An apparatus for connecting items, even with irregular surfaces, to each other while maintaining a minimum distance between the items. The apparatus can have a suction cup comprising a cup body, a sealing edge, an internal surface, an external surface, a fluid pathway extending from an interior of the cup body to the exterior of the cup body, and a plurality of cleats positioned on the internal surface of the cup body extending radially inward from proximate the sealing edge. The thickness of each cleat increases distal to the sealing edge. When air is pumped out of the cup body to allow it to seal to a surface, the cleats create a desirable fluid flow profile allowing for a tighter and more efficacious seal.

Watercraft docking apparatus including a spreadable clamp attachable to a watercraft to be docked, an elongated pole attached at one end to the spreadable clamp, and structure attaching mechanism attached to an opposite end of the elongated pole. The spreadable clamp and the structure attaching mechanism are both designed to prevent lateral horizontal movement of the elongated pole.

The present invention provides a long-term mooring device. A support frame is provided on a dock. The dock is provided with a free guide roller. The free guide roller is wound with a cable. An upper end of the cable is horizontally connected to a spring fixed on a lower side of a cross arm of the support frame, through a free guide roller provided on the lower side of the cross arm of the support frame (corresponding to the free guide roller on the dock). The middle of the cable penetrates through an inertial induction self-locking connection joint fixed on an end of a platform arm. The platform arm is fixed on a platform. The present invention provides an omnidirectional restoring force for the moored platform through the elastic deformation of the springs to control the movement response of the platform within a certain range.

The present invention provides an improved device for attaching a watercraft to another structure such as another watercraft or a fixed structure, such as a dock. The apparatus comprises a spacing bar and specialized, quick connecting and releasing attachment devices that allow the watercraft to be quickly and effectively moored to other structures on the water without the risk of collision or damage to the watercraft. The quick-connect devices may be positioned near ends of the spacing bars to effectively hold the watercraft at a predetermined distance from the other structure. The device may further include tensioning mechanisms that are operable to keep the spacing bars at a substantially orthogonal orientation relative to the watercraft to maintain the pre-determined spacing between the watercraft and the other structure.

An automatic berthing system for an unmanned ship includes a plurality of roof plates fixedly arranged at a side edge of a shore, and a position adjusting mechanism is fixedly arranged in the roof plate. The position adjusting mechanism includes an X-direction adjusting assembly, a Y-direction adjusting assembly, and a Z-direction adjusting assembly. The X-direction adjusting assembly is fixedly connected to an inner sidewall of a fixing bracket. The fixing bracket is fixedly connected to an inner sidewall of the roof plate. A fixing plate is connected to the inner side of the X-direction adjusting assembly. The Y-direction adjusting assembly is connected to the bottom of the fixing plate. The automatic berthing system can realize accurate berthing of an unmanned ship, achieve an excellent berthing effect, and provide protection for the unmanned ship, achieving high safety.

Vessel (60), comprising a transverse bow (62) with an elongated bow fender (10) protruding with respect to the bow (62), which bow fender (10) is designed to be pushed against a stationary object (50), said vessel 60) further comprises at least two engagement arms (20) with telescopic parts (22,24), said engagements arms (20) are mounted in a position above the bow fender (10) and facing each other, and each engagement arm (20) is pivotable against each other for engagement with the stationary object (50) from opposite directions. Each engagement arm (20) comprises a tiltable engagement pad (26) with a contacting surface (26a) creating stabilizing contact between the contacting surfaces (26a) of the engagement pads (26) and at least a part of the stationary object (50), said engagement pads (26) being tiltable about an axis running in same longitudinal direction as the engagement arms (20).

The present invention provides a mooring device capable of providing an omnidirectional restoring force. A support frame is provided on a dock. Two free guide rollers are provided at vertical corresponding positions that are respectively below a cross arm of the support frame and above the dock. A rotary damper is provided in the middle of a longitudinal portion of the support frame that is perpendicular to the dock. The two free guide rollers are respectively wound with a cable. The cable is fixed to a platform arm, and the platform arm is connected to a platform. An end of each cable is connected to a spring, and the other end of the spring is connected to a chain wound on a sprocket of the rotary damper.

An energy absorption arrangement for reducing peak mooring loads between a mooring structure with a turret rotatable around a vertical axis, and a floating structure is disclosed. The energy absorption arrangement comprises a rigid yoke horizontally rotatable in two axes and connected to the turret, a weighted pendulum member arranged on the end of the yoke and at least one mooring tether connected to the weighted pendulum member, and at least one energy absorption device for reducing peak mooring loads, comprising a fixed part connected to the floating structure, a movable rod and an absorption medium.

An apparatus that is configured to connect a first boat to second boat or to an object, such as a dock, in a manner that prevents the surface of the first boat from contacting the surface of the second boat or the object. The apparatus comprises a connecting assembly having a first engaging mechanism at its first end and a second engaging mechanism at its second end. The connecting assembly comprises a pair of connecting members that are telescopically configured and a length adjusting mechanism that adjusts the length of the connecting assembly and the spacing provided by the apparatus. The length adjusting mechanism can include a locking mechanism that locks the connecting members or a biasing mechanism that biases the two members apart. The engaging members can be suction cups that have cup locking mechanisms that allow the user to lock the suction cups to a surface.

Watercraft docking apparatus including a flexible clamp attachable to a watercraft to be docked, an elongated pole attached at one end to the flexible clamp, and structure attaching mechanism attached to an opposite end of the elongated pole. The flexible clamp and the structure attaching mechanism are both designed to prevent lateral horizontal movement of the elongated pole.