I firmly believe so, and I’ll take it a step further – this concept could be the start of a new era in ocean transport, one that utilizes wind energy to produce hydropower capture. This untapped source is created when a vessel foils, much like an airplane in flight, but in the denser medium of water. By harnessing the hydropower resulting from inertia and wind pressure, our wind-driven vessel can become a potent source of renewable energy.

Consider the physics of flight. When a plane takes off, it uses almost all of its thrust. However, once it reaches cruising altitude, it reduces this to a mere 20%. The density of air flowing over and under the wings (and inertia) provides the lift needed to carry the weight of the plane. Now, imagine multiplying that same flow strength by a factor of a thousand in the thousand time higher density of water, and as such with its much higher torque moment than air.

To achieve this, our electromagnetic thrusters will provide the initial force to raise the vessel’s hull out of the water. Then, the wind push in sails with thrusters reversed to generation will steer and produce Hydrogen onboard. Even photovoltaic cells will generate enough push needed to maintain cruise speed on power Catbarks in sunny days.

CONCEPT


I strongly believe that downsizing, ensuring safety, and having double purpose functionalities are critical aspects of future shipping. Our future vision is for airships and drones to handle all last-mile deliveries and from coast to coast on Catbarks designs, which also will recharge their fuel cells and batteries, of drones, on the deck of the Catbark to move the cargo loads. 

These autonomous sailing Catbarks can be operated remotely via Starlink by a “skipper/driver” due to the simplicity of the steering and sail operation onboard. They will follow strict routes and avoid heavily transited areas, continuously generating freight income and energy that can be delivered in fuel cell bottles.

With hull production time reduced to few days, fleets of Catbark’s can move short shuttle passengers and transport economic and environmental refugees en masse from beaches close to drought and weather-stricken areas. Fleets of “house boats” can gather in bays and beaches, creating camping sites or music festivals without disturbing others. The Catbark’s can be utilized for multiple purposes, being a versatile and valuable asset for both transportation and leisure.

Although it may seem like a far-off future, it’s coming faster than we realize. With pipe production capacity reaching thousands of meters per month for a 4-meter diameter, the bottleneck will be the 3-5 day bonding period and the elaboration of new rules and regulations in composite construction demands and vessel operation. 

Fortunately, we already have complex composite prepreg foils and thrusters that only take a couple of hours to foundry, and Voith’s and others huge fabrication capacity provides electromagnetic thrusters.

There are plenty of manufacturers of sail gears, so we can expect some delays in the elaboration of new rules and regulations. However, the equipment onboard has improved in quality, making everything easy and almost maintenance-free, except for a yearly hauling. With Predictwind/route, Navionic, and Windy, we can program our autopilot to sail across the ocean and reach any port with ease, using just our mobile phones or satcoms.

It’s important to note that our naval engineering community seems to be focused on building larger vessels instead of downsizing for safety and environmental concerns. However, they are also accepting the future of autonomous vessels.


In 1996, I bought a first time foiling toy Pump-a-Bike at a boat show, and that was the beginning of my interest in Catbarks. Shipbuilding has evolved from wood planks and raw rafts to hot hammered and later hot rolled steel plates. Wind-powered ships were replaced by engines, and now we are trying to assist our huge ships with sails. It’s time again to downsize and change our base materials.

A prototype is expected to be finished in three months for sea trials, after starting in Esbjerg’s ship and wind energy industrial center. The offshore wind industry already has the equipment and expertise in bonding, fiberglass, and handling large elements, making it an ideal partner for us.

Our current focus is on understanding the right composite mix in pipes and foils from base chemical materials from manufacturers like Owens Corning and Ashland. Similarly, electromagnetic rim-driven thrusters, winches, and hydraulics can be produced more quickly and affordably, as the propulsion method on the river passenger version will require different thrusters and hydropower from the current initial solution. We invite you to contact us if you would like to participate in these developments or if you feel you can bring your ideas or resources to our organization.

Together, let’s change the way we produce energy and transport cargo.

What We Need & What You Get

We are thrilled to present our innovative 20 m Catbark prototype that we can produce for 21 million DKK using proven materials, equipment, and skilled manpower in composite manufacturing. Our main focus will be on the proof of concept of thruster’s and foils complete package, which will pave the way for “inertia energy generation studies” and hopefully establish a new era of alternative energy sources.

We have already discussed prices with Amiblu, and we expect to produce a 20m hull for 70-80.000 €, while sail gear, hydraulics, and foils, without thrusters, will bring it to 100 to 150.000 €. This sail-prototype will undergo sea trials to adjust foil size and forms, and to comply with rules and regulations for passenger transport. We are confident that we will receive orders for new buildings in yacht, houseboat, and utility vessels at this stage.

Amiblu will handle all cutting before delivery to Esbjerg Port, which will lease an area and has all the necessary equipment to handle composites and round pipes of huge sizes, including lifting support equipment.

Denmark’s most experienced composite yard will oversee hull assembly, while various suppliers into shipyard businesses will be available in the port. We plan to seek cooperation with trade and development agencies to establish scalability in production capacity.

Your contribution will be rewarded with “conversion into share options at IPO” and a perk of “a seat on the cruise,” on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Risks & Challenges

Our biggest challenge will be timely planning and management of the many new business areas, and we plan to hire a HR agency as a primary action. If delays in funding or investors occur, we will recycle our staff and resources towards ordinary wind energy, boat building, and yard business. 

In the long term we want to make a product that is safe, environmentally perfect, sellable, certifiable and scalable in production. 

Come on board!

About Me

My name is Jan Nikolaj Jensen. My sailing journey began as a kid on a big lake, but it wasn’t until my early 20s, while working as a diesel truck mechanic and tour guide, that I discovered windsurfing. I managed to start the first windsurfing school on the southern beach of Gran Canaria and experimented with A-frame masts on small cats. I found that windward inclined masts made sailing faster and lighter.

I then sailed on a 50-foot 1890 Bristol Channel cutter to Africa with an Englishman who taught me a lot about sailing. From there, I traveled to Brazil on a 600-ton three-masted schooner built in the Canary Islands in 1913 called Marte. Over the years, I’ve sailed on many different 60 to 90-foot sloops and schooners, gaining a deep understanding of what sailing is really about.

With over 40 years of cruising experience and several Atlantic crossings, I’ve worked in the oil and gas, shipping, and shipbuilding industries. In the 70s, weather reports were only available on the VHF radio or by looking up. With the advent of GPS and Weatherfax in the 80s, we could avoid or at least be aware of the worst weather on our route. However, I became increasingly concerned about container hazards and pollution. Today, we have excellent satellite weather/routing planning and advanced navigational aids like forward-searching radar, sonar, and optical sensors, making autopilot safer than human control. In recent years, I’ve become enthusiastic about multihulls and the speed and stability they offer, with speeds of over 20 knots. I’ve had plenty of spills with hobby cats and a few broaches with monohulls. 

Please help us get this win-win-wind project sailing and remember to use the Indiegogo share tools!