Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] launch ramp

[David Buchner <buchner@wcta.net>]

On Monday, Mar 24, 2003, at 13:21 US/Central, John R. Farrington wrote:

> There is a class of sailboat around here, 15-20 feet (5-7m) in length 
> that have a fixed
> keel extending 3 feet (1m) or so from the bottom of the boat.  There 
> are a number of
> these around here that are kept on trailers and launched (presumably?) 
> just like a
> ski boat, which would require the trailer to be really far under water.

I have wondered about that too, but I don't know the answer.

Many ramps around here are VERY short, and likely to result in that 
"getting stuck behind the end of the concrete" problem somebody 
mentioned. I've wondered idly, whether it would be feasible to have a 
whole bunch of auxiliary flotation -- extra outboard saddle tanks, say 
--  that would allow a heavy sub to ride much higher in the water to 
float it off the trailer. Then you float out into deep water, flood 
those tanks, and detach them. You wouldn't need extra air -- you're on 
the surface; just empty them with a fast bilge pump.

In fact, they could be permanently mounted to the *trailer* -- and then 
you could float the whole works out to where it's deep enough, flood 
the trailer tanks to launch the sub, blow the trailer tanks to float it 
back in...? Okay, I haven't thought that one through very much.

** **

Ah-hem.

Off-topic note:
For the record, and ironically, the politically provocative quote 
appended to my signature was an embarrassing accident -- resulting from 
a misunderstanding of how my e-mail software handles signatures. (How I 
long for the days when software came with big, thorough manuals written 
by the developers! Now it comes with "Help" files that answer questions 
about things clearly described by their names in the Preferences.) I 
don't see it as that enormous a transgression, but I had intended to 
reserve that part for private mails. My embarrassment stems mostly from 
making myself look like a clueless plebeian.

My apologies to anyone who was overly agitated, and even more apologies 
to our gentlemanly hosts for inciting more list noise.


- - -
David
buchner@wcta.net
Osage, MN, USA