Identity crisis and other news...

Oh Gawd! I didn't realize my email still has that corny old "Captain Nemo" identity designator on it! I'll have to check with my better-half to see how to change it. ;-)

On a more positive note: my NAUTILUS MINISUB is going to be featured during the JULES VERNE EXHIBIT at the MUSEE DES SCAPHANDRES in Espalion, France, June of 2000 (home to DENAYROUZE and ROQUAYROL's AEROPHORE, and other famous U/W technologies). Also, the DUTCH JULES VERNE SOCIETY has given me a page on their website:

Meanwhile, the VULCANIA SUBMARINE BOATYARD ( 155 West X 19.5 North ) has two additional hulls in progress; a website of its own in the making; and two videos in the works (they'd be finished by now, but I'm delayed while making upgrades to my computer video-editing capabilities, for a more professional look).

One of my new projects is a 16-foot-long high-performance minisub shaped something like the SKIPJACK. I've got a jetski drivetrain I want to install; but I was reading through the archive, and found comments about additional "air" being necessary to eliminate a vacuum at the impeller, and this kind of throws me a curve. (Looking at my KAWASAKI JS-500, the only vacuum line I see near the impeller is one that draws water from the bilge via decreased pressures induced by thrustor-flow.) So now you guys have got me confused...

The concept of introducing air into the water-intake seems to contradict what a jetski mechanic once told me about defeating thrustor efficiency; but if it is actually necessary and/or beneficial, is there any reason why a small portion of the engine exhaust couldn't be routed to that area to serve this purpose?

Anyway, I'd like to hear more about why additional air is necessary at the thrustor water intake from anybody who really understands this principle; because it's news to me, and I'm about to dissect a hull and bolt a squirt-drive into it.