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On The Move
Engineer builds submarine
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8/20/2009 by Richard Thomas |
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Brimson resident Dean Ackman is building a 21-foot personal submarine to use in Lake Superior. He says it’s only the second existing personal sub in Minnesota, the other one located in St. Paul.
He plans to use it to locate underwater timber for salvage, explore shipwrecks and to “just go play.” But “building it is half the fun,” he said.
A Vietnam veteran who served in the Marines, Ackman has been a scuba diver since 1970. He worked as a mechanical engineer at IBM for 20 years and retired in 2001.
Along with a group of family and friends he took the craft for its third “dunk test” at the Knife River boat launch August 20, only to find the rear ballast tank leaking. He’s still working on the main thrust motor and electronics, and is waiting to receive a component that will allow it to go in reverse.
Part of the sub, the support pod, is based on the Kittredge 350 Submersible. The rest is his own design and the result of his own labor. He estimates the project so far has cost him $40,000.
The sub is built to go as deep as 350 feet. Ackman says there are dangers, such as getting snagged on underwater debris and nets. If all else fails he’ll keep a scuba tank on board in case he has to bail.
Submersibles for recreational and personal use are regulated similarly to surface pleasure boats, requiring a license from the Department of Natural Resources. Commercial use requires certification from a sanctioning body.
Anyone can build a personal submarine, but “they have to approach the project carefully. Someone who rushes in is a fool and is going to get hurt,” writes Ray Keefer on the Personal Submersibles Organization’s Web site, psubs.org. “At a bare minimum I highly recommend as a starting point is that anyone who wants to build a personal submarine get scuba certified…After scuba certification, welding and machining come in useful.”
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