The Submarine Sailboat is an invention I'd love to have, but can't afford. Here's the principle: when the weather is nice, you sail. When the seas get rough, you descend below the waves.
My notion, well, most ocean-going sailboats have a keel - a counterweight to the force applied to the sail to keep the boat upright. That counterweight could be ballast water, and the sailboat cabin could be a sealed chamber suitable for submersion. And what sailboat wouldn't be enhanced by a glass viewing window mounted below the waterline up front? Of course the sails will be removed before submersion. What to do with the mast is a matter of engineering. I imagine it might travel best if swiveled parallel to the hull.
I think this idea is quite doable, and could save lives, considering that storms are a major source of sailboat problems. Of course, I suppose submarines have their own set of life-endangering issues. Oh, and there is a unique vessel operated for research that goes part of the way - it's called FLIP.
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