Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Launching at the boat ramp (was: Langkawi Islands)

["D. Blake" <dblake@bright.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Captain Nemo <vulcania@interpac.net>
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Date: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 3:58 PM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Launching at the boat ramp (was: Langkawi
Islands)


>Mike,

>I'm trying to visualize your catamaran idea.  I'm seeing an setup where the
>cat hulls are down low, and the sub is sitting up on them.  If the sub was
>suspended in a strong frame from, say, a couple winches, you could maybe
>float it off the trailer in water shallow enough to support the cat hulls,
>and then crank the sub down into the water after she's afloat.  The first
>thing I start wondering about is stability: wouldn't want it to go
>"huli-over" on launch.  Keep in mind it's not always calm at the ramp.  But
>if the cat was wide enough, maybe....
>
>I had thought of making a catamaran with a winch and platform to use as a
>support vessel for my sub; would give us better safety when boat-towing the
>sub to distant divesites; and enable safer operations in open water (since
>the NAUTILUS' freeboard is only about a foot).  But that would be mated to
>the sub after being launched from the trailer, and wouldn't do anything to
>reduce my ramp-depth requirements.

Why not make the trailer/catamaran one and the same?
Use David's idea of a trailer with overarching crossmembers to hang the sub
from.  Except design it wide enough to fit the sub between, and yet only
wide enough to still allow one-lane highway use using pontoons crafted from
used small diameter propane tanks attached to the frame for and aft of the
axles for floatation with the minimum of ground clearance.
Bulid a platform on the rear of the trailer as a helm, and add an outboard
for propulsion.  Okay?  Now just launch the trailer and all !  The trailer
is the support vessel !!
After launch, motor to your dive location and lower the vessel into the
abyss.  Afterwards, winch it up and motor back to the ramp.
Hit the ramp with a head of steam.  Pull up the outboard to prevent damage
to the prop, and apply the electric binders once up on the ramp.  Back the
truck in and hitch it up.  Have a video camara handy cause I gotta see the
expression on everybody's faces when this thing happens.  With practice it
will become second nature to you, but not to those watching.
Still,  This sort of trailer/support vehicle would probably be very heavy.
Best start looking for a cheap used International Harvester Loadstar circa
1975-80 or equivelent.  I've seen 'em on the net for around 2-3k in good
running condition.

>>About those bassboaters: we always had locals snooping around.  One time,
I
>had to warn one of them about my submerged trailer on the ramp; he replied
>"I don't care if I hit it"; to which I replied "Yeah, well I do!"  I don't
>think he was at all intimidated by my Hulk Hogan routine

Did you tear your shirt off Hulkster style as you were saying it ?  No?
Well you damn well should have!!

; and it was only
>the fact that I had the area marked out with floats bearing the Diver Down
>Flag (we had a diver in the water), that enabled me to convince him to take
>his boat elsewhere.

It's a wonder he even knew what the flags meant.

Not all surface boaters appreciate submariners, but
>most of them were pretty cool.  Particularly the guys in the rubber ZODIAC
>boats, who for some strange reason always kept a respectful distance from
my
>NAUTILUS.

Could be these guys are future psubbers, and I welcome them into our fold.
If it turns out they were scared by the pointy projections of the Nautilus,
well then they are at least intelligent enough to be careful.  I return
their respect.
As for the former care-less idiots, I give them the international
middle-finger salute, and suggest they go back and replenish their cooler of
Old English and catch many more Carp for supper.
Big Dave
>
>VBR,
>
>Pat Regan
>vulcania@interpac.net
>
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