Submarine

Seeker is a homemade hybrid diesel powered jet boat and ambient submarine. These pages are a work in progress, it helps us stay organized and we hope it also helps you with your own projects. Disclaimer: Build a sub; live wild and die. Just don't blame us.

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Latest Updates

Seeker is on hold for this winter. Check Out Argonaut Jr. that's what we are working on currently.

Oct 29, 2009

David, Kay and I proudly displaying our low cost underwater communication gear having successfully tested it to 600 feet! Read more:
Hydrophone and Underwater Voice Communications

Aug - October, 2009
* With lots of help from David Bartsch, we added the beginnings of a new page:
Hydrophone and Underwater Voice Communications
* Rebuilt the relays for the ballast sled winch damaged by failed potting.
* Redesigned the helm control box and built the guts.
* Added battery cutoff switches for the 12 and 36 volt systems.
* Rebuild the ballast sled winch mount with a better design.
* Sealed up three new linear actuators to replace the destroyed helm actuators.
* Made shade covers for the work area.
* Redid the seals for the landing gear actuators and replaced destroyed unit.
* Replaced two 12 volt Optima gel-cells.
* Repaired a short in the navigation lights.
* Installed circuit breakers in the 12 and 36 volt systems.

September, 2009

Chinese Peasant's Oil Barrel "Death Trap" Submarine Makes Expert PSub Builders Eat Crow.

When Tao's Submarine first appeared in the news is was touted by many of the engineers and arm chair critics on psubs.org as a "death trap". Let this be an lesson of how perseverance and resourcefulness can triumph over high brow arrogance. See: Tao Xiangli's Submarine

July, 2009 - We added a new "Work Place Injury" and this time we got a new victim. See: "Hot Slag Warning".

In other news, we have been taking a few weeks off after a wiring disaster. While continuing work on the wiring harness I managed to burn up one of the landing gear linear actuators before I had installed the circuit breaker. Then I discovered I need to switch the polarity inside the helm actuator box and forgot (again) that I also needed to switch the locations of the limit switches. I discovered my mistake when the rudder actuator tore off both of its mounts and then striped its lead screw nut. Unfortunately that actuator is not repairable and has been discontinued. So now that I have to rebuild that section anyway I decided on a better way to wire it up, but that means tearing out the control box wiring. So we are delayed once again. Oh, it's 105F out too.

May, 2009 - Been thinking about what could be done to save the sub and crew in the event of the most likely emergency. For example the engine compartment rapidly floods, the 12 volt system shorts out, and we start heading for the bottom. That brought us to add two items that will give us a really good chance of making it to the surface without abandoning the boat. Read more here: Emergency Surface System

Apr/May 2009 - "What's next? Oh yea the wiring harness. Well, that wont take long."
--Right! It all takes a long time, and always longer than I image. But once the right wires and connected and the right limit switches are in use then it is a real joy to see things like the rudder, dive planes, and throttle move. Read more here: Wiring Harness

Mar, 2009 - Not exactly back to working on the submarine again, but we did get a tow vehicle to replace the TopKick and it's despised Caterpillar engine. It's a 89 Suburban with 9000lbs of towing capacity and room enough to live in. And then we taught ourselves how to paint a car. Read more here: The New Tow Truck

Dec, 2008 - The engine is in and running great now but we are taking a break from the sub. We've converted the plasma room on the shop to a bedroom off the apartment for our grandson as mom and boy will be with us while dad goes to Afghanistan. We have also reorganized the shop and purchased a used CNC table and a new welder, all of which need lots of work. And a School Bus that will donate parts for our sailboat. So our web site is still getting updated, just not here. Will complete the wiring when we get back to the sub.

Oct 4, 2008
We installed the engine for a test a week ago and while it started up just fine after waiting for over 2 years, it only took about 60 seconds for it to blow part the oil cooler build into the hull. What a mess! So we have build and installed an oil pressure regulator, repaired the oil cooler. We also festoon the power cables and tested the air divider that will feed ambient air to the forward or aft trim tank. And installed lights on the gantries.

Sept 7, 2008

Completed the ballast and battery sled insulation and made some adjustments to get the 1 ton sled to track cleanly down the rails.

Aug 1, 2008

Finally back to work on the submarine. The center console will house lots of toggle switches to control various systems along with the air supply and meters that monitor the engine and batteries.