A method and apparatus for rapid loading stacks of items aboard vessels which can include rotating palletized items to depalletize the items, and then placing the items on a lifting robot, lifting the robot and items into the hold of a vessel, removing the items from the robot using a load push lift truck, and then using the load push lift truck to stow the items in a stowage location. The empty robot can be removed from the hold of the vessel and put in a position to receive a another depalletized stack of cartons. In one option the robot has a plurality of fork channels for receiving the blades of a load push lift truck along with receiving the blades or a rotating lift truck.

A method of unloading cargo at sea from a cargo vessel to a cargo barge, comprising the steps of providing a catamaran vessel having a pair of spaced apart catamaran hulls and a pair of spaced apart arch shaped frames, each frame attached to each hull at a frame lower end portion; positioning the cargo vessel in between the hulls and under the top portion of the frames; placing one or more cargo barges next to one or both of the hulls, wherein the hull is in between the cargo vessel and the cargo barge; and unloading cargo from the cargo vessel to the cargo barge wherein the cargo travels from the cargo vessel, over the catamaran hull to the cargo barge.

A method and apparatus for rapid loading stacks of items aboard vessels which can include rotating palletized items to depalletize the items, and then placing the items on a lifting robot, lifting the robot and items into the hold of a vessel, removing the items from the robot using a load push lift truck, and then using the load push lift truck to stow the items in a stowage location. The empty robot can be removed from the hold of the vessel and put in a position to receive a another depalletized stack of cartons. In one option the robot has a plurality of fork channels for receiving the blades of a load push lift truck along with receiving the blades or a rotating lift truck.

A submarine vehicle may include a storage area for storing loads. The submarine vehicle may further include a pressure hull. The submarine vehicle is configured to pick loads up from a seabed and/or set loads down on the seabed. The storage area may be positioned outside the pressure hull and, in some examples, between numerous pressure hulls. Further, the storage area may include a lower hatch disposed on an underside of the pressure hull or an upper hatch disposed on a top side of the pressure hull. Some submarine vehicles may include a load transporting system for picking the load up from the seabed, setting the load down on the seabed, and/or conveying the load within the storage area.

The invention relates to a launch apparatus for an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle—in particular, for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle or for a Remotely Operated Vehicle—with a launching tube having an inner wall and an outlet, and the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle contained within the launching tube, whereby the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle has a vehicle casing with a vehicle casing inhomogeneity, such that an ejection of the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle causes different contact loads between the vehicle casing and the inner wall, whereby the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle has a detachable compensating form, which is designed in such a way that the vehicle inhomogeneity is compensated, such that the result is a combination of the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle and the detachable compensating form, the combination whereof, when ejected, causes a substantially more uniform contact load to occur between the combination and the inner wall.

A gas supply marine vessel and a refueling facility are described. The gas supply marine vessel includes a hull with an upper deck having an elongated cargo cavity formed therein. Gas interface modules are disposed in the cavity and extend between hull sides, each module having a plurality of fuel vessel docking stations. A plurality of stacked fuel container assemblies are fluidically coupled to the docking stations. A gantry, is movable along the length of the cavity, straddles the cargo cavity between hull sides. An articulating crane is mounted on the gantry and it utilized to move fuel container assemblies to a fuel container depression formed in the deck of a floating refueling facility. The floating refueling facility includes a concave side to facilitate mooring adjacent a shoreline, the concave side forming angled extensions at corners of the deck with a linkspan extending from each of the angled extensions.

A system for connecting equipment to a mounting surface of a sea vessel, such as a ship or submarine or any other marine vessel. The system includes a skidding frame including a frame body having an upper and a lower surface; a mounting footprint secured to the mounting surface and adapted to releasably engage said lower surface of said skidding frame, and one or more equipment modules, wherein the one or more equipment modules are adapted to be attached to the upper surface of the skidding frame, whereby the equipment modules are indirectly connected to the mounting surface via the skidding frame.

A gas supply marine vessel and a refueling facility are described. The gas supply marine vessel includes a hull with an upper deck having an elongated cargo cavity formed therein. Gas interface modules are disposed in the cavity and extend between hull sides, each module having a plurality of fuel vessel docking stations. A plurality of stacked fuel container assemblies are fluidically coupled to the docking stations. A gantry, is movable along the length of the cavity, straddles the cargo cavity between hull sides. An articulating crane is mounted on the gantry and it utilized to move fuel container assemblies to a fuel container depression formed in the deck of a floating refueling facility. The floating refueling facility includes a concave side to facilitate mooring adjacent a shoreline, the concave side forming angled extensions at corners of the deck with a linkspan extending from each of the angled extensions.

A watercraft boarding apparatus is herein presented, the watercraft boarding apparatus including a frame adapted to be secured to an object, a pivotable platform pivotably secured to the frame about a pivot axis thereof, the pivotable platform being configured to pivot between an extended configuration for securing a watercraft on water and a boarded configuration supporting the watercraft thereon and a pair of connecting members secured to the pivotable platform to secure the watercraft, wherein pivotal of the platform is adapted to progressively board the watercraft on the platform by sharing a weight of the watercraft between the pivot and water. A method of use and a kit thereof are also contemplated and remain within the scope of the present specification.

In a vessel for installing a structure onto or into a seabed, multiple actuators comprised by a dynamic positioning system and a structure positioning system may be used for controlling a position and/or orientation of the structure. When two actuators are actuated simultaneously or in rapid succession, instabilities may occur. Furthermore, two actuators may be working in opposite directions or with opposite control goals. To increase stability and/or workability of the vessel's actuators, a supervisory control arrangement is provided to interconnect control systems of different actuators of the vessel, for example the dynamic positioning system and the structure positioning system. Where previously the dynamic positioning system and the structure position system were individually operating system, with the supervisory control arrangement one system can take into account an input and/or output of the other system.