Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] BIG is now a p-sub...

["Dan H." <jmachine@adelphia.net>]

Pierre!  Congratulations!!!!

I know exactly how you felt.  You planned and thought and built, knowing it
will work but still when your in the sub you just don't know for sure until
you return to the surface,  Alive.  ;-)

Again, congratulations, Dan H.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marie-Andrée et Pierre" <poulin.carrier@videotron.ca>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2005 11:10 PM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] BIG is now a p-sub...


> Hi guys,
>
> Today we launched BIG.
>
> After 2.5 years of design and building, moving to 4 different workshops,
> investing 2500 $ (canadian, but still...) I finaly put BIG in the water!
>
> What a trill!!!!
>
> When it went down the boat ramp, on it's own tiny wheels, I could not
> refrain myself to think that it would leak so bad, crash, explode or else.
> But nothing happened. I had 2 very small leaks. Nothing a good
scott-towell
> could not handle.
>
> I had 2 friends in divers outfits ready to dive so I said BIg was ready
for
> next step; Getting me inside it.
>
> At first, the water-line was way lower then I though. We had to use 80
> pounds of additional weight to make it as low as it was supposed to be.
>
> So I jumped inside it, secured the hatch. Everything was still ok. I
engaged
> the auto ambient pressure system and... nada... The electronic circuit
> didn't worked (too much humidity i think). So I had to rely on my manual
> back-up to equalize pressure.
>
> The depth where i was was 10 feet. Relaxing my breath and my hearthbeat, I
> made a sign to my divers and opened the ballast vent valve. Nothing
> happened. I waited for about 30 secondes and could not tell if I was going
> down. I asked a diver to look if air was going out of the vent and he said
> yes so i waited still longer. It tooked about 2 minutes to get the sub to
go
> below the water-line. What a trill!!!! oh my god! I was soooo nervous!
> Looking in the top windows and seeing like 2 inches of water over the
hatch!
> I was finaly under-water! I made it! And was still alive!
>
> Some seconds later I hit the bottom and rested there for a couple of
minutes
> ajusting the pressure, tripple checking everything. All was good. So I
> decided to make BIG slightly positive. I opened up just a bit the air
valve
> for the ballast and I went rocket to the surface! had to wait 2 minutes to
> vent the tanks, and back to the bottom I was... That time I was very
gentle
> with the valve and managed to get it under control. I was ready to try
those
> 2 engines. I was very suprised how fast it was! I can easyly go faster
then
> a diver.
>
> What a great day!
>
> What was great: BIG is operationnal, it goes very fast! once you get used
to
> it, you can adjust bouyancy easyly. Also, very manuverable with the 2
> engines set-up. more then i though it was going to be. i can almost turn
on
> the spot. Going up or down with motors is also very good.
>
> What must be better: Main thing to check, It is very slow to blow the 2
back
> ballast tank. I think that the holes i made are too small. Also, trim is
not
> good. always nose up. I also need to install propeler protection. One of
my
> friend fin cough in it with some minor damage to it but it is not very
safe
> since I plan to always use BIG with at least 1 diver.
>
> So in all. a very good experience. What a trill! My 2 friends hang on BIG
> and it was going fast. We had a wonderfull time! Even if we only been to
10
> feet deep. I can't wait to put it back in the water again!
>
> I would like to thank you all for your help in helping me realise a dream!
>
> Special thank to Jon and Ray for making the site in the first place.
> With-out you guys, BIG would still be a dream...
>
> Thank you!
>
> Pierre "official owner of a working p-sub" Poulin
>
> P.S. I have a zillion pictures + video. i will post some tomorrow. Need
bed
> now :)
>
>
>
>
>
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