A tension device for securing a floating structure to a fixed point includes an elastic member and an inelastic member. The elastic member has a length between a first end and a second end thereof. The length is elastically variable under tension. The inelastic member limits elongation of the length of the elastic member. The tension device has a first length when the elastic member is not under tension and a longer length when the elastic member is elastically stretched by a tension force. The inelastic member limits elastic elongation of the elastic member to a second length.

An anchoring device may be arranged above or below a body of water and may secure or anchor watercraft to at least one vertical object and/or horizontally-positioned object. The anchoring device may provide a clamping mechanism that may secure the anchoring device to the at least one vertical object and/or horizontally-positioned object. The anchoring device may be integrated or fixed to watercraft, such as at a seat pedestal. The anchoring device also may be used without being integrated or fixed to watercraft.

A system that maintains the relative and/or absolute geographical positions of two or more buoyant devices floating in a body of water. A plurality of formation restoring tethers are disclosed which permit the unrestricted vertical movement of networked buoyant devices, while resisting increases in their lateral separations by providing restoring forces to oppose such separations. Tensioning mechanisms incorporated into the tethers generate the resistance to the lateral separations of two or more entities by transforming such separations into an increase in the potential energy stored within such tensioning mechanisms, the potential energy of which is released in the process of restoring the original separations and/or positions of the displaced buoyant devices.

A hydraulic mooring cable holding device provides a hydraulic cylinder-piston combination (20) for controlling the force on a mooring cable between one end of a ship and a mooring point. An overpressure protection part (26) with hydraulic liquid passing from the hydraulic cylinder (20) to a reservoir (260) when the pressure in the cylinder exceeds a threshold value, and returns the hydraulic liquid when the pressure has dropped. An auxiliary reservoir (24) with a steeper pressure response than the main reservoir (260) is connected in parallel with the main reservoir. The auxiliary reservoir may be connected to and/or disconnected from the cylinder under control of a sensor or a further mooring device at the other end of the ship, to reduce movement of the ship e.g. in swell. Furthermore, pressure from the auxiliary reservoir may be used to drive an electric generator.

A mooring line (10) comprising a metal chain (24) and an elastomeric element (28) which is attached between two points of attachment (30, 32) thereby defining a bypass section (34) of metal chain (24). The elastomeric element (28) is arranged such that when an initial tensile load is applied, the elastomeric element (28) stretches from an initial length to a longer length wherein the bypass section (34) is not taut and thus the initial tensile load is transmitted from and to further sections (24) of the metal chain through the elastomeric element (28). When a further tensile load is applied, the elastomeric element (28) stretches to a length wherein the bypass section (34) becomes taut, and thus the further tensile load is transmitted directly from and to the further sections (24) of the metal chain through the bypass section (34).

A tension device for securing a floating structure includes an elastic member, first and second end members, and an inelastic member. The elastic member is stretchable under tension from an unstretched length to a stretched length. The first and second end members are carried at first and second ends of the elastic member, respectively. The inelastic member is secured to the first and second end member and limits the stretched length of the elastic member.

A system that maintains the relative and/or absolute geographical positions of two or more buoyant devices floating in a body of water. A plurality of formation restoring tethers are disclosed which permit the unrestricted vertical movement of networked buoyant devices, while resisting increases in their lateral separations by providing restoring forces to oppose such separations. Tensioning mechanisms incorporated into the tethers generate the resistance to the lateral separations of two or more entities by transforming such separations into an increase in the potential energy stored within such tensioning mechanisms, the potential energy of which is released in the process of restoring the original separations and/or positions of the displaced buoyant devices.

A floating dock includes a frame, a float, and first and second dock posts. The frame has a first longitudinal section and a second longitudinal that define a slip there between. The dock posts are operatively secured to and project upward from the frame and are on opposite sides of the slip. The posts have self-adjusting line systems including a slide, an elongate member, an upper stop, a lower stop, and a line. The slide is slidable along the elongate member between the upper stop and the lower stop. The line is coupled to the slide. The line is adapted to tether the slide to a watercraft. The slides are capable of moving independently to allow vertical translation, pitch, and roll of the watercraft while the watercraft is secured within the slip.

An anchoring device may be arranged above or below a body of water and may secure or anchor watercraft to at least one vertical object and/or horizontally-positioned object. The anchoring device may provide a clamping mechanism that may secure the anchoring device to the at least one vertical object and/or horizontally-positioned object. The anchoring device may be integrated or fixed to watercraft, such as at a seat pedestal. The anchoring device also may be used without being integrated or fixed to watercraft.

There is disclosed a mooring, marine, subsea, underwater or offshore connector (5) comprising: a first portion (10); a second portion (15); and an arrangement (20) for releasably locking the first portion (10) and the second portion (15), wherein the releasable lock arrangement (20) comprises at least one movable lock member (25) which is biased towards a first position. The/each lock member (25) is movable against the action of a biasing arrangement (20) by insertion of the first portion (10) into the second portion (15) and/or by removal of the first portion (10) from the second portion (15). The connector (5) comprises an arrangement for rotating the first portion (10) relative to the second portion (15) when the first portion (10) is inserted into and/or withdrawn from the second portion (15). Embodiments provide at least one opposing or facing pair of movable lock members (25, 25b); and at least one pair of biasing members (60a, 60b); a first end of the/each biasing member (60a, 60b) being connected to a first movable lock member (25a), and a second end of the/each biasing member (60, 60b) being connected to a second movable lock member (25b).