Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] launch ramp

["Gary R. Boucher" <engineer@sport.rr.com>]

>I had thought of this in my previous sub ideas, and I felt hat a
>two-piece boat trailer would be needed.  You have the trailer and
>trailer frame with all the neat stuff on it- axles, brakes, so on.  Then
>you have almost like an extension of the trailer, that when packed up is
>part of the trailer, but when launching extends from the trailer into
>the water, HOLDING the sub.

Been there done that.  The problem is; unless you have quite a telescoping 
system, you will not have enough distance and have to submerge your 
vehicle's rear axal.

>   Very similar to the pontoon boat idea
>someone mentioned before.  Actually, it's nearly identical.  The
>extension/pontoon dock sits in the water and you launch the sub from
>there.  If you need to launch the sub/dock in shallow water, you
>pressure up one or more of the pontoons.  If you need to adjust the deck
>height, you let air out.  Similar to the water used for sub ballast,
>except it's a part of the trailer.

This is a far more complex trailer than you need.  KISS principle!

>Sadly the weight of this idea is going to be a lot.  I presume that for
>a 10,000 pound sub (22,000 kg), the trailer would weigh around 6,500
>pounds (14,300 kg).  All in theory, of course.  I could be wrong.

Do you realize what would be necessary to haul such a load, not to mention 
what this would be like trying to get up and down a 20 degree ramp?  You 
will need a heavy duty winch to just get the truck up the ramp.  Pontoons 
are probably unnecessary weight.  My sub and trailer are about 8,700 pounds 
total.  I have a 3/4 ton Chevy pickup with a Vortex 6 liter engine and it 
is barely enough to handle it the way I would want.

G. Boucher