Spindrift states: Force 8, defined as "Gale". Wind speed 39-46 mph, equal to 34-40 knots. Inland, twigs break off trees; progress generally impeded. At sea, moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests begin to break into spindrift; foam is blown in well-marked streaks along the direction of the wind. Relatedly, "spindrift" can also be used to describe fine sand or snow that is blown off by the wind. "Spindrift" is a southern English word, "Spoondrift" a northern or Scottish word. The Scottish word "spoondrift" can be used to describe fine snow that is blown off the hills by the
Offshore wind power horizontal axis turbines, with proposed designs of up to 20 MW capacity per turbine. This could improve the economy of scale of offshore wind farms. However, there are no current large-scale demonstrations of this technology. The advantage of locating wind turbines offshore is that the wind is much stronger off the coasts, and unlike wind over the continent, offshore breezes can be strong in the afternoon, matching the time when people are using the most electricity. Offshore turbines can also be located close to the load centers along the coasts, such as large cities, eliminating the need for new long-distance