A device for launching and recovering a box sampler includes a suspension coop, a rail assembly, a moving mechanism, a power unit, and a lifting frame. The rail assembly is fixedly arranged on a deck. The moving mechanism is arranged on the rail assembly and can move along the rail assembly. A fixed end of the power unit is articulated with a top end of the moving mechanism, and an extending end of the power unit is articulated with an open end of an upper frame of the lifting frame. A closed end of the upper frame of the lifting frame is articulated with a front end of the moving mechanism. According to the device for launching and recovering a box sampler, the box sampler can be smoothly launched and recovered. The sampler in the suspension coop can be kept horizontal and is prevented from severely shaking.

This application relates to an apparatus for tracking location using a control platform of a small buoy for simulating marine pollutants, in which at least one small observation buoy floats on the ocean, and a relay buoy collects location information from the observation buoy and provides the collected location information to a weather information management server. The apparatus may include at least one observation buoy and a relay buoy, the observation buoy including a GPS receiver which receives a signal transmitted from a GPS satellite and generate location information. The apparatus may also include a communicator performing wireless transmission and reception of signals with the relay buoy, and a power source providing driving power to the GPS receiver and the communicator. The relay buoy may receive location information from the at least one observation buoy and provide the received location information to a weather information management server.

A watercraft lift system including one or more laterally-adjustable or rotating components and related methods are disclosed. The watercraft lift system can include a cradle assembly and optionally at least one side guide, which can (but need not) be connected to the cradle assembly. The cradle assembly can include first and second cradle rails. One or both of the first cradle rail and the at least one side guide can be movable between a wider watercraft-receiving position and a narrower watercraft-received position. In an example, movement of the first cradle rail and/or the at least one side guide from the watercraft-receiving position to the watercraft-received position occurs automatically upon entry of a watercraft into the confines of the watercraft lift system. The watercraft lift system can further comprise an actuator to cause lateral or rotational movement, for example, of the first cradle rail and/or the at least one side guide. In an example, the actuator can be operably connected to the first cradle rail and/or the at least one side guide via one or more cables or extension plate members.

A system for lowering a user from an elevated position is described. The system includes a fall-arresting device operable to arrest a fall of a user attached to the fall-arresting device, a harness for wearing by the user, and a separable connector for attaching the harness to the fall-arresting device. The separable connector is configured to separate in response to a minimum load of about 0.66 kN acting on the separable connector and thereby disconnect the harness from the fall-arresting device.

A method of unloading cargo at sea from a cargo vessel to a cargo barge, comprising the steps of providing a catamaran vessel having a pair of spaced apart catamaran hulls and a pair of spaced apart arch shaped frames, each frame attached to each hull at a frame lower end portion; positioning the cargo vessel in between the hulls and under the top portion of the frames; placing one or more cargo barges next to one or both of the hulls, wherein the hull is in between the cargo vessel and the cargo barge; and unloading cargo from the cargo vessel to the cargo barge wherein the cargo travels from the cargo vessel, over the catamaran hull to the cargo barge.

A method of unloading cargo at sea from a cargo vessel to a cargo barge, comprising the steps of providing a catamaran vessel having a pair of spaced apart catamaran hulls and a pair of spaced apart arch shaped frames, each frame attached to each hull at a frame lower end portion; positioning the cargo vessel in between the hulls and under the top portion of the frames; placing one or more cargo barges next to one or both of the hulls, wherein the hull is in between the cargo vessel and the cargo barge; and unloading cargo from the cargo vessel to the cargo barge wherein the cargo travels from the cargo vessel, over the catamaran hull to the cargo barge.

Multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are operated by a host platform by configuring the AUVs with intermediate nodes (such as unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)) so as to allow the host platform to manage multiple AUVs. The intermediate nodes act as a relay for communications between the host platform and the AUVs allowing the host platform to scale to higher numbers of vehicles thus simultaneously operating the entire fleet of AUVs. The AUVs may provide underwater mapping data. The host platform may be stationary. The host platform may communicate with the intermediate nodes by satellite.

Multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are operated by a single host surface vehicle (HSV) by configuring the AUVs with intermediate nodes (such as unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)) so as to allow the HSV to manage multiple AUVs. The intermediate nodes act as a relay for communications between the HSV and the AUVs allowing the HSV to scale to higher numbers of vehicles thus simultaneously operating the entire fleet of AUVs. The AUVs may provide underwater mapping data.

The invention relates to methods of putting a boat in the water and removing the boat from the water and to a boat launch and recovery platform (1) comprising a frame (10) for receiving a boat (2), flotation means (20) fixed to the frame (10), and a floating floor (30) coupled to the frame (10) so as to be vertically translatable. The launch and recovery platform (1) is arranged for, and the methods enable, a transition from a configuration in which the floating floor (30) rests on a support floor (11) when the launch and recovery platform (1) is out of the water, to a configuration in which the floating floor (30) floats on the surface (S1) of the water when the launch and recovery platform (1) is afloat.

Disclosed is a base ship that can receive, in a removable and interchangeable manner, a particular module among various modules, the module being adapted to a functional specialization of the ship. The base ship is similar to a catamaran in its rear portion because it includes two parallel rear lateral volumes that are substantially symmetric with respect to a vertical longitudinal sagittal plane of the base ship, and the removable module is inserted and secured between the two rear lateral volumes of the base ship in order to form a functionalized ship.