A pod system for use with a houseboat assembly is disclosed herein, with the pod system comprising a first pod and a second pod. The first pod and the second pod are configured to be selectively disposed in a pod slot defined by the houseboat assembly. The first pod is generally free of any locomotive capabilities, while the second pod includes a movement element. When the second pod is disposed in the pod slot, the movement element may be actuated from a helm of the houseboat assembly to impart locomotive capabilities to the houseboat assembly. When locomotive capabilities are not desired, the second pod may be replaced by the first pod in the pod slot. Connectors are provided on the houseboat assembly, first pod, and second pod to removably secure the first pod and the second pod in the pod slot as desired.

The invention relates to a method for constructing habitable installations for floating structures, comprising the following steps: lowering a first adapted standard container (3) through at least one vertical prismatic cavity (25) of a carrying structure (2) until it is supported on support brackets (4) of the floor below; securing the first container (3) to said support brackets (4) of the floor below; and, for each subsequent floor, securing a number of subsequent support brackets (4) to the carrying structure (2) on each container (3) already in position; lowering a subsequent container (3) until it is supported on said subsequent support brackets (4); and securing said subsequent container (3) to subsequent support brackets (4) on which it is resting. The invention also includes a habitable installation (1) constructed according to said method, and a container (3) adapted for carrying out said method.

Disclosed is a marine vessel to transport natural gas hydrates (NGH), the marine vessel includes a hull formed from solid NGH and a skeletal structure to support the hull. Additionally disclosed is a container to transport NGH including a block of solid NGH and a skeletal structure to support the block. Further disclosed is a method of fabricating a marine vessel for transporting and storing natural gas hydrates (NGH), the method includes preparing a mold, placing a skin layer in the mold, assembling a skeletal structure in the mold, preparing a NGH slurry, and pouring into NGH slurry into the mold.

The invention has for object a system and a method for the realization of floating platforms formed by the aggregation of floating forms in reinforced concrete, the union set of the modules is made integral forming a single plate inserting and pulling special steel cables that cross the entire platform in sheaths arranged in the walls of the modules themselves, the pulled cables, locked in this position, compress the plate to increase resistance, the present method and system are also characterized by the fact that the quota of the platform does not vary with the tides and the loads to which it is subjected.

The present invention provides a controllable float module for a modular offshore support structure assembly. The inventive float module comprises (i) a first ballast chamber provided within a predetermined first portion of said float module, having at least one first controllable fluid connection, adapted to provide controlled fluid flow between an interior of said first ballast chamber and a first fluid reservoir containing a first fluid, and at least one second fluid connection, adapted to provide controlled fluid flow between said interior of said first ballast chamber and a second fluid reservoir containing a second fluid; (ii) at least one second ballast chamber provided within a predetermined second portion of said float module, having at least one first controllable fluid connection, adapted to provide controlled fluid flow between an interior of said second ballast chamber and said first fluid reservoir containing said first fluid, and at least one second fluid connection, adapted to provide controlled fluid flow between said interior of said second ballast chamber and said second fluid reservoir containing said second fluid, and (iii) a control system, adapted to control each of said at least one first and second controllable fluid connection and selectively vary the proportional quantity of said first fluid and said second fluid within any one of said first and at least one second ballast chamber, so as to selectively vary the buoyancy of any one of said at least one predetermined first and second portion of said float module when in use.

A wakeboat has a hull, the hull forming a wake when moving forward in the water, with a port disturbance and a starboard disturbance in the wake. A trim tab is supported by the hull at the stern of the hull. The trim tab comprises a primary subtab and a secondary subtab. One or more actuators may be optionally included to reposition the trim tab more into, or more out of, the water. Other systems and methods are also provided.

An improved kayak has a hull of thermoformed ABS plastic having a bow and a seat having a void between the bow and the seat, a top of the hull being a deck with a foam PVC block glued to a bottom face of the deck. A rotomolded polyethylene plastic insert is located in the void and joined to the hull by fasteners that pass through the insert and the deck of the hull and engage the foam PVC block within the hull, with caulking between the hull and the insert. A propulsion device is removably mounted in the rotomolded plastic insert that allows a user of the kayak to propel the kayak.

The invention relates, among other things, to a component including at least one base plate, at least one cover plate arranged on the base plate, at least one damping layer arranged between the base plate and the cover plate and at least one stiffening element. The base plate is free from the cover plate and the damping layer at least in sections on the cover plate side in a connection area, and the stiffening element is connected to the base plate and the cover plate on the cover plate side in the connection area. The invention further relates to a method for the manufacture of a component and a use of a component.

A wakeboat has a hull, the hull forming a wake when moving forward in the water, with a port disturbance and a starboard disturbance in the wake. A trim tab is supported by the hull at the stern of the hull. The trim tab comprises a primary subtab and a secondary subtab. One or more actuators may be optionally included to reposition the trim tab more into, or more out of, the water. Other systems and methods are also provided.

The present invention provides a hammering assembly type fixing device for a shipyard, in which the lower end of a fixture is inserted into a fixing groove formed in a fixing plate (made of a rigid bottom such as steel, concrete, rock, etc.) and the upper end of the fixture is screwed to be coupled to a separate fastening element, such that a grating, a work foothold, etc. are fixed. The hammering assembly type fixing device for a shipyard according to the present invention is configured such that a protruding flange inclined downward is integrally formed with a fixture to form a single body at a portion where an upper end and a lower end of a fixture are connected to each other, and a packing ring is provided to be inserted into the lower end of the fixture in close contact with the protruding flange. As such, as the fixture is fixed to the fixing plate by the pressing from the hammering, the hammering assembly type fixing device has the characteristics of being resistant to lateral forces and preventing breakage of the lower end due to a primary fixing by the lower end and a secondary fixing by the protruding flange. Further, the pressing force of the protruding flange of a downwardly inclined structure, and the improved sealing property by the packing ring, and the excellent foreign substance blocking effect are obtained. Moreover, the manufacturing process of the fixture is simplified, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. Especially, the hammering assembly type fixing device for a shipyard is applied to fix a grating installed in a shipyard, so that even in high salt conditions due to the inflow of seawater through various routes in shipbuilding processes, the fixing force of the fixture with respect to the fixing plate is maximized and the airtightness by the packing ring is improved, thereby preventing the occurrence of fine gaps between the fixing plate and the fixture. Therefore, the penetration of salt is blocked, thereby preventing the corrosion of the fixture and improving durability of the fixture.