It has become more common to row across an ocean. People also like a sportive adventure as a holiday away from their desk. More people are being concerned about wasting natural resources, especially when it is just for their holiday. Just one transatlantic flight has an enormous impact on your carbon footprint, but there is no other way to cross the ocean.
Let us start a commercial service with galleys to travel. Wikipedia: "The term galley can refer to any ship propelled primarily by man-power, using oars. Most galleys also used masts and sails as a secondary means of propulsion."
To keep it interesting all passengers (learn to) perform all the different tasks: fishing, cooking, cleaning, sleeping, rowing, navigating, sailing, purifying water, and so on. And we regularly sing all together to keep the morale high!
If it takes Charles Hedrich 36 days to go from Senegal to Brazil it should be possible to do it in a month as a team in a high-tech galley, should it not?
The goal is to calculate how you can get the maximum number of passengers as fast as possible across the ocean in a safe and zero emission way.-- rrr, Jun 01 2007 Galley in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GalleyThe term galley can refer to... [rrr, Jun 01 2007] Handbook on Ocean Rowing http://www.angusadv...anrowing/index.htmlDetailed information on ocean rowing. Ocean rowing is an emerging sport in which specialized boats are used to row unsupported across open oceans. [rrr, Jun 01 2007] Carbon Footprint in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia...ki/Carbon_footprintCarbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels [rrr, Jun 01 2007] Ocean Rowing Statistics http://www.oceanrow...tatistics/index.htmOcean Rowing Society International [rrr, Jun 01 2007] A relevant experiment... http://purplemotes....e-trireme-olympias/... though not really designed for oceans. [pertinax, Jun 01 2007] Another take on it. SS_20Ben_20Hurry [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 01 2007] Terrible pity I kept flunking the sleeping class and had to retake it every day rather than rowing. (+)-- Galbinus_Caeli, Jun 01 2007 ...and specialised S&M cruises in which the galley 'slaves' get extra whipping.-- hippo, Jun 01 2007 I assume this would also be a WAY cheaper way to cross the ocean than either flying or taking a traditional ship. I'm totally in, and have sadly only one [+] to offer.-- awesomest, Jun 01 2007 The efficiency of muscle is less than that of most modern engines. Ergo, this is going to have a disadvantageous carbon footprint.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 02 2007 ... unless the people who are moving the ship would otherwise waste their breath in a gym or to propel only themselves.
I would vote for this, but I don't think I could handle the singing and the water purification.-- jutta, Jun 02 2007 Baked. Variation of 'adventure cruise'. [+]-- nuclear hobo, Jun 02 2007 So I can book passage as a passenger? or choose to row? I choose row!+-- zeno, Jun 02 2007 A paddle ship could be driven by rows of treadmills, all connected to a central crank shaft.... or is this a bit far fetched ?-- xenzag, Jun 02 2007 [jutta] "I don't think I could handle the singing and the water purification." The singing I can imagine, but what is wrong about filling up the watertank with sea water?-- rrr, Jun 02 2007 [MaxwellBuchanan] "a disadvantageous carbon footprint" A month of rowing prevents a lot. No cartrips to the shopping mall, no commuting...-- rrr, Jun 02 2007 //No cartrips to the shopping mall, no commuting...// True. On the other hand, this would be the case if the people were on a regular cruise ship. I would bet your hat that, all other things being, you wuold get further by burning a litre of diesel than you would by eating the equivalent carbon-mass of food and rowing. But it's quite likely that I am wrong.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 02 2007 So those who are highly concerned with global warming should go on a severe diet and reduce respiration?-- nuclear hobo, Jun 02 2007 It would be a start. Either that or at least promise not to be cremated.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 02 2007 The humans I know are mostly bio-fueled. So, they're just cycling carbon which gets taken up again by next year's harvest as it grows.
[MaxwellBuchanan]'s point is very valid, though, for those rowers who eat brown coal washed down with diesel. Especially if they belch at high altitude.-- pertinax, Jun 03 2007 [Maxwell] I think other things wouldn't be equal, though. A modern cruise ship is very large in proportion to the number of passengers it carries, compared to a rowing galley. The passengers wouldn't have a hope of moving a modern cruise ship (well, of course if there were no wind or current, they could move it slowly - but so slowly you'd barely notice, and any opposing wind or current would take them the other way). This galley would have to be very compact compared with a cruise liner.
It's true the passengers would eat more if they were exercising hard rowing, but they eat quite a lot anyway (actually, some of them probably eat more than galley slaves used to, even without rowing).
Finally, they do eat recently grown food, not fossil fuels - and their food is less wastefully processed than biofuels for engines (maybe...).-- Cosh i Pi, Jun 03 2007 Will there be a vacancy for the guy who beats the drum with exaggerated arm movements? I am available after mid-June.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 03 2007 I think he's actually a robot, [Maxwell]. Sorry.
I think you'd need a power meter for each passenger, though - and charge more for passengers who didn't pull their weight. Some really energetic folks might even get a discount, or even travel free. Or die of a heart attack in the attempt.-- Cosh i Pi, Jun 03 2007 random, halfbakery