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.

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 system includes a first mooring component and a second mooring component. The first mooring component includes a first end plate, a second end plate, and a first compressive element, connected between the first and second end plates. The second mooring component, includes a third end plate, a fourth end plate, and a second compressive element, connected between the third and fourth end plates. The mooring system further includes a flexible connecting element, including first and second lengths. The first and second lengths are connected to the first and fourth end plates, and pass through openings in the second and third end plates, such that the first mooring component and the second mooring component are connected in series.

A load absorber dampens relative movement between subsea bodies. The load absorber is cooperable with an actuating member such as a male piston element or a female cup on an opposed subsea body. The load absorber comprises a hollow structure defining an internal flow path for water. A flow restrictor acting on the flow path restricts a distal flow of water along the flow path from a proximal opening, caused by convergence between the actuating member and the load absorber. The flow restrictor comprises a shuttle element to restrict the flow path that is mounted to the structure for automatic movement from a first state to a second state in response to an increase in water pressure at the proximal opening. In the first state, the shuttle element effects greater restriction of the flow path than in the second state.

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 watercraft anchor having a cylindrical member having a top defining a locking surface, a bottom circular surface, and a periphery surface disposed between the top and bottom surfaces. A plurality of paddles extend from the periphery surface and align with a plurality of fins disposed on the bottom surface.

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.

The invention relates to anchoring systems for floating bases for the production of energy at sea (floating wind turbine, wave energy, floating hydraulic turbines, ETM platform, etc.) and/or for petroleum exploitation at sea, constituted by at least one anchoring line which comprises at least one portion which is constituted by cable, chain or a combination of the two and at least one elastic device.

There is disclosed a subsea connector (100), e.g. a mooring connector, and a method of mooring a subsea structure to a line, e.g. a mooring chain, with the subsea connector. The subsea connector comprises a first portion (105) and a second portion (110), means for connecting (120) the first portion and the second portion, and means for rotationally aligning the first portion and the second portion. The first and second portions are connectable to a respective line, such as a respective mooring chain. The means for rotationally aligning comprise a first alignment member at least partly spanning across a bore, such as an internal bore, of the first or second portion. The means for rotationally aligning comprise a second alignment member provided by the other of the first or second portion. The first and second alignment members co-act when the first and second portions are brought together or mated.

A fuse assembly for rope systems. A catch is a rope segment having a certain failure strength. An accompanying trigger component has a predetermined failure point which can be less than the failure strength of the catch, acting as a sacrificial element to reveal the potential risk of rope recoil. In one embodiment, the catch includes connecting ends, and the trigger is remote from the catch. In other embodiments the trigger includes the connecting ends and the catch is separate from but works cooperatively with the trigger. Additional hold components can accompany the system, as well as first and second chafe protection layers.