A method of installing a wind turbine generator onto a floating foundation. The floating foundation has variable buoyancy and is pre-ballasted to float at a predetermined vertical position before installation of a wind turbine generator component onto the floating foundation. A wind turbine generator component supported by lifting equipment is brought towards the floating foundation until contact is made with the floating foundation. Ballast is removed from the floating foundation to increase the buoyancy of the floating foundation such that weight of the wind turbine generator component supported by the floating foundation is increased from substantially zero to substantially the entire weight of the wind turbine generator component. The vertical position of the floating foundation is substantially unchanged during transferring weight of the wind turbine generator component onto the floating foundation.

An offshore floating structure is provided including a floater with positive buoyancy and a keel with negative buoyancy, as well as active and passive suspenders connecting nodes of the keel and the floater with each other. When the keel at the offshore site is lowered by making the active suspenders longer, the passive suspenders, which have a fixed length and are held taut, causes the keel to rotate about the vertical during lowering.

A wave energy converter (1) has: a buoyant structure (2) which, in use, floats on water; a generator (18); a generator drive mechanism (38) on board the buoyant structure (2), the generator drive mechanism (38) having an rotational input drive shaft (20) and a rotational output drive shaft (36); a drive member (22) operably connected to the input drive shaft (20), the drive member (22) being moveable back and forth between a first position and a second position; a biasing arrangement (23, 26) for example a buoyant block acting on the drive member; and, a submerged element 4, 4′ which, in use, moves below the surface of the water out of phase with the buoyant structure (2), the drive member (22) being attached by a tether (28) to the submerged element (4). In use, when the buoyant structure (2) encounters a wave crest, the spacing between the buoyant structure (2) and the submerged element (4, 4′) increases and the drive member (22) is pulled towards the second position by the tether (28), and, when the buoyant structure (2) encounters a wave trough, the spacing between the buoyant structure (2) and the submerged element (4, 4′) decreases and the drive member (22) is urged towards the first position by the biasing arrangement (23, 26). The back and forth movement of the drive member (22) between the first and second positions causes the input drive shaft (20) to rotate and, thereby, causes the output drive shaft (36) to rotate. The submerged element (4, 4′) is preferably a heave plate. The invention also comprises a heave plate for a submerged, partly submerged or floating structure.

A system includes a housing and a swim up bar configured to be mounted on a boat. The swim up bar is movable into or out from the housing. In a deployed position, the swim up bar is extended from a bow of the boat. In a storage position, the swim up bar is contained within the housing.

A system includes a housing and a swim up bar configured to be mounted on a boat. The swim up bar is movable into or out from the housing. In a deployed position, the swim up bar is extended from a bow of the boat. In a storage position, the swim up bar is contained within the housing.

The present invention relates to two configurations of structure for a compact, pedal-propelled boat, a recumbent configuration and a conventional configuration, and to two possible propulsion systems, one with rigid transmission system and other with flexible transmission system. Both configurations are used with hulls arranged in parallel, catamaran configuration, preferably inflatable, allowing the volume and size of the assembly to be reduced so as to fit in a car trunk, making it easier to transport and store. In the recumbent configuration, the boat driver is in a sitting position, with his back supported by the seat, and actuates the pedals located in the front part of the structure while maneuvers the boat by means of handlebars located on the sides of the structure. In the conventional configuration, the boat driver is in the same position as the rider of a conventional bicycle, and the seat, pedals and handlebar are arranged in the same positions as in a bicycle. The invention seeks to provide simple solutions and the greatest quantity possible of shared components between these configurations, such that a production plant can produce these configurations through as few production processes as possible and sharing as many production processes as possible.

The present invention relates to two configurations of structure for a compact, pedal-propelled boat, a recumbent configuration and a conventional configuration, and to two possible propulsion systems, one with rigid transmission system and other with flexible transmission system. Both configurations are used with hulls arranged in parallel, catamaran configuration, preferably inflatable, allowing the volume and size of the assembly to be reduced so as to fit in a car trunk, making it easier to transport and store. In the recumbent configuration, the boat driver is in a sitting position, with his back supported by the seat, and actuates the pedals located in the front part of the structure while maneuvers the boat by means of handlebars located on the sides of the structure. In the conventional configuration, the boat driver is in the same position as the rider of a conventional bicycle, and the seat, pedals and handlebar are arranged in the same positions as in a bicycle. The invention seeks to provide simple solutions and the greatest quantity possible of shared components between these configurations, such that a production plant can produce these configurations through as few production processes as possible and sharing as many production processes as possible.

An unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel including a primary hull and a rigid wing rotationally coupled with the primary hull that freely rotates about a rotational axis. At least one of the primary hull and the rigid wing includes at least one selectively floodable compartment configured to selectively flood to submerge the primary hull and at least a portion of the rigid wing. The vessel further includes at least one controller configured to maintain a desired heading. The vessel further includes a control surface element configured to aerodynamically control a wing angle of the rigid wing based on a force exerted by wind on the control surface element. The vessel further includes a rudder. The at least one controller is further configured to determine a rudder position and generate a signal to position the rudder. The vessel further includes a keel coupled with the primary hull.

An unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel including a primary hull and a rigid wing rotationally coupled with the primary hull that freely rotates about a rotational axis. At least one of the primary hull and the rigid wing includes at least one selectively floodable compartment configured to selectively flood to submerge the primary hull and at least a portion of the rigid wing. The vessel further includes at least one controller configured to maintain a desired heading. The vessel further includes a control surface element configured to aerodynamically control a wing angle of the rigid wing based on a force exerted by wind on the control surface element. The vessel further includes a rudder. The at least one controller is further configured to determine a rudder position and generate a signal to position the rudder. The vessel further includes a keel coupled with the primary hull.

Various embodiments of a submerged submersible sailing vessel are disclosed. Such a submerged sailing vessel may comprise a submersible hull assembly, a keel coupled to and extending upwards from hull assembly towards a water surface, and a wind-catching assembly coupled to and extending upwards into the air from the keel for propelling the submerged sailing vessel. The hull assembly and the keel are submerged below the water surface as the vessel is propelled by the wind-catching assembly above the water surface.