Shiny Things - January 31st, 2008

12:36 pm - Sail Sledges

In Around the World in Eighty Days, Jules Verne describes sail-powered sledges being driven across the snow-covered prairies of western America. I have to wonder if this was ever remotely commonplace, or just something Verne made up out of whole cloth. I know that people do land sailing now (looks like fun), but they are using wheels, on especially flat places such as dry lake beds and beaches. I especially doubt the part of his account that the sledge sailor had no concern over crossing creeks and rivers, because they were frozen over. That may be so, but they would still have banks, which often drop steeply.

Online research hasn't revealed much, except references to the novel itself. Anyone have any thoughts or information on the subject?