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RE: Reply to: [PSUBS-MAILIST] ABS - 3/17.1.1 - Normal Ballast Sy stem
Hugo, welcome back.
If a "standards movement" is started, I would like to help in any way
possible.
Marten
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org
[mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org] On Behalf Of Hugo Marrero
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 9:31 AM
To: 'personal_submersibles@psubs.org'
Subject: FW: Reply to: [PSUBS-MAILIST] ABS - 3/17.1.1 - Normal Ballast Sy
stem
To All,
I am forwarding this message, which I intended to post here, but sent just
to Vance by mistake. It is intended for all here.
Thanks,
Hugo
-----Original Message-----
From: Hugo Marrero
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2004 6:25 PM
To: 'VBra676539@aol.com'
Subject: RE: Reply to: [PSUBS-MAILIST] ABS - 3/17.1.1 - Normal Ballast Sy
stem
OK Guys,
I re-thought my desicion, and it is really stupid of me to back off from
posting in this site. Submarines are my life and is what I love to do.
Everyone here seems to be a great person, and your honest comments are
refreshing. Sniff ... sob... sniff.... LOL...
I promise that I will keep my postings as impersonal and as objective as
possible. I do respect the fact that many here have the guts to get in a sub
made in their garage.
Special thanks to Vance, Marten, and Steven for their frankness of
expression and kind words, they are the main reason of my re-thinking my
stance.
Vance, you are right on the money. I have been blessed to dive and operate
many different subs. And to me personally, ballast is everything. This
applies to the time when I drove the Atlantis I, IV, IX, X, & XIV. These
subs displace 80 Tons and the VBT in the 48 passenger boat has a capacity of
up to 12,000 lbs of sea water. Even though they are mosntrous in size, the
difference between a good pilot and a mediocre pilot (for these subs that
is) is the ability to ballast the submersible properly.
As for the analogy between cars and subs, I respectfully disagree with such
comparison. Cars, ships, airplanes, homes, buildings, appliances, SCUBA
diving gear, computers, toys, and just about any mass produced product; all
of them come in every kind of color, size, and persuasion. The common trait
between them is that they are all built under a basic core set of standards
designed to make these products safe.
Some of these products require a certain degree of knowledge and skills to
operate, such as, SCUBA diving gear, Cars, Aircraft, tools, boats, etc..
The basic operating standards and certifications established for these
products are designed to give the user a basic knowldge to allow the person
operate such equipment safely, and to ensure that all users meet a minimum
agreed set of knowledge and skills. Isn't safety the main purpose of these
standards? Does anyone honestly believe that these standards are made by a
bunch of bozo's who just want to manipulate what you and I do with our
lives?
The standards set forth by the ABS, are the result of many years of
development through the input (read heated arguments or honest and candid
discussions) from many agencies including The Society of Naval Arquitects
and Marine Engineers (SNAME), The Marine Technology Society (MTS) , the US
Navy, the US Coast Guard, the US Department of Transportation, the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME, who set the standards for the construction and
certification of Pressure Vessels for Human Occupation PVHO, which includes
manned submersibles). If careful consideration is given to these documents,
which are available to the general public, the reader will see that the
safety concerns raised by each of these bodies of knowledge were not only
valid, but sound. They were created with the intent to prevent or minimize
the inherent risks and accidents associated with manned submersibles that
would hinder (or completely shut down) the growth of an innovative and
potentially profitable industry.
One of such publications is a book titled " International Safety Standard
Guidelines for the Operation of Tourist Submersibles" written by John A.
Pritzlaff, and published by the Society of Naval Arquitects and Marine
Engineers (SNAME). On the second sentence of the Foreword this book it reads
as follows: "It is our sincere hope that these safety standard guidelines
will see world-wide use and will serve as the basis for safe operation for
tourist submersibles". This book was dedicated to the late Frank Busby, who
many of us have in high regard. In the first sentence of the second
paragraph of the Introduction on page 4, it reads: "These guidelines were
written as a safety aid to all who design, build, operate and ride in
tourist submarines". Later on in the third sentence of the same paragraph it
reads: "The purpose of these safety guidelines is to promote and maintain
safety."
These people raised their concerns after seeing an increase in the
copnstruction and activity of tourist submarines. By defining safety
standards, the tourist submarine industry became under regulation by the US
Coast Guard in the US and by International Regulating Agencies such as ABS
and Det Norske Veritas Worldwide. These agencies created the standard by
which others would be measured. Their justifiable concerns gave the tourist
submarine industry the edge they needed to move forward. If this is
manipulative bunk, you be the judge.
With this in mind I propose the creation of a set of standards for Personal
or Private submarines if you will. We could set discussions, meetings, and
agendas within an alloted time-line to bring arguments to the table, look at
what we can learn from the wisdom of publications like the one mentioned
above, and then come into an agreement which will serve as a guiding
standard for the safe design, contruction and operation of Private /
Personal submersibles.
I honestly believe that by giving our attention to these issues, which I see
raised over and over in this site, we can give direction and purpose to our
dreams of building and owning our own subs. And who knows, maybe this could
lead to the creation of a whole new industry.
Anyone interested? Please, post your sincere opinion. Lets get the ball
running!
Thanks to all again!
Sincerely,
Hugo Marrero
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603-529-1100
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