The Dive?

[ApS]

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

Yup, bad things can happen in bad weather and all boats can take on water unexpectedly. All the things you mentioned could happen, and the can happen to any boat on the lake, large or small. Maybe we should all wait for The Dive to go thru the build, permitting, and inspection process to see what comes out of it. It seems to me that we all spend far to much time trying to find the down side rather than imagining the good. Human nature I guess!

I think you misunderstood. The Dive appears to be designed above a barge basis. It has steel supports to the floor above. Operating in shallow water—if subjected to a microburst—it has the distinct advantage of being run aground intentionally. Intentional flooding would help to anchor it. If it were my design, I'd add hydraulic outboard "jack plates".

Seeing Winnipesaukee's construction barges operating every day, I've noticed they don't go out in heavy wind conditions. (Having witnessed a microburst while holding my boat in knee-deep, but sheltered, water—neither do I ). Although I haven't made a correlation (yet) with bad weather; sometimes, they'll come to a complete stop for many minutes—then turn around to return to their base in Johnson's Cove.

By contrast, the Winnipesaukee Belle has a flat bottom, but isn't a design like The Dive. (It doesn't power its side-paddles, as they're ornamentation). I've never seen it navigate in a straight line, as it is subject to random yawing.

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