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Hi Vance, Is it too much to ask for a synopsis. i.e. how deep,
what sort of submersible? What sort of manipulator? Etc Or do we have to fill
you with beer first? Love to hear some of the experiences. Chs, Hugh From:
owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org
[mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org] On Behalf Of vbra676539@aol.com Alec,
I've
turned wrenches deeper than the oil spill in the Gulf, so if you need a hand
during the pre-launch, feel free to ask. I'm available. Vanc -----Original Message----- I'm in, assuming I can get the sub finished in time. If we're lucky
enough to get flat calm conditions I would love to try outside dives, but with
this protected spot at least we're assured the chance to dunk the subs and give
some rides. Now... I've got to finish the boat first of course. I'm working on
it like crazy. Both inside and outside paint jobs are finished, and
I'm in assembly mode, but some significant parts still need to be built. This
should be exciting as I expect to finish the boat at the convention marina
five minutes before the first dive, and the convention dives will be sea
trials. Better pack lots of duct tape. May I suggest the next logical step? That's to try and enlist some
of the folks who don't participate much on the email list but do have
operational subs. Back in 2006 we had a convoy of Michigan subs who took a very
long drive and doubled our attendance. They trundled in all in a line, saving
the event. This drive is even longer, but there's the sea at the end of it
instead of a lake. I'm talking about Kyle, Gary Boucher, Gary Sluis, Les, Dan
Brewer, Dan H, maybe even Pierre. I'm sure I'm forgetting some of
you. Jon, I have phone numbers or emails for most of those guys... d'you want
them? :)
From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org
[mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org]
On Behalf Of vbra676539@aol.com Jon,
Item
1: Viz was pushing 10 feet when we were up there Monday. It could be a little
worse and might be substantially better depending on tide. Bill was going to
look at the tide tables back at the shop to see about that. Incoming is far,
far better.....let's hope for that. Item
2: I'd scrap the idea of boat ramps. It's cheaper, yes, but the attendant risks
of short ramps and drop offs (and the resultant delays if something goes wrong)
suggests that we commit as a group to the sky launch and be done with it. Item
3: The old Taylor Creek marina, which is now called Anchors Aweigh at Taylor
Creek, will launch us for $5.50/foot, flat rate. If it's Alex at 11 feet, then
it's $65.50 if my math is right. Maximum load on the fork lift is 22,000 pounds
so if Jim gets down here, we can handle his sub at the same place. My bet is
that Cracker Boy will offer us a 10% break for multiple launches, so Taylor
Creek is roughly half price for the small boats and maybe just over $100 for
Jim. Still the best price I've had all week. NOTE: The two places are
side-by-side and the same distance from the dive site (about 1/3 mile). Item
4: Jimmy has two boats (a Whaler and a smaller boat with a hookah
installation), either of which can be used for towing. If Jim comes, or there
is a need, we can use Nick's boat (my brother). The boat has roughly the same
windage as an aircraft carrier but includes a pair of 454s which will do
whatever we need for short hauls. If Alex or someone wants to go outside and
try a dive before or after the conference (depending on the weather), we can
probably do that, too. Item 5: Ditto. Also, the boat has a dive platform, AC, two heads
and a fridge, so lunch and drinks will be centrally located and out of the sun.
It also has awnings over the cockpit, so all you pale skinned kids can get out
of the Florida sun. Trust me, you'll want to at some stage. -----Original Message----- Thanks to Vance Bradley, Ken
Martindale, and Billy Odell for their field trip to Ft. Pierce to inspect the
dive location. Here is the latest info we have based upon their trip, but Ken
and Vance please add/retract anything I missed or got wrong. __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 5146 (20100526) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5146 (20100526) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com |