Hi Dean. I think an 1/8 inch is way too small. We discussed this last
year and it's a good idea to have the ability to pull the sub up, but
carrying a spool/cable assembly on board will require a pretty heavy
set-up.
One idea tossed around back then was a float
and cable like you had planned, but the cable is used as a guide
for lowering a "clamp" that would be capable of attaching to the sub to pull
it up. That way the heavy "clamp" is carried on board the surface craft
where it's not exposed to sea water, doesn't add any weight to the top of
the sub, and can have a thick cable strong enough to pull the sub free from
mud or minor entanglement. Just lifting the sub alone may not be enough if
it's in the mud or hung up on something.
It should be pretty easy to fabricate some type of
"hook and latch " device that the clamp can drop onto ( guided by the
float/cable ) and then be able to pull really hard if the sub got stuck. An
1/8th inch cable would then be enough if used as a guide. Frank
D.