Trailering was Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Dive planes

Vance, your trailering comment raises an important consideration regarding road transport - compliance with local highway and motor vehicle regulations, and associated licensing.

Here in BC, a heavy trailer endorsement added to a class 5 (passenger vehicle) license will permit one to tow a trailer of any weight, provided it does not have air brakes. Trailers, of course, have to comply with maximum weight, height, width and weight per axle restrictions as set forth by the highway regulations. In the absence of such an endorsement, vehicle and trailer combination weight is limited to (I think) 4600 kg here - probably too little to tow a sub around. In the case of larger subs weighing multiple tons, I think I would start thinking about air brakes for greater safety. A class 1 license here will permit tractor / trailers or any other vehicles and combinations of vehicles with are permitted on the roads, but such commercial licenses are expensive to obtain since you need to show up to the exam with a loaded tractor / semitrailer rig.

I'm just curious to know if the other members jurisdictions have similar rules regarding trailering endorsements?

Dean,

Good tip on the propulsion weight. I'm working on a tubby little design using mostly old Perry parts (if I can get them). It will have a rolled tail cone, a forward dome and removable conning tower. The hull will be 55" OD and about 10 feet long, which will keep me at about 4 tons or a little less, which is small for a Perry, but needs power for the mass. The tail cone displaces a little over 1400 pounds, I think, and should have half that in buoyancy, so I'll be cutting it close on weight. Sound familiar? I was thinking a prop in the 18" to 24" range. We'll see how that works out. And expect it to have a big rudder, working dive planes and some small maneuvering thrusters. We'll see how that works. If I get 3 1/2 knots out of this thing, I'll be surprised. I'm designing for 1000 feet, so she's going to be a heavy little beast. Still trailerable though, sort of.

Vance

-----Original Message-----
From: Recon1st@aol.com
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Sent: Mon, Sep 14, 2009 11:58 am
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Dive planes

Frank I am at 12 hp. But like Vance has stated, I am paying for it in overall weight. Overall I am

thinking it is costing me about 600lbs. If I had it to do over again I am not sure I would go this way.

I am going to get the speed I wanted but it is a high price. I will be needing to add some

buoyancy, as at this point I would only have a 110lb drop weight and I want more.

I was worried that the prop would not work well, but my fears have been removed as it is

performing great. Very little cavitation 4 blade 14X13 bronze

Dean

In a message dated 9/13/2009 8:18:43 P.M. Central Daylight Time, ShellyDalg@aol.com writes:

Dean's sub has 10 horse or so doesn't it