I'm thinking they're probably of the kin of
AquaSub, which seems to be the simplest of "submarine" designs... which I would
actually call an inverted pontoon boat, which is clever in that it reduces the
profile on the surface, which is all a smuggler really needs to do (or thinks
they need to do) Problem is if one where to notice the pontoons or
bouyancy tanks or whatever you want to call them, they'll warrant investigation.
So it's kind of a good/bad design.
I don't know about you guys, but my ROVs are
anything but silent. so i would imagine that a full sized psub would be all
manner of noisey so even if one where to design a full fledged submerine capable
of long distance travel. they'd be so noisey that bob the happy day sailor could
pick them up on his $49.00 wal mart special underwater recorder (Look in the
kids section in the summer, yes they sell them).
I mean totally as an effort of the mind and nothing
practical... Would someone want to design a true smuggling submarine it would
have to be something that cruises at 60ft or so, (Just deep enough not to be
easily noticed) Be ambient so it could be made out of light weight materials
like PVC or fiber glass, be able to be powered by a relatively silent motor.....
what I don't know... could one conceivably "Sail" currents? and only motor when
one absolutley has to? Have enough air for DAYS of beign submerged.... crew of
two (one sleep one pilot) and some serious bloody training.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 2:42
PM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Re: (Yet
Another) Cocaine sub caught.
Nomdae Plume wrote:
And if they keep building them
like this one was built (slow, flimsy, easy to spot) then our hobby is
safe.
I wonder about the big ones: are they
really submarines as we understand the concept? Do these drug subs have
ballast tanks; are they capable of neutral buoyuancy; are they able to dive
deeper than their length? Do they just hold themselves under with
planes?
<>
Something we
don?t know (and many of us might not want to think about) is how many
smugglers have tried to use a makeshift submarine and drowned in the
attempt.
I'm kinda curious about that, now that
you bring it up.
M
--
Politics hasn't been a serious matter since dueling was outlawed.