Battery-electric boats are surely a thing of beauty, on many levels.
It's a pity that the technology is utterly unsuitable for long-haul cargo trips. So far, there's no decent alternative to fossil fuels for this purpose.
At perhaps only moderately-increased cost, I wonder if it could be feasible to build nuclear-powered tug boats to propel large cargo vessels until they're close to shore.
WEATHER !!steerage waynoun
the rate of headway required if a ship is to be controlled by the helm.
Steerage is the act of steering a ship. The rudder of a vessel can steer the ship only when water is passing over it. Hence, when a ship is not moving relative to the water it is in or cannot move its rudder, it does not respond to the helm and is said to have "lost steerage."
To tow a big ship in heavy weather is immensely difficult and dangerous. You do not want to be in anything without steerage way in a force 12 Atlantic gale.
I once had to read the Board of Enquiry Report on a 25,000 tonne deadweight general cargo ship that lost steerage way off the Newfoundland Banks - single prop, single engine. The report had all the radio messages sent after it lost steerage way detailing the worsening of the situation over the two days it took for her to finally be lost . The list of messages finished with the words "At n hrs n mins lost radio contact".
To me, your suggestion just would not work unless you don't mind a few SS Torrey Canyon disasters.
