Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] New potential sinker

["Captain Nemo" <vulcania@hawaii.rr.com>]

Hi Bob,

Been reading your thread.  Yup, you've got the sub-bug, alright.  Welcome to
the club.   A homebuilt submarine is a great project.    (Some replies to
your comments below...)



"Just so every one knows, I am 40.  Not a wet behind the ears infant, and
certainly not an engineer (at least not by education or trade).  But, I have
worked in the automotive industry, and the high-tech machine tool industry,
and just have a great desire to build things."


You "fit the profile" of other guys I know who got into homebuilt subs as a
hobby and succeeded at it.  You don't need a diploma in engineering; what
you need is (1) an understanding of submarines, (2) design capabilities or a
set of plans, and (3) a fairly broad range of shop skills.  Beyond that,
what determines the kind of sub you build are mostly available facilities,
funding, and time.

Of course (as is also true of land vehicles and aircraft)  there are various
levels of sophistication inherent to submarines.  Personally, I don't
believe a guy working out of his own backyard shop should expect or try to
compete with professional submarine manufacturing companies in terms of
product functionality.  But a submarine intended for use within reasonable
parameters is well within the means of the individual craftsman.


"To say I am qualified to engineer a sub would be lying, but that is just
why I want to do it."


I think I know what you may mean.  A lot of people laughed and told me it
couldn't be done; but proving them wrong wasn't my major motivation.  This
was something I wanted to prove to myself.  I felt challenged by it.  I
wanted to see if I could do it.  Back then there weren't a lot of "how to"
references available to me.  I was working alone, and had to figure it all
out by myself.  The HYPERSUB and NAUTILUS MINISUB were the toughest projects
I'd ever attempted; and there were times I felt like giving up.  But I
eventually succeeded, and that success was well worth every year of work,
bead of sweat, drop of blood, and bundle of bucks that went into achieving
it.  There is no way I can adequately describe the feeling you get the first
time you dive and surface in a submarine you built yourself;  but those I
know who've been there all agree the ride is well worth the price of the
ticket.

These days, I talk to a lot of people about homebuilt submarines.  Many want
to build them, but few actually do.  One thing that seems to hold
prospective subbers back is the lack of an actual working plan.  (Old
saying: "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.")  My advice is: make a list
of things to do and stick to it.  There will be setbacks and changes along
the way; but at least with a plan and continued effort, you may eventually
arrive at that part of the list that says "Proceed to first float test".

You've got some interesting design ideas, Bob; a basic idea of "where you
want to go"; and an apparent background in relevant technological skills.
Now, make a list of what you need to learn, acquire, and accomplish to turn
those drawings into a working submarine; and then start checking items off
that list as you are able to.

I wish you all the best of luck and success with your project.

Pat