Wayback Machine 1935: Wind Turbines on Ships
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 11.28.07
We have seen a modern version of this, a turbine mounted on a catamaran, here; we have seen sail powered freighters here; as always, it was in Modern Mechanix first.
"GIANT fan blades whirling rapidly in ocean breezes are proposed by an English inventor as a substitute for both sails and engines on ocean-going vessels. Mounted high above deck, the whirling propeller would transfer the wind’s unlimited power to the marine screw propellers of the boat....Since the propeller could face into the wind regardless of the direction the ship is traveling, it is believed highly probable that windmill boats could travel directly into the wind."
Our own expert on everything John Laumer noted in Christine's post about the turbine powered catamaran: "Anyone who has spent considerable time afloat with variable weather conditions will know that the trickiest part would be coming about or quartering islightly away from the oncoming wind. Should your hull present a large surface area, you'd be set back substantially... a big sided monohull would offer a stiff resistance." ::Modern Mechanix
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"Since the propeller could face into the wind regardless of the direction the ship is traveling, it is believed highly probable that windmill boats could travel directly into the wind."
So thrust will exceed drag? hmmm