Vance,
Thanks for the HEADS UP concerning salt
water before I END UP with HAIR UP or WORSE!
Water is a conductor and salt water is a much better conductor, of
course, but so far the only time I had any in the sub was once when I
surfaced to find it raining. By the time we got it loaded on the
trailer it was a bit wet inside but not much. Rain, and or
condensation, has been the limit of my experience with water inside, so
far.
You do make a good point. I should have something sealed in plastic and
dry to pull the plugs with just in case I end up in an emergency situation
with some sea water in the sub. My disconnects are in the upper third
of the hull but they could get splashed.
It must be a real shocking experience, and I mean it literally, to
have a flood of sea water sloshing around inside a stranded sub. I
wonder if a good precaution before ever trying to exit a sub in an
emergency wouldn't be to first run the batteries down, if they aren't
already. Vance, is this part of any emergency plan you've
encountered?
On the K-350 electrical print I have, the captain shows the fuses
in the battery pods. That's where I have mine also. I realize if
a pod has hydrogen in it, the blowing of a fuse will be the igniter but
I thought that would be better then the any smoke or fumes in the air I need
to breath until I can get out. If a pod blows it will blow off the end
cap and shake things up a little. The captain told me he had one blow
but I don't know the reason. He surfaced replaced the batteries and
cap, and lived to dive again. The first defense is keep the sea
water and hydrogen out of the sub.
When I started my sub I really didn't know much about marine
wiring. I was more familiar with house hold and automotive wiring and
also more concerned with quick access to things rather then making then
water tight. As always, I see things that I'd do different the
second time around, but I'd still keep the disconnects.
Thanks, Dan H.