it is with a heavy heart that I regret to inform you that the tech bros have invented sails

@stavvers TBF this is a GOOD idea purely in engineering terms: kites can take advantage of wind speeds and directions that vary at different altitudes, aerofoils bolted to the deck on rigid masts are limited to surface winds. But it's still only a supplement for engine power: modern supply chains can't cope with VLCSs getting becalmed.

The real answer is marine nuclear propulsion. Or teleportation booths. Or sparkly unicorns. Or something.

@cstross @stavvers I read, somewhere, that it takes an implausible amount of kite to equal the power of a ship engine. My brother's been messing with kites for decades, one crucial piece of equipment is the device that lets go of the kite fast, not sure if there needs to be a ship version of that.
@dr2chase @cstross @stavvers We may have to settle for less speed for the sake of survival.