[PSUBS-MAILIST] Leo

Tue Jan 6 10:57:50 EST 2015

An update on Leo. Silvercrest claims she was sunk in deep water after a insurance claim some time ago. 
Thanks,
Scott Waters

Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone

-------- Original message --------
From: via Personal_Submersibles <personal_submersibles at psubs.org> 
Date:01/06/2015  8:02 AM  (GMT-06:00) 
To: personal_submersibles at psubs.org 
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces 

It would surely be nice to find Leo. I'd go into hock again for that one, just for old time's sake. That notwithstanding, I'm virtually certain that those particular hull(s) were built of A516Gr70, like most of the boats of the day (and most of the boats out of Nuytco currently, or at least the ones without cyrillic operating manuals).

I don't remember how thick the steel was, but it was definitely made from standard stuff. Plus, the main viewport was 4 FEET in diameter!!! Diving that thing was seriously awesome. She had plenty of room for two (or enough for three good friends) and that huge picture window in the front.

If Hyco had survived (Leo was their last P-style boat) I'm betting there would be more of them out there. It was a serious attempt at Perry's stranglehold on the shallow water market (shallow by comparison) and I think it was a really good try. Sadly, it all fell apart before we could really show her off.

We did all the deepwater pilot training in her down on the Flower Gardens, and had a ball. These days, she'd be even better, because the subsystems and propulsion gear is so much better. That sub was rated for 2000 feet, which ain't bad. How about that for an option, Scott?

No fancy steel. Huge viewport. 600 meters. What could be better? A 6 1/2 foot sphere displaces less than 6-tons. Add a pair of uncle Phil's aluminum pods in back with a block of foam to support them. Fair the thing like a fat tadpole. You could probably hold it down to 7, maybe 7 1/2 tons.

Leo weighs 10. Most of the P-boats weigh that, and a good bit more. Yours would be a lightweight compared to them, a whole lot cheaper to build, more agile, easier to maintain..... The list goes on. What could be better? Damn, I want one!!! It would be perfect for my neck of the woods.

Vance

-----Original Message-----
From: swaters at waters-ks.com via Personal_Submersibles <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>
To: Personal Submersibles General Discussion <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>
Sent: Tue, Jan 6, 2015 7:49 am
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces

Thanks for the info Phil. I keep running into the same problems of the material and building of the personel sphere.
Scott Waters

Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone

-------- Original message --------
From: Phil Nuytten via Personal_Submersibles 
Date:01/05/2015 8:44 PM (GMT-06:00) 
To: Personal Submersibles General Discussion 
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces 

Hi, Guys, and Happy New Year to all loyal subbers!!

Glad to shed some little light on the Pisces subs  . .We (Nuytco) have four Hyco boats – 2/8/10 and Aquarius, P-4 and P-5 are in Hawaii at HURL (Hawaii  Underwater Research Lab) – they are out of service, currently and may be sold off if no funding is forthcoming. I hope not, because Terry Kerby and his crew rebuilt them into the cream of the Pisces crop! There are two Pisces boats in Russia, one operational and one in a museum (or, actually , outside a museum). Pisces –1, is in the UK, last seen, it  was in parts. Likewise, P-6  is in parts (the stern sphere was lost in the sinking of IUC’s vessel ‘Aloha’) and what’s left is in New York as Vance mentions. I cut a deal with my old friend  Andre Galerne (before his untimely death) to have first dibs on buying P-6 to go into the ‘working sub’ Hyco/Pisces display section at our long-awaited ‘Deep Discovery Centre’ diving technology museum. His sons, Lionel and Eric were kind enough to honour Andre’s wishes  and we will arrange shipment to the west coast when the weather gets better. Would appreciate it if you would steer clear of this one – we do plan to rebuild to the same condition as P-4 and P-5. That leaves one unaccounted for . . ‘Leo’ – I heard some years ago that it was for sale (cheap) but have no idea what ultimately happened to it. Maybe ask at Silvercrest? About all you will be able to use from the P-boats now is the personnel sphere – you’d probably be better off building one from scratch if you want a thousand feet or less – after the first thou, the spheres get much more expensive.
Reagards
Phil

From: mailto:personal_submersibles at psubs.org
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 4:43 PM
To: Personal Submersibles General Discussion
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces

Ok. Thanks Vance. I will see what turns up.
Thanks,
Scott Waters

Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone

-------- Original message --------
From: via Personal_Submersibles 
Date:01/05/2015 6:34 PM (GMT-06:00) 
To: personal_submersibles at psubs.org 
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces 

International Underwater Contractors. When Andre Galern was alive, it was one of THE deep diving construction companies in the world. No idea what's happened up there in the last few years. Best to ask Dr. Phil that one, too. He knew/knows all those guys.
Vance

-----Original Message-----
From: swaters at waters-ks.com via Personal_Submersibles <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>
To: Personal Submersibles General Discussion <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>
Sent: Mon, Jan 5, 2015 6:37 pm
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces

Vance,
Forgive me, but what is IUC in New York? I should probably know this. Haha. I figure it's worth at least trying.
Thanks,
Scott Waters

Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone

-------- Original message --------
From: via Personal_Submersibles 
Date:01/05/2015 3:35 PM (GMT-06:00) 
To: personal_submersibles at psubs.org 
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces 

Anything is possible, Scott. SIlvercrest will skin you alive, given half an opportunity. Or at least they'll try. You have to be willing to wrangle with them. I don't think they'll respect anyone who doesn't. Maybe Phil has an extra one laying around. I've never asked. You could do a lot worse, if the hulls are salvageable. There are four pressure vessels (except on Leo). The personnel sphere, an aft floatation sphere, and the  two 32" forward VBTs (that's what is under the fiberglas brow that makes the P boats so distinctive. And the boats weigh from ten to twelve tons, depending. Just in case you want to check your air-ride flatbeds for load capability. The P-VI was the most perfect hull Hyco ever did--it was fabricated in Jacques Piccard's shop in Switzerland under contract, and was lap finished, as I understand it--both inside and out. Lovely thing, P-VI. I remember her well. Maybe it could be had, if IUC hasn't rolled it out into a dumpster. That might be another question for our Dr. Phil, as I have zero contacts up that way anymore. Keep me in mind. I'll happily spin a wrench for you anytime on one of those.
Vance

-----Original Message-----
From: swaters at waters-ks.com via Personal_Submersibles <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>
To: Personal Submersibles General Discussion <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>
Sent: Mon, Jan 5, 2015 4:25 pm
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces

Excellent info Vance! Thank you so much. I was hopeing to locate one and maybe do a major overhaul / restoration on one rather than try to build a 1000m boat from scratch. Any more pointers would be awesome.
Thanks,
Scott Waters

Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone

-------- Original message --------
From: via Personal_Submersibles 
Date:01/05/2015 3:02 PM (GMT-06:00) 
To: personal_submersibles at psubs.org 
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces 

P-I Scrapped out by Vickers
P-II Rumored to be in a Miami storage unit (unconfirmed)
P-III ?
P-IV In Hawaii and in service (but stony broke, I hear)
P-V 
Ditto
P-VI 
IUC warehouse in New York, maybe parted out
P-VII In a Russian museum (Sevastopol, I think)
P-VIII Nuytco
P-IX 
Design study for Intersub (4K meters, never built)
P-X Nuytco
P-X11 Same as VII (flanking the front doors, last I saw)

Plus Leo, which was a big-window Pisces style rated to 2000' which, along with P-VI and Aquarius, are the only Hyco boats that I qualified on and operated (although the P-VI experience was not a good one for me or the owners, either one). I did participate in a Pisces V overhaul in Houston, but I'm not sure that counts except for the busted knuckles.

I think the boys at Silvercrest might have one of the question marks, but I'm not sure. Assuming they do, that leaves one unaccounted for. I'm betting Mr. Dr. Prof. Nuytten would know. As a side note, if you look at the Mirs, you will see where they sprang from. They are Pisces boats on steroids. Those people worked at IUC for a couple of years and operated P-VII and P-XII for years after that, then took all those dandy ideas, added a pile of rubles, and built a couple of big brawny kissing cousins. Mir 1 & Mir 2, by name. The Pisces subs were pretty good for the day, but maintenance heavy. And rest assured, you haven't really lived until you have pulled a Pisces battery box at sea to change one cell. What a job!!!

Vance

-----Original Message-----
From: Alan James via Personal_Submersibles <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>
To: Personal Submersibles General Discussion <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>
Sent: Mon, Jan 5, 2015 3:02 pm
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces

Scott,
Hawaii undersea research lab on Oahu has two subs.
One I know is a Pisces & I believe the other is also.
I think David Columbo has seen them in the last year,
he might confirm.
They told me they were losing funding for operating them
as Govt considered rovs were better value for money.
Alan

From: "swaters at waters-ks.com via Personal_Submersibles" <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>
To: psubs <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>  
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 7:27 AM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Pisces

Does anyone know what happened to all the Pisces submarines? I believe there was 10 built, but only one or two that are still in operation. I think NOAA has one.

Thanks,
Scott Waters

Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone

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