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Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] launch ramp
Emil,
Back in the 80's, Carsten and I both independently decided to use a
"tricycle trailer". It works well on ramps of all lengths, angles, and
depths.
It was simple to make. All I did was weld a 2-foot length of 3" I.D. pipe
perpendicularly on the tongue of my trailer; and weld an 8" length of 3"
O.D. pipe to the center of an automobile wheel. The wheel slides onto the
pipe "axle" and is held in place by a 1" sleeve of 3" O.D. pipe with a large
cotter pin through it. It can be installed or removed very easily.
With this "tricycle trailer" connected to the towing vehicle by a 50-foot
length of steel cable, it is easy to lower the sub to any point on the ramp
for launching without getting the truck wet. The "third wheel" and cable
can be easily removed and stored for transport.
But you still need to know where the end of the ramp is. Walk it first, or
put on your mask and fins and make a dive. Once we knew where the end of
our ramp was, and we measured how long the distance was from our towing
vehicle to the main wheels of the trailer, we put a concrete "hollow tile"
block on the ramp as a chock so the towing vehicle could not roll beyond the
critical point. Worked fine.
You can see a short video clip of this system in operation at:
http://www.phys.uu.nl/~gdevries/nautilus/nautilus.html
Once there, click on the link that says MOVIE and wait for it to download.
Your computer will need something like Windows Media Player to play the
clip.
Pat
----- Original Message -----
From: "Emile van Essen" <AiResearch@hetnet.nl>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2003 7:43 AM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] launch ramp
> Thank you for your reaction on the launch ramp subject.
>
> Indeed, the ramp at a nice lake in my neigburhood terminates at 0.8 /0.9
> meters depth. About the axilary buoancy / pontoon idea: To save the extra
> transport weight it could be inflateable like a RIB.
> If I decide to design and built a trailerable psub, the winch- method
> (eventual with a rolling sled) may be an good option for me.
>
> Emile van Essen
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Buchner" <buchner@wcta.net>
> To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 4:59 PM
> Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] launch ramp
>
>
> >
> > 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
> >
> > ================================================================
> > Deze e-mail is door E-mail Virus Scan van Het Net gecontroleerd op
> virussen. Zie voor meer informatie: http://www.hetnet.nl/evs/
> >
>
>