Solo Dive Boat

[MichaelMc]

I may have to trade in my kayak for one of these babies... Naw, forget it. I'd probably try to put a moonpool in it.

That is my question. If you were to create a solo dive boat, how would you build it, with generous but not insane money.
- Some autonomous station keeping. We do have limited autonomous ferries.
- Diver retrieval aids. How? Is a moon pool easier in rougher seas? Just by being amidships?
- Submersible retrieval/deployment platform.
- A catamaran with submersible platform amidships between the hulls in the dive saloon? That makes it a bit big for solo. It does not have to be just solo though.

 

[Akimbo]

That is my question. If you were to create a solo dive boat, how would you build it, with generous but not insane money.
- Some autonomous station keeping. We do have limited autonomous ferries.
- Diver retrieval aids. How? Is a moon pool easier in rougher seas? By being amidships?
- Submersible retrieval/deployment platform.

These features largely run counter to the "but not insane money" requirement. The cost of a crewman to stay onboard and pick you up when you inflate a buoy wouldn't matter much at that point.

Is a moon pool easier in rougher seas? By being amidships?

Yes to amidships, technically positioned on the vessel's center of gyration. Saturation divers in the North Sea couldn't get much work done without them.

 

[MichaelMc]

Yes to amidships, technically positioned on the vessel's center of gyration. Saturation divers in the North Sea couldn't get much work done without them.

So a moon pool noob question. Would say this boat's moon pool be easier to climb out of than the stern. If anchored? If not anchored in idle, or trailing behind an anchored buoy?

MERV Marine USA

ETA: That boat is designed for the center section to fold to be narrower to trailer. The interesting bit is more being a small catamaran with moon pool(s).

 

[broncobowsher]

That is an interesting design with the platform forward of the pool. That cross beam between the pool and the platform sure looks like a head banger.

 

[Akimbo]

So a moon pool noob question. Would say this boat's moon pool be easier to climb out of than the stern. If anchored? If not anchored in idle?
View attachment 595869
MERV Marine USA

It is more stable and you are protected from passing swells. You know how the bow and stern can raise an lower like a bongo player's hands? Much less so at the center of gyration. Hold onto the anchor chain, the swim step, and the amidships keel for a while the next time you are diving off a boat is sloppy seas. The answer will reveal itself far better than I can put into words.

I saw a lot of problems in the early days of building DSVs (Diving Support Vessel) by just adding a moonpool to standard workboat hulls. Moonpools can really destroy your underway performance and even pump massive amounts of water onto the deck. Unexpected problems can be resolved with bottom doors, watertight or just streamlining.

 

[wstorms]

That is my question. If you were to create a solo dive boat, how would you build it, with generous but not insane money.
- Some autonomous station keeping. We do have limited autonomous ferries.

Not sure how I feel about a boat that starts it's engines in order to reposition itself when I come up...

- Diver retrieval aids. How? Is a moon pool easier in rougher seas? Just by being amidships?

Now that's a cool idea!

- Submersible retrieval/deployment platform.

Just to be clear you are talking about a lift right? Not the oil tanker stealing a sub like in "the spy who loved me"? If not your definition of "not insane money" is slightly different from mine...

- A catamaran with submersible platform amidships between the hulls in the dive saloon? That makes it a bit big for solo. It does not have to be just solo though.

For me, my wife could stay onboard. She likes being on the water but not diving deep, so anything around here that would require a boat would be out of her comfort zone. That means any boat would do, but I like the creative thinking here

 

[MichaelMc]

Not sure how I feel about a boat that starts it's engines in order to reposition itself when I come up...

It might run the engines until you came up...

Just to be clear you are talking about a lift right? Not the oil tanker stealing a sub like in "the spy who loved me"? If not your definition of "not insane money" is slightly different from mine...

Yes, not spy who loved me nor Tony Stark level money. If you could maintain a crew of 4 or 1 for the money it cost, it would be missing the solo dive boat point. Other than for Tony Stark.

 

[wstorms]

It might run the engines until you came up...


Yes, not spy who loved me nor Tony Stark level money. If you could maintain a crew of 4 or 1 for the money it cost, it would be missing the solo dive boat point. Other than for Tony Stark.

You still would need a Tony Stark mask to tell your boat you are coming up...
On the other hand, a simple kable based kill switch might do the trick. Low voltage, pull 2 connectors apart to kill the Skynet navigation module.

 

[Jcp2]

FLYING FOX Luxury superyacht for charter | Imperial Yachts

I believe this one has a decompression chamber

 

[MichaelMc]

You still would need a Tony Stark mask to tell your boat you are coming up...
On the other hand, a simple kable based kill switch might do the trick. Low voltage, pull 2 connectors apart to kill the Skynet navigation module.

Or just one of the diver locator beacon systems.