If you put a really big kite on a boat, could it be used as a sail?

Question

I'm not sure if it would work or not since I saw it in a movie called Water world

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

They are about to test it on a small cargo vessel. I saw an article about it in a local paper.

Here's a link to Popular Mechanic's article on it.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors...

Answer 3

Anything big enough with enough surface area to carry wind,and if its durable enough, of course. You could even hold on to the kite and if your legs are strong enough and the wind is good enough, use it to pull you....I wouldn't try that though.

Answer 4

That sounds like a question for the Mythbusters...lol. Have you ever watched that show?  It's pretty interesting.

Answer 5

Yes, large parascensing type kites are used to tow sledges on ice and can also be used on small boats.  You can even tack upwind.

Answer 6

Yes, but since it only has flexible control lines linking it to the earth's surface (the boat) it'd be useless for going anywhere close to upwind as it'd always want to fly, and thus pull, downwind. Also, your arms would get really tired.