Maiden Voyage

The good rotor ship Buckau, with her whirling iron towers, came to anchor in Leith harbor. She had spent approximately six days at sea, bearing a cargo from Danzig via the Kiel Canal--about three days to Kiel and three days from Kiel to Leith. Her time was not good --tramp steamers make it in about two-thirds the time--but, during the entire voyage, she encountered storm and head winds that put her to a severe test. Moreover, during a good part of the voyage, she used her auxiliary Diesel engine.

So the trip was not an unqualified success. But there are still undeveloped possibilities in the rotor principle ("TIME, Dec. 8). The greatest propelling force is obtained when the circumferential speed of the revolving towers is about 3 1/2 times as great as the speed of the wind. The Buckau, whose revolving towers are about ten feet in diameter with a possible speed of 150 revolutions per minute can, therefore, function most efficiently in winds up to 15 miles an hour. By building rotor-ships with towers of greater diameter and greater speed of revolution, it should be possible to "sail" efficiently in high winds such as the Buckau encountered on this voyage.

As far as stability and maneuverability is concerned, the voyage apparently demonstrated that the Buckau is the equal, if not the superior, of the ordinary sailing ship.