A European Union-backed project has fitted what it claims to be the first-of-its-kind wind-assisted propulsion sail to a fishing vessel, a stepping stone to what the developers of the technology hope will be widescale adoption.
A 12-meter-high rigid sail has been installed on the Balueiro Segundo, making it the first fishing vessel to have this type of auxiliary wind-assisted system fitted.
The vessel will start sailing trials in the coming days.
The development of Spanish engineering firm bound4blue’s eSAIL technology and its monitoring system, made by Norway’s Kyma, is co-funded by the EU as part of its Aspiring Wingsails project.
