Submarines' anchors

bedouin · 6 Sep 2019

nortada said:
When a submarine settles on the bottom how does it ensure the ground is not foul or includes points rocks that could do a power of no good

Just asking.

If that is a serious question - submarines have almost neutral buoyancy so when they settle on the bottom there is very little pressure (at least compared to the tonnes of water pressure they are designed to withstand).

Biggles Wader · 6 Sep 2019

Ever tried to write a letter with a submarine pen? A soggy experience.

capnsensible · 6 Sep 2019

bedouin said:
If that is a serious question - submarines have almost neutral buoyancy so when they settle on the bottom there is very little pressure (at least compared to the tonnes of water pressure they are designed to withstand).

Catching a stopped trim is indeed an art form.

bikedaft · 6 Sep 2019

capnsensible said:
When stowed it forms part of the fairing of the hull profile.

only if it happens to come up the right way round... they have divers on board

bikedaft · 6 Sep 2019

a long time ago i heard a story involving a sub anchor and chain. forecast to be gale when boat was to be alongside, so an anchor was laid out from the bow as they came alongside. several days later, went to leave. boat moved forward 200m and stopped. mmm. try full astern then - again, stopped after 200m. er, Skipper, remember that anchor we set? no damage to sub, but the ultrasonic array to detect divers attacking the base etc cost a lot to put right...

capnsensible · 6 Sep 2019

bikedaft said:
only if it happens to come up the right way round... they have divers on board

Did you happen to read post 17 by any chance?

bikedaft · 6 Sep 2019

capnsensible said:
Did you happen to read post 17 by any chance?

Yes. But from what i've heard they disliked using them as would return to hull wrong way round on occasion. Ie turbulence, noise.

bikedaft · 6 Sep 2019

capnsensible said:
Did you happen to read post 17 by any chance?

So how often did Sod's law mean that it was the wrong way round then?

capnsensible · 6 Sep 2019

bikedaft said:
So how often did Sod's law mean that it was the wrong way round then?

Never in my experience. Or heard of. Doesnt mean of course it didnt happen. Lucky old diver though trying to do something high power hydraulics cant do!

bikedaft · 6 Sep 2019

capnsensible said:
Never in my experience. Or heard of. Doesnt mean of course it didnt happen. Lucky old diver though trying to do something high power hydraulics cant do!

Suspect my info was for previous generation of boats?

maxi77 · 9 Sep 2019

bikedaft said:
only if it happens to come up the right way round... they have divers on board

Only once had a problem with a UK SSN anchor.We had anchor in a quiet spot n the Hebrides to check for damage after an encounter with a trawl wire, we had lost our 'pimple' an experimental sonar. We set off into the Atlantic deep and fast and very quickly we had a loud banging on the keel. The anchor was not fully home. We slowed down and decided the cable was twisted jamming in the hawse pipe. We let out some cable and tried to heave in again. It came in quite freely an extra 100 or so feet and seated in its housing drama over

zoidberg · 10 Sep 2019

maxi77 said:
We set off into the Atlantic deep and fast and very quickly we had a loud banging on the keel.

I'll bet that caused some head-scratching among the assorted 'lurkers and listeners' hanging about.....

maxi77 · 10 Sep 2019

zoidberg said:
I'll bet that caused some head-scratching among the assorted 'lurkers and listeners' hanging about.....

Caused us a bit of head scratching too. I had hauled the cable in until I heard that reassuring clunk that should have meant it was all in. There was no anchor seated indicator and the cable counter was very inaccurate

asteven221 · 12 Sep 2019

Not trying to hijack the thread, but on a similar theme I was at Rhu Marina last weekend and there was quite a bit of submarine activity going on. More than usual. Anyway, I was watching what I believe was one of the Trident subs being escorted up the Gareloch to Faslane and it was like the Harry Potter steam train with all the smoke coming out the err chimney? I assume they have not been converted to steam engines. Just curious. Does anyone know the reason for the smoke?

Another thing came to mind whilst watching the subs. Do they never hit things like fishing nets? Big fish like whales? Do they just batter through everything that's in front of them regardless, relying on the strength of the construction of the sub to win?

capnsensible · 12 Sep 2019

As well as the nuclear plant, submarines are fitted with diesel engine(s) as a back up. What you saw was the Diesel engine exhaust.

The vessel may have been conducting a 'cold move' from Coulport back to CSB without the reactor supplying propulsion power.

Biggles Wader · 12 Sep 2019

asteven221 said:
Not trying to hijack the thread, but on a similar theme I was at Rhu Marina last weekend and there was quite a bit of submarine activity going on. More than usual. Anyway, I was watching what I believe was one of the Trident subs being escorted up the Gareloch to Faslane and it was like the Harry Potter steam train with all the smoke coming out the err chimney? I assume they have not been converted to steam engines. Just curious. Does anyone know the reason for the smoke?

Another thing came to mind whilst watching the subs. Do they never hit things like fishing nets? Big fish like whales? Do they just batter through everything that's in front of them regardless, relying on the strength of the construction of the sub to win?

View attachment 80374

Must have been the admiral's smoko.

asteven221 · 12 Sep 2019

Thanks capnsensible. You clearly know your sub stuff, so what's the answer to my second question? Do they just ram into anything that's in front of them when underwater?

Geez that smoke was being emitted as per the picture all the way from the Cumbrae (at least). They are going to have to pay a small fortune in congestion charges if they ever decide to venture up the the Thames. Not exactly eco friendly is our nuke deterrent.

. Actually I think I have just made the biggest understatement one could possibly make!!

Yellow Ballad · 12 Sep 2019

https://stv.tv/news/uk/1360616-portuguese-submarine-snagged-in-trawler-s-nets-off-cornwall/

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ire...erience-of-being-towed-by-submarine-1.2827576

https://britishseafishing.co.uk/the-sinking-of-fv-antares/

Bit of reading for you.

capnsensible · 12 Sep 2019

Fish move but the nets sadly don't.......

maxi77 · 12 Sep 2019

asteven221 said:
Thanks capnsensible. You clearly know your sub stuff, so what's the answer to my second question? Do they just ram into anything that's in front of them when underwater?

Geez that smoke was being emitted as per the picture all the way from the Cumbrae (at least). They are going to have to pay a small fortune in congestion charges if they ever decide to venture up the the Thames. Not exactly eco friendly is our nuke deterrent. . Actually I think I have just made the biggest understatement one could possibly make!!

In reality it is mostly steam from the cooling water injected into the exhaust just like on a yacht though the nature of the snort exhaust system means most of the water is expelled as steam. In the now non existent diesel boats they had surface mufflers in the casing and like a yacht exhaust you had the water telltale

Submarines' anchors

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