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I’ve been
tossing an idea around for a sub that some may find useful. It would be nice to get some input as
far as possible “snags” (pun intended) in the design. The sub I intend to build will have to spend many hours
offshore on a single trip in order to get far enough out to become useful. Inshore water is near-zero
visibility. I’m worried about seas
changing for the worse while out and need a way to submerge to a “calmer” depth
in order to ride-out a storm. To
keep from drifting about at 60 fsw or thereabouts, I was thinking to make my
drop weight tetherable (is that a word?).
If things get rough, I plan to submerge to the desired depth and release
a tethered drop weight to the bottom.
Once it hits bottom, the sub will be buoyant by however much the drop
weight weighs and should remain suspended by the length of cable connected to
the drop weight. I am hoping that
submerged to a calm enough depth this will sufficiently anchor the sub in place
until such time that conditions at the surface become more favorable. If this is workable, it would be very
nice for a lot of other things such as compensating for buoyancy changes that
occcur when a diver lockout chamber is flooded, holding divers at 1A for appropriate
“surface intervals” without having to ride a rocking and rolling surface vessel,
etc.. Not to mention that it will keep
me very close to my last known GPS location before submerging and prevent me
from drifiting into shipping lanes, oil platforms, using up battery capacity
keeping the sub on station, etc..
My idea is keep the drop weight as simple and inexpensive as possible,
since it may not be easily retracted when ready (snagged, malfunction, stuck in
the bottom, etc.). Of course there
would have to be a way to break it off or at least cut the line. I had thought I might simply continue
unwinding it until the end of the cable simply slipped from the spool. The weight would simply be a
concrete-filled drum with an eye bolt in it. The sub would have a similar shaped cavity in the bottom so
that it could be wound up and neatly tucked in for running. Input
appreciated, as always. Best
Regards, Cliff |