There is nothing which excites the hearts and imagination of men then the sight of an old sailing vessel in its full glory with sails unfurled and fully extended to catch the wind there great wooden foreparts breaking the waves as they race across the oceans in there splendor. In there time the ocean going vessels of the past depleted vast tracts of land in Europe and Asia of all trees. One might consider the age of sail to be a thing of the past however.

The age of the sailing ship might yet make a come back with the ever increasing demands for oil and coal raising it is quite possible that in the foreseeable future the oceans of the world might once more see the return of sailing ships.

The real question is what these vessels will look like as we have made so many improvements and advances in comfort to ocean going vessels the possibility that the sailing ships of the future might be very different in design and looks from the sailing ships of the past.

It is possible that the hulls of these vessels will be made of fiberglass or even steel which in itself will change the look and design of the vessel considerably the old sailing ships had fat bellies in which they carried cargo the look of the new age of sailing might be a lot sleeker and remind on of the great ships if the second half of the 19th century like the Cutty Sark

These vessels might also have a certain amount of nuclear power, the masts might be made not of wood but high masts of light weight steel which will carry the great sails made of synthetics

I lift my glass to the new age of sail