The 40-minute movie, “Windshipped” follows two-masted, 64-foot long, steel-hulled schooner Apollonia as it hauls cargo up and down the Hudson River, bringing locally produced products downstream to New York City, then back up with goods such as coffee beans for local roasters. The idea is to provide a carbon-neutral alternative to commercial trucking in this densely populated area. Since 2020, the Apollonia has transported over 200,000 pounds of cargo by wind, tide, and current (with a little bit of diesel, used entirely for docking). On the land side, transportation is provided by cargo bikes powered by human alone.

“If shipping is all about getting something from point A to point B as fast and cheap as possible, and who cares about the consequences, then we can’t compete,” says Apollonia’s skipper Sam Merrett. “What we’re trying to do is bring awareness to the impacts and what are the consequences of our shipping decision, and what alternatives we can do.”

Moving cargo by sail is, of course, nothing new. In 1832 there were an estimated 1,200 sloops at any given moment on the Hudson River, and steam power hauled goods up and down the river until well into the 20^th century. But Merrett believes that, especially with the latest tracking technologies and a rising demand for sustainable transportation, the sail freight industry is poised for a comeback.

Read More: Wind Power ‘Vital’ to the Decarbonization of Maritime Sector, COP 28 Told

John Bowermaster’s movie is partly a love-letter to a slower, more considered way of interacting with the undeniably spectacular Hudson River landscape (there’s a reason a whole school of painting was named after it). But the film also makes a compelling argument for figuring out how to send non-perishable goods by wind and water. Because, after all, what’s the rush to get that maple syrup? The trip from Hudson to New York City — a distance of 120 miles — is a mere five days. Merrett’s message is a powerful antidote to the same-day delivery fever currently making greener, more socially responsible transportation promises sound hollow.

“If you knew when you clicked ‘I want it next day,’ what that was doing to a person’s life, I bet a lot of people would make the decision to click ‘oh I can take it in four days, that’s fine. Let the guy have a p**s break,’” says Merrett.

While the Apollonia solution would struggle to scale quickly to meet all green cargo needs or desires, even in this limited region, "Windshipped" delivers a clear reminder that things change most often, and most dramatically, because of visionary individuals willing to usher seemingly quirky ideas into reality.

Read More: Wind and Water Could Usher in a New 'Intermodal' for Post-Carbon Freight

The Apollonia crew has hauled malted barley, coffee beans, lumber, flour, beer, cheese, pumpkins, apparel, cider, furniture, and much more. The company also supply galas/events, delivers to food banks and pantries, and transports wholesale and individual cargoes, including CSA-style “Boat Boxes” full of local goodies. 

“Windshipped” can be rented on Amazon Prime for $2.99.