A damping system is presented for damping an oscillation of a load on a fluctuant water surface. The damping system may include four buoyancy systems, two on each side of the load. Each buoyancy system may include two buoys, a lower frame and an upper frame.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a sailing vessel that can substantially obviate the heeling problem experienced by classical sailboats. During navigation, the sailing vessel is driven forward by an aerodynamic force exerted by wind on the sail, and balanced by a hydrodynamic force exerted by water on a float on the stern of the sailing vessel, the aerodynamic force and the hydrodynamic force being parallel or substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sailing vessel.

The present invention refers to a hybrid vessel with a ballast system in which the position of the cabin (102) is changed vertically, from emerged to submerged and vice versa, according to the decision of its operator.

Thus, the present invention describes a hybrid vessel with ballast water system comprising at least one cabin (102) and at least one main tank (101) of ballast water, and the tank (101) is connected directly to the CAB (102) or partially above the water level.

A lower deck for a watercraft is attached to and supported by an amidships hull, and an actuator slides the lower deck and amidships hull between a stowed position and an extended position on guide rails that are secured to the underside frame of the upper deck that is supported by abeam hulls. When fully extended, the lower deck remains attached to the watercraft while a portion of the lower deck's aft section and the aft end of the amidships hull remains beneath the upper deck. A pair of side beams respectively connect to a port side and a starboard side of the lower deck or the amidships hull. Sliding members, such as rollers and/or guide bars respectively connect to the guide rails, and the side beams respectively engage and slide on the sliding members.

A ground effect craft having a ground effect wing, a plurality of sponsons, and a control system is disclosed. The ground effect wing may include a fore ground effect wing and an aft ground effect wing. The ground effect wing may generate a stabilizing moment on at least one sponson to stabilize the ground effect craft. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to the body. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to each other. The dynamic coupling may permit the sponsons to move relatively independent of the body and each other, thereby stabilizing the ground effect craft. The ground effect craft may include a stabilizing wing.

The present invention provides a hull-conversion device and method for modifying the underside of a watercraft, more specifically a multihull watercraft. The hull-conversion device comprising a water diverting surface, a kinematic assemblage, and a frame. The hull-conversion device may be operable to adjust the watercraft's characteristics in displacement mode and planing mode. The hull-conversion device may function to provide a more stable, controllable, and efficient platform for operating a multihull watercraft, and provide a suitable wake for towable water sports.

A watercraft according to the present disclosure may include an outer hull that defines an interior or hull cavity, and a ballast system located within the hull cavity. The ballast system may include at least three ballast tanks longitudinally distributed along the hull cavity, and each of the tanks being configured to be independently operated enabling selective entrapment of ballast at three or more different longitudinal locations to enable an intentional shifting of the longitudinal center of gravity (LCG) of the watercraft relative to the design location of the LCG of the watercraft. The watercraft may include at least a forward, a center, and an aft ballast tank, and in some embodiments, additional tanks, in some cases in sponsons, may be included and/or one or more of the forward, center and aft tanks, may be further subdivided for additional active LCG control.

A hull locating arrangement for a vessel is disclosed that has a body at least partially suspended above at least a first hull by at least one support. The hull locating arrangement includes for the first hull a forward locating linkage and a rearward locating linkage, each of the forward locating linkage and the rearward locating linkage being connected between the first hull and the body to together constrain said hull in the lateral, longitudinal, roll and yaw directions relative to the body. The forward locating linkage includes a forward radius arm and a drop link, the drop link being pivotally connected to the radius arm. The rearward locating linkage includes a rearward radius arm connected between the body and the first hull.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a sailing vessel that can substantially obviate the heeling problem experienced by classical sailboats. During navigation, the sailing vessel is driven forward by an aerodynamic force exerted by wind on the sail, and balanced by a hydrodynamic force exerted by water on a float on the stern of the sailing vessel, the aerodynamic force and the hydrodynamic force being parallel or substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sailing vessel.

The present invention provides a novel floating and renewable energy-powered desalination vessel, which also functions as a wind turbine generator and wave energy generator platform. With energy derived from the wind and waves, the vessel performs reverse osmosis within a vertically positioned cylindrical section extending below a buoyancy chamber. The cylindrical section contains reverse osmosis membranes located above a seawater screening and filtration system, which serve as ballast. The entire vessel and power systems are configured to have the center of mass below the center of buoyancy, forming a vertically stable floating structure with minimum pitch, roll, and wave heave in high sea states. The electric power generated is utilized internally to produce desalinated water or hydrogen from the desalinated water's electrolysis, power an onboard data center, or power delivery to a shoreside power grid. In addition to a wind turbine generator and a wave energy generator, a photovoltaic array or a marine current generator may be utilized to power these applications. Alternatively, the desalination vessel operates with the assistance of shore-based power provided by cable.