Large African narco sub

[World B4]

"In 2010 a convicted drug smuggler was reported to have been building a $20 million submarine in Africa. It was intended to sail across to Latin America where it would pick up a cargo of cocaine. It would return to the Canary Islands, from there the drugs would be sent to Europe."

Not Unexpected: First Trans-Atlantic Drug Submarine

A narco submarine discovered off the coast of Spain appears to confirm suspicions that drug smugglers have developed vessels capable of crossing the Atlantic, which is of huge significance for law enforcement.

www.forbes.com

For reference, the overwhelming majority of "narco subs" are built for an estimated cost of under $5 million, with the famous Facatativa submarine being stunning for it's (comparatively) massive size, equal to that of a true coastal submarine, not just a midget sub, and estimated $10 million cost. So I'm incredibly interested in what sort of vessel this would have become.

Here's my source for the $10 million amount

H I Sutton - Covert Shores

For the "under $5 million" amount, I've seen a lot of articles detailing examples, and from what I've seen 1-3 million encompasses the low to high end of most craft.

 

[publiusr]

Still designed to run awash I see.

Now I wonder if you could have sail powered true subs. They would be below wave action…with only wires to a set of kite-sails far above the wave action.

The kite sail lines knife into the waves with almost no resistance…there might be three balloon sails at different levels in the atmosphere with turning being done by varying balloon sail height to utilize winds of different altitude.

Turning might be by having one sail in one set of winds—another..another….and you split the difference.

No rudder…no engine…just air, ballast and some pulley system.

Snorkel hose when fair…no fighting the waves at all.

 

[martinbayer]

Still designed to run awash I see.

Now I wonder if you could have sail powered true subs. They would be below wave action…with only wires to a set of kite-sails far above the wave action.

The kite sail lines knife into the waves with almost no resistance…there might be three balloon sails at different levels in the atmosphere with turning being done by varying balloon sail height to utilize winds of different altitude.

Turning might be by having one sail in one set of winds—another..another….and you split the difference.

No rudder…no engine…just air, ballast and some pulley system.

Snorkel hose when fair…no fighting the waves at all.

Consider this: https://www.liquid-robotics.com/

 

[World B4]

Now I wonder if you could have sail powered true subs.

It’s happened, on multiple occasions I believe in the 1900s, when a submarine needed to craft a sail for some reason or another. Plus the Nautilus (1800) and her planned successor design had sails. But in all instances, the submarine had to surface to use the sail.

 

[TomS]

Still designed to run awash I see.

Now I wonder if you could have sail powered true subs. They would be below wave action…with only wires to a set of kite-sails far above the wave action.

The kite sail lines knife into the waves with almost no resistance…there might be three balloon sails at different levels in the atmosphere with turning being done by varying balloon sail height to utilize winds of different altitude.

Turning might be by having one sail in one set of winds—another..another….and you split the difference.

No rudder…no engine…just air, ballast and some pulley system.

Snorkel hose when fair…no fighting the waves at all.

Consider this: https://www.liquid-robotics.com/

I'd have suggested Saildrone. Deck basically awash, with a sail for propulsion. They haven't gone to kites yet, but same basic premise.

What Is a Saildrone and How Does It Work?

A saildrone is a sailboat-like uncrewed vehicle designed to provide cost-effective solutions for in situ data collection in the most remote regions of the ocean and in the harshest conditions.

www.saildrone.com

 

[publiusr]

You still have the threat of breaking waves-but thin lines would feel them like a wire cutter feels foam-maybe the lines would be hot too. Sonar would hear a hissing twanging-wave action sounding like ST-The Motion Pictures blaster beam.

 

[World B4]

I'd have suggested Saildrone. Deck basically awash, with a sail for propulsion. They haven't gone to kites yet, but same basic premise.

A sail seems a bit too visible for the task

 

[TomS]

I'd have suggested Saildrone. Deck basically awash, with a sail for propulsion. They haven't gone to kites yet, but same basic premise.

A sail seems a bit too visible for the task

Kites aren't exactly in invisible either.

But to be fair, Saildrone isn't meant to be undetectable, just efficient.

 

[World B4]

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...ecognition-guide-h-i-sutton-march-2020.34675/

There's an illustration and a bit more detail in H I Sutton's book, which I sadly cannot buy.