An installation arrangement with a barge and a jack-up rig which floats in a first position on the sea and has a hull which is slotted vertically from the surface of the sea and has a slot width which is greater than that of the barge so that the barge can move into a slot, wherein the jack-up rig has supporting legs which can move to and from along a height relative to the hull and can be set down on the seabed. The hull and the barge can be lifted along the support legs. The slot extends along the entire longitudinal extent of the barge over the entire height of the hull, and securing means are arranged on the barge and on the slot and said securing means interact and secure the barge in the raised position in a fixed position on the jack-up rig.

Marine habitation units are disclosed for use in the open sea. Each unit includes a habitable chamber; a column including a first end, and a second end, opposite the first end, the second end for mounting in a sea bed; and, and, a segment in communication with the habitable chamber, and the first end of the column. The segment is moveable both substantially vertically, and, rotatably, allowing the wherein the habitable chamber and the column to move substantially vertically, and, rotatably, with respect to each other.

Described is a vessel and device for upending an elongate element from a deck of the vessel using a lifting means. A number of support structures, mutually coupled and running parallel to each other, for supporting an elongate element in lying position can be displaced collectively, parallel to the deck, relative to the position of the lifting means by displacing means provided for this purpose. A support structure of the device includes an upending tool which is connected for pivoting around an axis running parallel to an edge of the vessel to the relevant support structure and is configured to support an elongate element received in the support structure when this element is upended with the lifting means, wherein the upending tool is rotated around the axis. With the device elongate elements can be moved within reach of a lifting means.

A self-propelled jack-up vessel has a centreline extending from a bow end to a stern end of the vessel along a central longitudinal axis, defining port and starboard sides of the vessel. The vessel comprises a hull, a deck and four retractable legs, which extend through the hull and the deck. The vessel includes a bow leg arranged on the centreline towards the bow, a stern leg arranged on the centreline towards the stern, and a starboard leg arranged at the starboard side. The diagonal placement of the legs, with respect to the centreline gives greater stability and flexibility. Further, a vessel is provided having a cruciform primary structural arrangement.

The offshore jack-up has a hull and a plurality of moveable legs engageable with the seafloor. The offshore jack-up is arranged to move the legs with respect to the hull to position the hull out of the water. The method comprises moving at least a portion of a vessel underneath the hull of the offshore jack-up or within a cut-out of the hull when the hull is positioned out of the water and the legs engage the seafloor. A stabilizing mechanism mounted on the jack-up is engaged against the vessel. The stabilizing mechanism is pushed down on the vessel to increase the buoyant force acting on the vessel.

The present invention relates to a method for installing an offshore wind turbine at a target location at sea with an installation vessel, the vessel comprising:—a nacelle support structure for temporarily supporting a nacelle comprising a hub having a plurality of root end connectors to which the root ends of the blades are to be connected, the nacelle support structure comprising:—a support tower extending upwardly from a deck of the installation vessel,—a support platform configured to temporarily support the nacelle,—one or more lifting devices configured for:—lifting the nacelle onto the support platform,—lifting a nacelle assembly including the blades onto a wind turbine mast located adjacent the vessel, wherein the method comprises: a) lifting the nacelle onto the support platform, and securing the nacelle to the support platform, b) orienting a root end connector of the hub of the nacelle in a direction facing a guide path of the blade moving system, c) connecting the root end of the first blade to the corresponding first root end connector of the hub, d) repeating steps b) and c) for subsequent blades and root end connectors until all blades are connected to the hub of the nacelle, thereby providing a RNA, e) lifting the RNA from the nacelle support structure and positioning the RNA onto a wind turbine mast located adjacent the vessel.

A foundation (1) for a structure such as an off-shore wind turbine. The foundation (1) comprises a body (4) having a lateral surface (8,9) and a distal end (5) for insertion into a soil (2). At least a region of the lateral surface (8,9) forms a first electrode. A second electrode (7) is provided on the lateral surface (8,9) of the body (4) and is electrically insulated from the first electrode. The body (4) further comprises a spacing formation (6) for forming a gap (11) between the second electrode (7) and the soil (2) when the body (4) is inserted into the soil (2). In use, an electric potential may be established between the electrodes to induce electro-osmosis in the soil for allowing the foundation to be installed more easily. The polarity of the electric potential may also be reversed for stabilising the foundation.

A transportation device for an offshore platform, including a vessel and a floating structure which are fixedly connected. The floating structure is placed on a sea surface and is configured to assist the vessel to sail. The floating structure is provided with an adjustment mechanism which is configured to adjust the floating structure to rise and fall relative to the sea surface. A rail is arranged on the vessel and is in sliding connection with the topside module, so that the topside module slides onto the vessel from land. During the transportation of the topside module, the buoyancy of the floating structure is adjusted through the adjustment mechanism, so that the floating structure provides sufficient anti-rolling moments beside the vessel, thereby reducing the vibration of the topside module caused by the winds and waves during the sailing and reducing the potential damage to the topside module.

A measurement system that comprises at least one horizontal load measuring unit, that is preferably arranged on the leg guide is provided. The horizontal load measuring device measures or determines horizontal load on the position of the leg where the device is placed, which gives a more accurate indication of the leg bending moment than the rack phase differential measurement. Advantageously, multiple load measuring units can be provided along the leg guide.

An offshore platform embarkation facility and an offshore platform, including a lift tower, wherein the lift tower is provided with a climbing device and the lift tower is provided with a transmission structure; a jacking frame, wherein a first moon pool allowing the lift tower to pass through is provided in the jacking frame; a lifting unit, wherein the lifting unit is installed on the jacking frame and the lifting unit is configured to cooperate with the transmission structure to raise and lower the lift tower; a lift platform, wherein a second moon pool allowing the lift tower to pass through is provided in the lift platform, and the lift platform is connected with the lift tower via the climbing device, and the lift platform is located below the jacking frame. When it is needed to load or unload personnel or goods, it is not required to lower the entire offshore platform to the height of the sea surface to enable a ship to be anchored, anchorage of ships and loading or unloading of personnel and goods can be quickly completed simply by means of the offshore platform embarkation facility, which saves energy consumption and time, improves the work efficiency and increases the service life of the offshore platform.