[PSUBS-MAILIST] Will Alford: A Cool Slideshow...

[Phil Nuytten <72020.572@compuserve.com>]

Hello Capt'n Nemo:
        Nice to 'see' you again. Regarding the catamaran launch system -
I'd like nothing better than to take credit for developing it, but it was
actually a Kama'aina project from start to finish. The first prototype  was
developed for a scaled down version of 'Aegir' a super deluxe deep habitat 
with it's own built-in travel and up/down  ballast system. A small version
was used with the Star 2 submersible ( General Dynamics) and originally
called the LARP ( Launch And Recovery Platform). The idea is to tow the sub
out to the dive site on chained to the deck of a catamaran - the catamaran
hulls are actually long, baffled, ballast tanks fed by HP gas bottles.
Exhaust valves are opened, the LARP sinks to about 60', a SCUBA diver in a
control cockpit shuts the ehaust valve and the platform hovers - out of the
waves and surge. The divers unbuckle the sub, it fly off and goes to the
bottom, the Larp is returned to the surface to wait with the mother vessel
( usually  the 'Holokai' - affectionately known as the Rollo-kai by many
sea-sick passengers!) When the sub returns, it surfaces briefly, the LARP
is towed over to it - and the LARP submerges, the sub goes down and flys
onto it at 60', the divers chain down and the whole enchilada blows to the
surface and is towed in.
        The concept was done by a guy named Mike Sperka (sp?) - My old
friend Gosta Fahlman was in charge of the Aegir project and reported to
Makai Range Engineering Inc.  ( The pier across from Sea-Life Park) Tap
Pryor was an early player in putting the thing together. After Aegir was
put out to pasture, a second version of the LARP called the LRT ( Launch,
Recovery, Transport) was built -( the first one was lost in a 1000' feet of
water, along with the Scuba diver who was fighting to control its descent)
- Star 2 and the LRT were leased by Maui Divers from the Hawaiin Undersea
Research Laboratory ( HURL) and used to harvest pink and gold precious
coral for  high-end Haole jewelery. This system is very slick, indeed. I've
used it many times, first with the 'Jim' suit strapped to the Star 2 sub -
Sylvia Earle inside 'Jim' - Bo Bartko pilotting Star2 and Al giddings
filming from Star 2 ( and moi in perfect safety, running the dive from
Holokai!) This was for a 2 hour special called " Mysteries of the Sea".  We
later used it with 'Deep Rover' ( the 1985 footage) . HURL currently
operates Pisces 4 and Pisces 5 under the very able direction of senior
pilot Terry Kerby and the whole thing reports to John Craven at the
University of Hawaii ( check out Craven's new book "The silent war" - a
response to the bestseller " Blind Mans bluff"). Before Pisces 4 was
availble, our Sub Deep Rover had been the primary stand-by for P-5 for a
number of years.  
        The coral operation started up again, a few years ago, operated by
a Hawaiin group called American Deepwater Engineering. Good guys -
specially Scott Villieumot - the GM. He was clever enough to buy two 'Deep
Workers" from me. My kinda guy! 
        Man, talk about long-winded! To close, the LRT concept is a very
useful  solution to the problem of launching a sub when you don't have a
large vessel. Certainly something to think about!
Phil Nuytten