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Hi Brian.
I know it isn't you talking about making a replica
Hunley yourself, and that you are talking about the man who made the replica.
If the man who made the static replica,
made an exact diving replica of the Hunley except for the improvement of closing
in the tops of the ballast tanks, you still have to contend with decompression
tables like an ambient sub would, depending on how long
you operated the replica with the interior
pressurized. You would still have to turn the crankshaft by hand using
uncomfortable, sweaty passengers and to be historically correct only have one
candlelight of light. There is no doubt
it could be done. If you enclosed the ballast
tank tops, added electric lights, scrubbers, did away with the crankshaft taking
up space and added an electric motor and modern safety features, even
though it might look like the Hunley externally,
it would be totally different. Except for the
exterior looking like the Hunley with a weaker rivited as opposed to welded
hull, I think the time and effort would be better served building a newer
design. I just think for the time and effort it would take
you wouldn't get the depth and use out of it that
you could get out of a more modern design for the same money, time and effort. I
love the old civil war era and even earlier subs. But I like them as historical
museum pieces. But as always.......
to each their own. If the gentleman has a burning
desire to build it even though it might not be practical, who am I to fault him?
More power to him. Perhaps it might be nice for civil war reenactments, but the
public wouldn't be able to see or
appreciate it working underwater unless you had
divers videotaping it underwater, and if that is the only way the public could
see it underwater, why not just do a computer simulation instead? If he wants to
build it simply for the accomplishment of
building it, then fine I guess. But would it
really be worth it? I guess that depends on the state of mind of the
person building it.
Kindest Regards,
Bill Akins.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 3:06 AM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Hunley
You're right the way they made that open at the top of the
ballast tank is not good. If the boat ever became tipped over the
water in the ballast tanks could rush into the main part of the boat and it
could become unbalanced.
the Hunley had a very heavy keel
however and it would be unlikely that it could invert it self. They had
a safety system where they could unbolt the heavy keel so they could
surface.
I guess the big error was making it so water could
continue to pour in the boat if you forgot to close the inlet valve. But
say you sealed off those balllast tanks except you put a valve open to the
main human compartment of the sub. Then it would be exactly the same as
before except that you could shut that valve when the ballast tanks became
totally filled.
With that set up it would act just like the
Hunley, in that, when the submarine submerged you would not see any bubbles
because the air would be getting compressed in the main hull area.
and
when you pumped the water out of the ballast tanks, the air inside the sub
would uncompress.
Brian
----- Original Message
-----
From: "solomon D" <solomondees@yahoo.com>
To:
<personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent:
Monday, May 16, 2005 4:41 PM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST]
Hunley
> Wow I never really understood how those open
top
> ballast tanks worked before.That design is just plain
>
suicidal! You could not pay me enough to get inside
> something like
that.
>
> --- Akins <lakins1@tampabay.rr.com>
wrote:
>
> > Hi Brian.
> >
> > I don't
believe he could ever get approval to take
> > passengers on an exact
replica of the Hunley. With
> > the ballast tank tops being open to
the hull
> > interior in all honesty the Hunley was a death
trap.
> >
> > Besides that, what passenger would want to
sit all
> > cramped up and have to turn the crankshaft with
the
> > only light being a single candle, when they can go
>
> on a modern roomy tourist sub. Some people let their
> >
obsessions override their
> >
> > judgement. In this case I
think the Hunley is best
> > left to a museum and as you said anyone
making an
> > exact replica without modern safety measures
and
> > improved design might suffer the fate of
> >
> > the Hunley's first two crews.
> >
> > You
asked what is going on with the hunt for the
> > Alligator,
Brian.
> >
> > The Alligator was another civil war
submarine. Built
> > for the Union it sank while being towed. Today,
a
> > Navy Admiral's wife read about it and notified her
> >
husband who had no idea of its existance.
> >
> > Everyone
had forgotten about the Alligator being the
> > U.S. Navy's first
submarine and the Holland was
> > thought to be the first. The
admiral got involved
> > with trying to find out more and the search
was on.
> >
> > I don't believe the search has found it yet
but I'm
> > sure they eventually will.
> >
> >
Here's some links about the Alligator and the search
> > to find
her
> >
> > http://wesclark.com/jw/alligator.html
>
>
> > http://www.navyandmarine.org/alligator.htm
>
>
> > http://www.navyandmarine.org/alligator/story.htm
>
>
> >
> http://www.theeastcarolinian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/12/02/41ae511e72b77
>
>
> >
> http://americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/naval_submarine.html
>
>
> >
> http://www.rc-submarines.com/Alligator_Junior/index_m.htm
>
>
> >
> http://www.rc-submarines.com/Alligator_Junior/id27_m.htm
>
>
> >
> http://www.onr.navy.mil/focus/blowballast/sub/history4.htm
>
>
> > http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08444.htm
>
>
> > http://www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/alligator/
>
>
> >
> http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/cno/n87/history/subhistory.html
>
>
> > http://www.cdnn.info/industry/i040809/i040809.html
>
>
> >
> http://www.treasurenet.com/forum/shipwrecks/messages/1003558.shtml
>
>
> > http://www.news.ecu.edu/poe/1004/alligator.html
>
>
> >
> http://www.hunleystore.com/Newsletter52/newsletter52.htm#Hunt_begins_for_Civil_War_sub
>
>
> >
> http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0712_040712_ussalligatorsub.html
>
>
> >
> http://www.dcmilitary.com/navy/trident/9_02/features/27048-1.html
>
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Brian Cox
> > To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
> > Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 12:40 PM
>
> Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Hunley
> >
>
>
> > Bill,
>
> What is the
story with the Alligator?
> >
> > Another
interesting observation I have concerning
> > the Hunley is in
regards to the mobile exhibit.
> > From what I gather the guy, John,
who built the
> > replica and is touring with the exhibit
probably
> > sold the idea to tour with it to individual
museums
> > and other interested parties. I didn't actually
ask
> > about his financial agreements but I'm just
> >
guessing. That would not be a bad idea for
> > financing a sub
!, however I'm sure he's not
> > exactly getting rich, it
probably just pays for his
> > trip around the country and also I
think he just
> > loves talking about it.
> >
> > He wants to build a working sub of the
Hunley,
> > though is is not especially into subs in general.
> > He was lamenting the same thing we hear all the time
>
> - " I want to build it but I can't get the financing
> >
!"
> >
> > I asked him how he would generate
money from an
> > actual working Hunley. What about a Hunley,
but
> > with a few added extras! - scrubber, electronics,
>
> some saftey features, compressed air.
> >
> > I wonder what the ramifications of giving
rides
> > would be. I don't think that would fly with
the
> > Coast Guard! You might end up like the first
two
> > crews!
> >
> > Always thinking
about how to make a buck to
> > finance my sub !!
> >
> > Brian
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Akins
> >
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
> > Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 2:45
PM
> > Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST]
Hunley
> >
> >
> > Hi
Brian.
> >
> > I am jealous! I
can't wait to see the Hunley
> > replica. Also hopefully to see the
original one day
> > when she is out of her fresh water tank.
>
>
> > I hope they find the Alligator soon
also. I
> > would like to see Simon Lake and other early subs
>
> recovered for preservation as well. WW1 and WW2 subs
> >
too.
> >
> > To me submarines are
special among wrecks. They
> > represent the very best technology of
their times
> > and mans quest to explore another atmospheric
world.
> >
> > If I had my way
every one of them that ever sunk
> > would be recovered and put on
display. Every last
> > one.
> >
>
> Kindest regards,
> >
>
> Bill Akins.
> >
> >
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Brian Cox
>
> To: Personal_Submersibles@psubs.org
> > Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005
2:55 AM
> > Subject:
[PSUBS-MAILIST] Hunley
> >
> >
>
> Hi All,
>
>
I saw the Hunley today! Very
> > interesting boat.
I had just planned to go down to
> > Channel Islands Harbor take a
quick look and then
> > turn around and come back and work on a
couple of
> > projects, I ended up staying half the day.
>
>
> > The sub was set
up outside the maritime
> > museum with local civil war re-enactors
in full
> > civil war garb. However there happened to be
one
> > fellow that had a blue jump suit on with a very
> >
distinct southern drawl who seemed to know quite a
> > bit about the
boat, I come to find out he built the
> > replica.
> >
> > Not only did he build the
replica but
> > apparently he was the first one they called
when
> > they actually opened the Hunley up. He described
in
> > detail how they went about removing the rivets
on
> > the rounded panels.
> >
>
> Luckily he didn't mind talking about
the sub,
> > in fact he was one hell of a storyteller /
welder
> > and a proud southerner to boot.
> >
> > I'm sure many of y'all
already know the whole
> > story of how the boat sunk twice before
it's final
> > mission when it sunk the Housatonic. All of
the
> > first two crews where lost. When they recovered
the
> > boat they had a little problem.
> >
>
> The bodies had been in there a
while and they
> > were all bloated. They couldn't get the
bodies out
> > thru the hatches so a guy had to climb down in
there
> > and cut the bodies into chunks that were big enough
>
> to get out thru the hatches.
> >
>
> I learned stuff I didn't even want to
know !!
> >
> === message truncated ===
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Mail
> Stay connected, organized, and
protected. Take the tour:
> http://tour.mail.yahoo.com/mailtour.html
>
>
>
>
>
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