A mechanism suitable to moor and/or connect, engage, fender, or couple a vessel to a terminal such a dock, wharf, pier, pontoon, floating structure, off-shore structure, or another vessel. Typically, mechanism is used in a mooring robot or fender and will comprises a base, the mechanism dependent from the base and supporting an element remote the base. The element may be configured as a fender element or attachment element. The extension mechanism forms part of sarrus mechanism formed of the base, extension mechanism, and attachment element. The sarrus mechanism allows the attachment element to extend linearly transversely from the base in the sway direction. The use of a sarrus mechanism allows for a compact footprint design, that is also very stable in the surge and heave directions.

The Freedom Cleat is a movable surface grip for moving an attached apparatus anywhere on a watercraft. The surface grip of the Freedom Cleat can be moved anywhere on the watercraft, allowing for a cleat in any place. The surface grip attaches to a D-Ring, which is used to attach a connecting device. At the end of a connecting device and on the opposite end as the D-Ring is a carabiner. Attached to the carabiner is some attached apparatus A cleating mechanism attached to the surface grip can be used to raise or lower the attached apparatus.

A watercraft mooring system comprising a plurality of interchangeable mooring members for the temporary mooring of one watercraft to another watercraft or one watercraft to a stationary object such as a dock. The interchangeable mooring members comprising connecting rod member embodiments with adjustable lengths and connecting rod members without adjustable lengths, vacuum-handle member embodiments that provide an initial vacuum and a continuous vacuum to one or more vacuum cup assemblies, and a cleat connector member embodiment that is interchangeable with a vacuum-handle member. Embodiments of vacuum-handle member providing up to three points of omni-directional pivot functionality between the present invention and a temporarily moored watercraft.

A mooring device including: a strut with a first end and a second end; a first head; a pivot mount; a first suction cup; a rotating mount; a second head; a second suction cup; a rod; and a flotation cover sleeve. The pivot mount allows the first head to pivot about a first head axis and therefore to rotate relative to the strut. The rotating mount allows the suction cup to rotate about a second axis relative to the strut. The flotation cover sleeve having a buoyancy sufficient to render the entire apparatus positively buoyant in water.

A suctioning watercraft fender attaches to a watercraft while the watercraft is in a mooring state. The watercraft fender may couple a first watercraft to a second watercraft or a first watercraft to a fixed surface. The watercraft fender includes a body defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the body includes first and second opposing ends. The fender further includes a first coupling member coupled to the first end of the body. The first coupling member includes a first suction cup and a first pressure mount actuatable to selectively lock or release the first suction cup from a first surface.

A mooring device including: a strut with a first end and a second end; a first head; a pivot mount; a first suction cup; a rotating mount; a second head; a second suction cup; a rod; and a flotation cover sleeve. The pivot mount allows the first head to pivot about a first head axis and therefore to rotate relative to the strut. The rotating mount allows the suction cup to rotate about a second axis relative to the strut. The flotation cover sleeve having a buoyancy sufficient to render the entire apparatus positively buoyant in water.

An apparatus for connecting items, even with irregular surfaces, to each other while maintaining a minimum distance between the items. The apparatus can have a suction cup comprising a cup body, a sealing edge, an internal surface, an external surface, a fluid pathway extending from an interior of the cup body to the exterior of the cup body, and a plurality of cleats positioned on the internal surface of the cup body extending radially inward from proximate the sealing edge. The thickness of each cleat increases distal to the sealing edge. When air is pumped out of the cup body to allow it to seal to a surface, the cleats create a desirable fluid flow profile allowing for a tighter and more efficacious seal.

An apparatus that is configured to connect a first boat to second boat or to an object, such as a dock, in a manner that prevents the surface of the first boat from contacting the surface of the second boat or the object. The apparatus comprises a connecting assembly having a first engaging mechanism at its first end and a second engaging mechanism at its second end. The connecting assembly comprises a pair of connecting members that are telescopically configured and a length adjusting mechanism that adjusts the length of the connecting assembly and the spacing provided by the apparatus. The length adjusting mechanism can include a locking mechanism that locks the connecting members or a biasing mechanism that biases the two members apart. The engaging members can be suction cups that have cup locking mechanisms that allow the user to lock the suction cups to a surface.

A watercraft mooring system comprising a plurality of interchangeable mooring components for the temporary mooring of one watercraft to another watercraft or one watercraft to a stationary object such as a dock. The interchangeable mooring components comprising a connecting rod member, a vacuum-handle member, and a cleat connector member. The connector rod member has an adjustable length. The vacuum handle member includes a pair of vacuum cup assemblies and is pivotally and detachably connected to the first or second end of the connecting rod member. The vacuum handle member and the cleat connector member are interchangeable. At least one vacuum means provides vacuum to the vacuum cup assemblies.

A mooring device including: a strut with a first end and a second end; a first head; a pivot mount; a first suction cup; a rotating mount; a second head; a second suction cup; a rod; and a flotation cover sleeve. The pivot mount allows the first head to pivot about a first head axis and therefore to rotate relative to the strut. The rotating mount allows the suction cup to rotate about a second axis relative to the strut. The flotation cover sleeve having a buoyancy sufficient to render the entire apparatus positively buoyant in water.