I have
been toying with retractable devices for a surface buoy
Just some random thoughts on releasing a buoy.
Dean has a little "torpedo" buoy he can shoot out if a problem
arises.
I think he once said it was a wooden dowel type float with fishing
line wrapped around it.
It seems like there are several issues to consider here.
An emergency buoy that's released says the sub is stuck, so retracting it
may not be necessary.
The emergency buoy should have a transmitter on it, and possibly a
communication cable attached so a surface boat could plug in and talk to the
stranded subbers.
It could also be considered to have the capability to guide a line and
hook down to grab the sub and haul it up.
Again, this type of application may not need to be retracted.
A buoy that is to mark the submarine so surface traffic doesn't run over
the sub would need a light and/or flag
warning boats away. Retracting the line would be good to avoid
entanglement. As the sub nears the surface, the line would get shorter so it
stays clear of the prop. A light so it can be seen in the dark, a "diver down"
flag large enough to be seen by passing boaters during the day.
Another suggestion a while back was to float an antenna so radio
transmission could be done submerged.
Or possibly use it to obtain GPS signals.
On making a retractable line.....
I would think a small waterproof motor could be geared to a reel without
too much work or expense.
There are a few examples of reels on the psub
site. Depending on how large the cable was, it could be quite
small.
Much like our submarines themselves, any buoy system needs to have a
specific function or goal to achieve and the design will be driven by those
parameters.
I'm just not sure how useful a little float would be for just "marking" a
sub. Good visibility through the windows, some collision avoidance sonar, and
a long antenna that breaks the water before the sub gets up.
I expect to make most dives with a surface boat nearby, so sub to surface
comms is more useful.
If a sub is down and "stuck" then the same applies. Using the line as a
guide to drop something down to the sub could be useful, but still, I'd rather
have comms to the surface. How big and what type of cable would be required to
get a voice out of a submarine.
Frank D.