Hi Don. I plan on diving usually max at 150 ft. but want to be
able to settle on the bottom at 5 or 6 hundred without getting crushed.
The dive location will be restricted to areas that don't exceed
600. This will require some beefy stiffeners.
The saucer design was inspired by one of Jaques Cousteau subs. I
don't have a set of plans.
I have borrowed extensively from other's designs, adapting them as
necessary to fit my goals. There are quite a few saucer shaped hulls
that have been built. Some worked and some didn't. I used 3/8 inch steel
tubs made of AS516-70 steel because it's an accepted material with a
long track record. If I was starting from scratch I'd have used 1/2
inch.
Although the shape is a little different, the systems are basically
the same as a K boat, which has a long track record of reliability. The
stiffener ribs are the biggest difference over a K boat. The work
involved is quite similar as well. I wanted to sit next to my passenger,
which is how I settled on the saucer shape. From my testing, it requires
a little more power to move with this shape, so I've made the fairings
and ballast tanks as sleek as possible to minimize that. I expect top
speed to be around 4 knots, but will seldom reach that. These little
subs we're building don't go very fast or stay down too long, because of
the limited battery power.
If you're actually going to build one, ask lots of questions, get
the books and stuff from the psubs site. Take the time to learn what's
do-able with out spending 3 1/2 million, and then have lots of fun. To
me, the design part was the most fun, and took the longest. I built full
size mock-ups of different shapes, and once I decided on a saucer, I
built scale models in steel to test different aspects. Very time
consuming, but well worth it.
There's an archive section on the psubs site, and although it takes
a long time to read, most of your early questions will be answered
there. The guys here are all friendly, and very helpful, and we all like
thinking about how to solve problems so don't be shy about asking.
I think one of the first things you need to decide is "what you
want your sub to do". Form follows function.
That more than any thing else will determine what the design will
be. There are as many designs as there are guys doing it.
There are some basic skills to learn, like welding, electrical,
hydraulics, air, machining, etc. but you don't need to be an expert in
any of them, just a basic understanding. Most of the stuff we use is
"off the shelf" with a little modification. The K boat plans are a
little old, and all the guys have modified them to fit their needs, with
the availability of new products and tools to make the job of building a
little easier. More than any thing else, it's been a learning
experience. You can probably expect to spend a minimum of $20K for one,
and the sky's the limit if you want extras. That price is with you doing
all the work. Add on hiring professionals, and it can get pretty
expensive. I know one guy who hired out most of it, and he's near to
$70K for just a basic K boat.
It's an expensive hobby and not much chance at making money on it
without being ABS certified. That cert alone can cost $150K. It all
depends on what you want to do with it, and how much you're willing to
do your self. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, because it's the
most fun I've ever had, but many guys get started and don't finish.
Let's face it, It's a complicated little machine, and not really very
useful.
Perseverance is probably at the top of the list of things
you'll need. That, and lots of money. But let me repeat, it's a LOT
of fun. Anyway, welcome aboard, and do the homework. Frank
D.