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Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Launching at the boat ramp (was: Langkawi Islands)
In sleepy little Edmonds, WA, on the shores of mighty Puget Sound, the Port
Authority runs a lifting sling instead of a boat ramp. A gantry crane runs
you straight into deep(ish) water. I'm designing for this arrangement, even
though it will limit my points of ingress/egress. It means I can get by with
a fairly standard tandem axle dry-land trailer and a lowly 4x2 pick-up. I
toyed with a catamaran approach for awhile, but there's only so much towing
capacity in the Everyman V-8 pick-up. Between the boat/trailer combination,
support equipment in the bed, and support crew in the passenger seat, you're
already stuck buying beer and cigarettes at the bait shop. - Joe
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael B Holt <michaelbholt@juno.com>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 7:54 AM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Launching at the boat ramp (was: Langkawi Islands)
> On Mon, 31 Jan 2000 15:40:04 -1000 "Captain Nemo" <vulcania@interpac.net>
> writes:
> >Basically, one rule-of-thumb might be "a depth equal to the distance
> from
> >the ground to the subs waterline, trailer included". (About 4 1-2 feet
> for
> >the NAUTILUS MINISUB).
>
> Part of what I'd like to get out of this question is awareness of the
> problem. When I'd launch my Newport 16, I needed about three feet
> of water to float that little sailboat. But it was light enough that as
> soon
> as it bobbed on the trailer, I could shove it into the water. Odds are
> that a psub will sit lower and will have to be floating over most of its
> length before it can be manhandled.
>
> In the Old Days, when the Germans were launching Martens from
> Italian beaches, they had to carry the damn things (manned and loaded)
> pretty far from the edge of the water. I've wondered about
> building a catamaran to support the sub as it's launched. The
> catamaran
> would then be folded up and put back on the trailer.
>
> >You might get away with less water using rollers, a winch, and such; but
> my
> >trailer doesn't have those due to the shape of the NAUTILUS' keel. I
> need
> >enough water on the ramp to float the sub free at launch, and also to
> >recover it.
>
> Yeah -- it's the floating free that I can see as a problem at most
> landings.
>
> That, and the bassboaters who want to come over to help.
>
>
>
> Mike
> --
>
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