DALE HEINZIG
Rather than design your own sub, you can do
what Dale Heinzig of Alberta, Canada did: buy a set of plans for a proven
design, and build it yourself. In this case,
Dale decided on George Kittredge’s K-250: a one-man submersible rated for an
operating depth of 250 feet. Here are
some pictures showing how Dale built and tested his submarine, SNOOPY.
Dale
sitting in his K-250’s pressure hull with the clear acrylic dome in place.
The white
object inside the pressure hull is a ballast tank; the circular ribs are for
reinforcement.
The pressure hull end cap with the forward view port flange
in place. Dale had parts like the hull
and endcaps manufactured at a metal fabrication shop, and then welded the
assembly together.
One of two MINN KOTA trolling motors that has been modified
to work on the sub. The stainless steel
shaft will enter the sub via a watertight “through-hull” coupler adapted with
close-fit O-rings. The housing of the
motor will sit outside in the water, and be compensated against depth pressure
via compressed air.
The hull looks pretty far along at this point, as the skids,
through-hulls, and lights are in place.
The aft end cap is visible to the left of the picture; and since the sub
is rolled to the side on its mount, I’d say Dale was about ready to weld the
aft end cap on at this point.
This is
the framework for the forward ballast tank mounts and the mechanical claw that
will add utility to the submarine.
The “Z-shaped” object framed by the view port in this shot of the cabin interior is actually a crank handle that will open and close the jaws of the mechanical claw.
Forward
ballast tank in place.
Aft
ballast tank in place.
In this view, the metalwork is finished and the hull has
been painted a nice prototype white, with some small decorative markings on the
side. (The yellow showing in this picture
is a fault of the photograph.)
Dale
Heinzig poses with his newly finished submarine, SNOOPY. The T-shirt is appropriate. ;-)
Float Test #1. Dale
and friends will launch SNOOPY using a backhoe as a crane, and if all goes well
the submarine will perform surfaced and submerged operations the first time
out.
Snoopy is
carefully lowered into the water with a line attached to keep the sub from
swinging.
Dale’s
brother detaches the rigging, as Dale sits at the controls.
Dale puts
SNOOPY through a series of surface maneuvering tests, and is happy with
stability and control.
Smiling now that the moment he has worked for is finally
here, Dale proceeds to dive the boat. I
really enjoy watching a guy get to this point, because I know from my own
experience that what he went through was tough, and what he’s about to
experience are powerful feelings of self-reliance, accomplishment, and
satisfaction. The first dive is truly
an affirmation of one’s self, after a long struggle against uncertainty.
And there
she goes: fully submerged. Now, SNOOPY
is a real submarine.
The smile says it all.
This is an experience only those who have been there can fully
appreciate. Subs aren’t easy projects to
build; but that only makes the moment of truth all the more enjoyable. Dale went on after this to operate SNOOPY
with great success, and was even featured on an episode of the RIPLEY’S BELIEVE
IT OR NOT television show. Pretty good,
eh?