Described is a tugboat 1 for assisting a marine vessel 2 to manoeuvre. The tugboat 1 comprises a hull 11 having a perimeter P. The tugboat 1 also comprises a line handling system 10 comprising a line guide mechanism 100. The line guide mechanism 100 protrudes, or is positionable to protrude, away from the hull 11 for guiding a line 20 of the marine vessel 2 towards a predetermined region R of the perimeter P.

A wakeboard tower assembly includes a base assembly operably supporting a towing assembly between a lowered storage position and a raised in-use position, and a cylinder assembly configured to bias the towing assembly from the lowered storage position toward the raised in-use position, a closed loop fluid circuit that includes a fluid-receiving first chamber including first and second portions and a return passage, and a gas-receiving second chamber including first and second portions in fluid connection with one another, a shaft telescopingly received within the cylinder between retracted and extended positions, and a controllable valve operable between closed and open positions that prevents or allows fluid flow through the return passage and fluid communication between the first and second chambers of the first chamber thereby preventing or allowing the towing assembly from moving between the lowered storage and raised in-use positions.

An underwater detection device includes a surface drive boat and an unmanned underwater vehicle. The surface drive boat includes: a hull; transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters and orbit vectored thrusters arranged at the bottom of the hull; a control box arranged on the hull and electrically connected with the transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters and the orbit vectored thrusters; a cable and a cable winding assembly arranged on the hull, the control box being connected with the unmanned underwater vehicle by the cable, the cable winding assembly being electrically connected with the control box; and a positioning assembly arranged on the hull and electrically connected with the control box.

A tow attachment for a watercraft is disclosed. The tow attachment is configured to attach a tow rope to the watercraft, and has a first part and a second part that is connected to the first part by a connecting portion. The first part is configured for rigid connection to the watercraft, and the second part is configured to attach to the tow rope. The second part disconnects from the first part about the connecting portion in response to the tow rope applying a load above a predetermined load to the second part. A tow pylon assembly having a tow pylon and the tow attachment connected to the tow pylon is also disclosed. A watercraft with the tow attachment and a watercraft with the tow pylon assembly are also disclosed.

A boat launching device preferably includes an elastic line, a first elastic line loop and a second elastic line loop. The elastic line includes a first loop end and a second loop end. The first and second loop ends must be capable of being inserted through a rear line tie-off opening. The first elastic line loop is slidably retained on the elastic line with a first clip. The first loop clip is looped around the first elastic line loop and the elastic line. The second elastic line loop is secured to the first loop end with a second clip. The second loop clip is looped through the first loop end and the second elastic line loop. The first loop end is inserted through a rear line tie-off, the first loop clip and a front line tie-off. The second loop end is secured to the front line tie-off.

A system, method, or apparatus for towing that allows for illumination of a tow rope and/or other components of a towing system or apparatus. The illumination can be achieved through the use of light sources that are coupled to a power source. A tow rope having a length, and a portion of that length can have a strip comprising at least one light source. The strip is of a length that is less than the length of rope and coupled to a control system allows for coupling to the at least one light source. A set of protective layers can surround the strip, engaging the strip with the length of rope, and to prevent the strip from breaking when flexed with the rope. In some examples, the rope can have a first end having a loop, and second end coupled with a handle.

A water surface and underwater dual-purpose automatic positioning and tracking system and method, which belongs to the field of marine environment observation technologies. The positioning and tracking system includes: a rope winding and unwinding structure, arranged on a main hull structure; where the rope winding and unwinding structure includes a rope roller and a winding and unwinding rope wound around the rope roller; an auxiliary positioning remote control ship, located outside a main body of the main hull structure, where the auxiliary positioning remote control ship is in transmission and fixed connection with the winding and unwinding rope away from the rope roller; communication control units, arranged on the main hull structure and the auxiliary positioning remote control ship; and an automatic positioning tracker unit, arranged on the hull structure, where the automatic positioning tracker unit is in remote communication connection with the communication control units.

Described is a tugboat 1 for assisting a marine vessel 2 to manoeuvre. The tugboat 1 comprises a hull 11 having a perimeter P. The tugboat 1 also comprises a line handling system 10 comprising a line guide mechanism 100. The line guide mechanism 100 protrudes, or is positionable to protrude, away from the hull 11 for guiding a line 20 of the marine vessel 2 towards a predetermined region R of the perimeter P.

Described is a tugboat 1 for assisting a marine vessel 2 to manoeuvre. The tugboat 1 comprises a hull 11 having a perimeter P. The tugboat 1 also comprises a line handling system 10 comprising a line guide mechanism 100. The line guide mechanism 100 protrudes, or is positionable to protrude, away from the hull 11 for guiding a line 20 of the marine vessel 2 towards a predetermined region R of the perimeter P.

A system for transporting passengers has a drive unit and a vehicle that is pulled by the drive unit. The drive unit includes a stationary guiding device like a rail which is arranged laterally at a distance and above at a height relative to the vehicle. The drive unit also includes a bogie which is movably attached to the guiding device. A connection unit couples the bogie to the vehicle by a joint, so that drifting of the vehicle is possible.