There were ten industrial-size batteries — each the size of a small suitcase. The propeller had come from a fancy yacht that had been damaged in a storm years before. The air-compressors were installed independently — each operating as a backup to the other in case of failure. Ziegfried was still working out the design for a manual inflation of the ballast tanks. The stationary bike was an adaptation of an old touring bicycle. It had ten gears, an adjustable seat and toe-clips, for greater pedalling efficiency. I found it extremely easy, but Ziegfried said this would all change when the sub was sitting in water. Each installation brought the sub nearer to completion, and my hopes rose every time. But Ziegfried kept talking about how much work there was left to do, and I knew he never said things he didn’t mean. Without a functioning sonar system the sub was useless in the water. It was like going down the highway with your eyes closed, he said. “After all, Al, you won’t be the only sub in the sea.”
