# Submarines..Why don't I have one? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2000, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarines-why-dont-i-have-one/20370 "2000-05-24T04:57:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grendel69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7bcc69/32.png) [@Grendel69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grendel69)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarines-why-dont-i-have-one/20370/1 "2000-05-24T04:57:25Z")
Just saw U-571 and the question popped into my head…Do private citizens actually own sumarines? I’m not talking about the Jacques Cousteau type. More along the lines of a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or Hunt for Red October type. If they do, what the hell does one do with one? Not necessarily speaking from experince, but chugging along at 20 knots probably isn’t the best way to bring about an adrenaline rush and/or get somewhere economically. ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarines-why-dont-i-have-one/20370/2 "2000-05-24T05:21:22Z")
I don’t know what use a private citizen would have for one, but with enough $$, one can be purchased. Here is one [example](http://ships-for-sale.com/submarine_for_sale.htm). Crew not included. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarines-why-dont-i-have-one/20370/3 "2000-05-24T06:55:22Z")
My friend built a model submarine… it was pretty bad ass. He used a long antennae type of thing to keep track of it… He was using shotgun shells and experimenting with torpedo’s, but to the best of my knowledge he has never gotten a Torpedo to work. (Getting them to detonate is apparantly easy, housing them in the sub, and propelling them out of his sub is apparantly… fairly tricky. :)) His grand plan was to go to some big model boat race and try to blow up some ships. Screeme ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarines-why-dont-i-have-one/20370/4 "2000-05-24T07:35:55Z")
Its completely legal to own one, but people with the money to buy one would rather get a nice commercial sub than some eye-sore military sub. What money doesn’t buy you is a military sub with weapons. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarines-why-dont-i-have-one/20370/5 "2000-05-24T15:55:49Z")
We talked about this before. There was a real Russian nuclear sub on [Ebay.com](http://Ebay.com) for $1M. Its in the USA. You could buy it & use it. BUT there are extensive laws you’d have to follow first… ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarines-why-dont-i-have-one/20370/6 "2000-05-24T16:18:13Z")
“nice commercial sub?” Where does one get one of those? I seem to recall some abortive experiments with subs as cargo vessels a while back, but I’m unaware than one can give General Dynamics a ring and have them fit up a sub like one might a private plane. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarines-why-dont-i-have-one/20370/7 "2000-05-24T16:23:52Z")
handy: Just to be an annoying nitpick, it was in fact a diesel-electric sub on Ebay. (Juliett class - large for a diesel-electric, but still not nuclear). ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarines-why-dont-i-have-one/20370/8 "2000-05-24T16:26:39Z")
manhattan, looking for your own sub for your next Captain Nemo party? Try Yahoo! [Yahoo! Submarines](http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Transportation/Maritime/Submarines/) I personally like these ones, they seem to afford a nice view of what’s going on underwater. [SEAMobile Models](http://www.seamagine.com/sub_models.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarines-why-dont-i-have-one/20370/9 "2000-05-24T16:33:07Z")
- but this URL is remarkable in itself: [http://www.submersiblesubmarines.com](http://www.submersiblesubmarines.com) Have fun!