Kreta

The WOT tries to find designs that can be made in a simple workshop. This means that only standardised materials are used. No precision work has to be done, and no expensive machines are necessary. These principles where important in the design of the Cretan windmill.

The Cretan windmill was build in 1976 and has proven to be quite reliable. It is one of the most special and beautiful windmills on the WOT test field, because it is built almost entirely out of wood. The rotor is of a type that is also used on Crete (An island in the Mediterranean Sea), and has a diameter of six metres. The windmill has no brake to stop it if storm is coming. The sails must be rolled in. The rotor drives a piston pump. This allows the windmill to pump up water from a maximum of 15 metres. With a wind speed of 4 metres per second (3 Beaufort) the mill delivers 15 litres per minute if the height difference is 10 metres. If the height difference is less, the mill will deliver more. To build the windmill, tools for woodworking are necessary.