Sail Freight in the U.S.

A Rising Opportunity for Zero-Carbon Logistics

Steven Woods, Director of Research and Development at the Center for Post Carbon Logistics, recently shared a clear and compelling overview of the state of sail freight in the United States—and how this emerging sector can meaningfully reduce emissions while strengthening local economies.

The Center for Post Carbon Logistics (CPCL) is a small nonprofit dedicated to engineering, educating, and advocating for the revival of small ports and small vessels, especially across the Northeastern U.S. Their focus is simple: replace trucks with short-sea shipping, where sail freight offers the highest emissions-reduction potential due to heavy congestion and inefficiencies on regional highways.

At present, the U.S. has only one active cargo-carrying sailing vessel — the schooner Apollonia. CPCL has mapped the ecosystem around this pioneering ship and developed a replicable, competitive business model for short-distance, high-frequency freight routes. This work is documented in the Sail Freight Business Handbook (available on ResearchGate).

A major insight from their research: sail freight wins through cost stability, not by being the cheapest option. While trucking prices fluctuate constantly, the fixed-cost nature of sail freight allows operators to offer a predictable yearly rate—something businesses increasingly value.

The team has identified routes where sail freight can already compete, or even lead, on price. Examples include Boston–Provincetown and New Bedford–Martha’s Vineyard, where sail freight can cut costs nearly in half while removing hundreds of tons of CO₂ annually.

To scale this movement, CPCL is developing:

• A pallet-sized microcontainer system for ship–bike logistics

• Modular port infrastructure for small coastal communities

• A suite of open-source sail freight vessel designs (planned for 2027)

• Sail freight training curricula and a national “Four A’s” awareness campaign

A clear timeline is taking shape: microcontainer prototypes in 2024–25, expanded development by 2026, and the first new open-source vessels on the water by 2027 — funding permitting.

Steven closed his talk with a call to action: naval architects, volunteers, donors, and especially European sail cargo operators visiting U.S. ports are all welcome to accelerate this transformation.

Sail freight in the U.S. is no longer a dream — it’s an emerging movement with real numbers, real plans, and growing momentum. 01-12-2025, by Peggy Engelmann