World’s Largest Sailing Cargo Ship Arrives in Baltimore in Maiden Transatlantic Voyage
By Meg Walburn Viviano
A cargo ship like no other has just arrived at the Port of Baltimore in its maiden transatlantic voyage. The Neoliner Origin is a 5,300-ton sailing roll-on/roll-off cargo ship. Yes, it’s a sailing ship that can carry large-scale vehicle cargo.
The French maritime company Neoline designed and built the 446-foot-long Neoliner Origin as a new model of wind-powered shipping. They say the Neoliner Origin reduces CO2 emissions by 80% compared to a traditional ship of its size. The company’s goal is to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050.
“Until now, sailing ships could only transport modest volumes. Neoline is changing the game: entire containers can now be transported by sail, offering a concrete and scalable alternative to cargo ships powered by heavy fuel oil,” says company president Jean Zanuttini.
Neoline was formed by a group of French Merchant Navy officers joined together by ro-ro ship captain Michel Péry. Their common goal was to “create and optimize new propulsion methods to improve their environmental performance” as climate change loomed. Wind propulsion is immediately available and efficient enough to power cargo vessels, the company says.
To achieve that efficiency, Neoliner Origin carries two 216.5-feet-tall carbon fiber masts and 32,291 square feet of sail. The masts are foldable to fit under bridges. It is reported to have a commercial speed of 11kts.
Several French luxury brands have gotten behind Neoline’s shipping model. In a partnership with high-end alcohol producer Rémy Cointreau, Neoliner Origin arrived in Baltimore with 11,088 bottles of Rémy Cointreau’s Telmont champagne on board. Telmont is a French champagne house known for its commitment to lowering its environmental footprint. Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has a stake in Telmont for its dedication to sustainability. The world’s largest luxury good’s conglomerate, LVMH, has committed to shipping 4 million bottles of Hennessy per year aboard the sailing cargo vessel.
Neoliner Origin was christened on Oct. 13 and left Nantes, France, Oct. 16 for Baltimore by way of Saint Pierre and Miquelon in Canada. The ship ran into trouble on the first leg, however, suffering damage to the upper panels of the rear sail. That delayed the Neoliner Origin‘s arrival in Baltimore until Thursday, Oct. 30. Neoline reported that forward mast sails are still fully functional and the ship was able to transit to Baltimore in “hybrid mode”, or what Bay sailors call motorsailing.
The world’s largest sailing vessel came into port around 6 a.m. Thursday morning, according to AIS data
In addition to its 5,300 tons of goods, the Neoliner Origin can accommodate up to 12 passengers on its shipping voyages.
Chesapeake Bay Magazine will continue to follow the Neoliner Origin‘s progress.