The white, gleaming, boastful liners that fill the harbor overwhelm my vision as I approach the port in Dover, in the UK, yet I only have eyes for one vessel, the Golden Horizon, tiny by comparison. A retro-beauty, a near-replica of the elegant, 1913-constructed France II—the second-largest commercial merchant sailing ship ever built—it sits all aglow on the English Channel, waiting to get its inauguration party started.
Though it is a reminder of the past, it may be the ship of the things to come. Seafaring is currently under scrutiny for its environmental impact, so Golden Horizon, with its commitment to sail under wind whenever possible, will shrink its carbon foot dramatically each time it is able to switch from engine to sails.
