boogerd, who constructed it, in cooperation with Bert van Baar of the bootbouwschool and Cadhead’s Marijke de Jong.
Captain Langelaan said: “The half hull model is the first physical part of the EcoClipper fleet to be.”
Constructing a half hull model used to be common practice in shipbuilding and it was used for the design of the hull. As starboard and portside of a ship are identical, a half model would suffice. It was considered the first step in the building process.
Cutting pollution
Being one of the founders of the Fairtransport shipping company Captain Langelaan has been striving to re-introduce sailing cargo ships as an alternative to other pollution-causing shipping and aviation logistics activity.
During the past ten years the sail cargo industry has been growing steadily. Along the European coasts and transatlantic, sailing cargo ships transport sustainable produced products and passengers.
The Maritime Museum Rotterdam was chosen as a location for the handover of the half hull model, because the EcoClipper ships will be modelled after the 1857-built Noach, one of the fastest and most successful Dutch clippers ever.
By Rebecca Jeffrey
Source: maritimejournal
