Space Forum / Astronomy / March 2007

I would like to present an invention, an alternative to sailing.

Take four large half-cut ball pieces and empty the inside.
We only need the outer shells. Place these empty
half-balls and place them around a metal stick. The
shells are organized to go around in circle, meaning
the shell on the right might face toward us and the
shell on the left would face in the opposite direction,
away from us. The shells may be made of the same
fabric sailboats use to trap air, but the fabric needs
to be tightened into large half-ball positions. So this
way regardless which way the wind blows, these four
shells trap air and rotate. The rotation from capturing
wind this way can be transformed to propell a boat
at it's back forward with forward-rolling propellers.
Upon strong winds these shells would rotate very
fast and in turn would run large propellers with great
power at the end of the ship. Sincerely, inventor, x.y.