Blog

Here, I will post updates on the construction of the ROV that will be used to explore many wrecks in “torpedo alley” off the coast of NC. This will be the ROV’s first mission. The tether (at least as far as the fiber optic cable goes) will be 1000ft long. Most ships sunk by U-boats off the coast during the world wars were in relatively shallow water. We will start with the shallowest wrecks closest to shore. Although the ROV will likely be finished by the end of next month, there are still many preparations to be done before the start of our first mission. More on those expensive preparations later.

Let’s start the story from the beginning. Before being able to start construction, let alone store boats anywhere, I needed somewhere to work. For someone in their 20s who is trying to escape the high prices of the housing market, it can be extremely hard to find anywhere to work on personal projects. Storage facilities charge hundreds of dollars in rent, restrict access hours, and frown upon/restrict working out of their facilities. The same goes for apartment complexes. I knew I needed to purchase unrestricted land and set up shop, but where? After working two jobs for months, I finally found a plot of land in my price range to set up shop. I spent all the money I had saved from working two jobs on the purchase of the land itself. It was overgrown and on a severe decline from the road to where no 2WD vehicles can get in and out. Out of money for contracting, I got to work mowing down the years and years of overgrown vegetation with a modified lawn mower I purchased from Facebook Marketplace for $20. Over the next year, I would continue to clear the property, hire contractors to grade a pad for the future house to go on the property, and manually drag a shipping container and a camper onto the property to work out of. Here are some pictures of this long, back-breaking process that, over time, has cost me over $25,000

Having a place to work out of that doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars a month has been great. The plot of land is considered “unrestricted” and is in a rural area. I have been able to set up my lathe, store all my heavier equipment like engine hoists, and transmission jacks, and much more. I have had 3 boats on the property, I am currently preparing the current imbaord boat to carry the crew and the ROV to torpedo alley to dive on multiple wrecks. I purchased the boat in not-running condition with many mechanical and cosmetic issues. While I work through both the mechanical and the cosmetic side of the restoration, I am replacing common failure points as preventative maintenance, such as the impeller pump, bellows pipes, etc. This, however, will likely be the cheap side of preparing the boat for the first mission. As someone who is obsessed with safety on the water I have some requirements for safety equipment before we get underway.

First, I need to gather a team to help keep watch and man the tether while the ROV is operated via FPV goggles or the monitors. Secondly, I must prepare safety equipment in case of an emergency onboard. While all of my boats may be aged, I refuse to ignore safety. Among the most expensive items (while not required) are the EPIRB and the emergency life raft. An EPIRB will automatically send a distress signal in the event of a sinking, you can even purchase positioning wristbands for each crew member. I will also wire in a VHF radio with an emergency power supply. We will also need appropriate SONAR equipment, GPS, and navigational aids. This only further adds to the thousands of dollars I have already spent to get this far.