Abstract: A suspension system for supporting a body relative to at least four points, including: a respective front left, front right, back left and back right support arrangement between the respective point and the body, each respective support arrangement including a respective resilience arrangement and a respective control ram, each respective control ram including a respective compression chamber forming at least part of a respective compression control volume; a control arrangement including a first and a second diagonal reversible pump for displacing fluid between diagonally opposite compression control volumes. Each respective resilience arrangement can include a respective damping arrangement to restrict and/or selectively prevent compression and/or expansion of at least a portion of the respective resilience arrangement. Each respective control ram can further include a respective rebound chamber, the front control rams being cross connected and the back control rams being cross connected.

Abstract: A suspension system for a water craft, the water craft including a chassis which is at least partially suspended above or relative to at least a first hull and a second hull. The suspension system includes a first hull locating arrangement for at least partially constraining the first hull in a lateral, a yaw, a roll and a longitudinal direction relative to the chassis, the first hull locating arrangement comprising a first, a second, a third and a fourth link arranged to directly or indirectly connect between the hull and the chassis. The first, second and third links each extend in at least a lateral direction relative to the chassis and contribute to a lateral constraint on the first hull relative to the chassis. The second link is longitudinally spaced from the first link relative to the chassis to contribute to a hull yaw constraint on the first hull relative to the chassis.

Abstract: A suspension system for a marine vessel, the marine vessel including a body portion at least partially supported relative to at least a left hull and a right hull by the suspension system, the left and right hulls being moveable relative to each other and the body, the suspension system including resilient supports between the body portion and the left and right hulls. The suspension system providing at least a roll stiffness being arranged to provide a roll moment distribution (RMD) of the suspension system wherein roll forces effectively act at a position disposed within a longitudinal distance along the marine vessel from a steady state position of the resultant pressure forces acting on the left and right hulls when the marine vessel is operating in a planing or semi-planing mode. The longitudinal distance can be 20% or less of a waterline length of one of the at least a left and a right hull at design load in displacement mode.

Abstract: A suspension system for a multi-hulled vessel including: a chassis and at least one left hull and at least one right hull; a front left, a back left, a front right and a back right support arrangements with respective rams; a first adjustment accumulator having a fluid chamber and a gas chamber; and a first actuator to transfer or effectively transfer fluid between the fluid chamber of the first adjustment accumulator and at least one compression chamber of a respective ram of a first support arrangement comprising one or more of the front left, front right, back left or back right support arrangements. A static pressure in the gas chamber of the first adjustment accumulator being within 25% of a static operating pressure in the at least one compression chamber of the at least one ram of the first support arrangement.

Abstract: A vessel is disclosed having a body portion that is at least partially suspended above at least one left moveable hull and at least one right moveable hull, each hull being moveable with respect to the body portion. At least one sensor is arranged to sense at least one operational parameter of the vessel. The roll attitude of the body portion is adjustable and controlled during operation in response to the at least one operational parameter to ensure that the sum of the gravitational force and the centrifugal force acting on the vessel during a turn has a line of action that is substantially perpendicular to a deck of the vessel, i.e. that the vessel executes a coordinated turn.

Abstract: A control system for a suspension system of a multi-hulled vessel, the vessel including a chassis portion, at least two hulls moveable relative to the chassis portion. The suspension system of the vessel provides support of at least a portion of the chassis above the at least two hulls, and includes adjustable supports and at least one motor to enable adjustment of a support force and/or displacement of the adjustable supports. The control system includes a fender friction force input for receiving at least one signal indicative of a friction force on a fender portion between a fixed or floating object and the vessel chassis portion, and in response to the fender friction force input, the control system is to adjust the support force and/or displacement between the chassis portion and the at least two hulls to reduce or minimize the friction force on the fender portion.

Abstract: A suspension system for a multi-hulled vessel including: a chassis and at least one left hull and at least one right hull; a front left, a back left, a front right and a back right support arrangements with respective rams; a first adjustment accumulator having a fluid chamber and a gas chamber; and a first actuator to transfer or effectively transfer fluid between the fluid chamber of the first adjustment accumulator and at least one compression chamber of a respective ram of a first support arrangement comprising one or more of the front left, front right, back left or back right support arrangements. A static pressure in the gas chamber of the first adjustment accumulator being within 25% of a static operating pressure in the at least one compression chamber of the at least one ram of the first support arrangement.

Abstract: A vessel having at least one hull, a body and a suspension system for supporting at least a portion of the body above the at least one hull is described. The suspension system includes at least one support means, and the vessel further includes at least one gyroscopic stabilizer for attenuating rotation of the body about at least one stabilizing axis.

Abstract: A vessel is disclosed having a body portion that is at least partially suspended above at least one left moveable hull and at least one right moveable hull, each hull being moveable with respect to the body portion. At least one sensor is arranged to sense at least one operational parameter of the vessel. The roll attitude of the body portion is adjustable and controlled during operation in response to the at least one operational parameter to ensure that the sum of the gravitational force and the centrifugal force acting on the vessel during a turn has a line of action that is substantially perpendicular to a deck of the vessel, i.e. that the vessel executes a coordinated turn.

Abstract: A hull locating arrangement for a multi-hulled vessel having a body at least partially suspended above at least a first and a second hull by support components is disclosed. The hull locating arrangement comprises, for a hull, a first locating linkage and a second locating linkage to together constrain the hull in the lateral, longitudinal, roll and yaw directions relative to the body. The first and second locating linkages are longitudinally spaced, and the first locating linkage includes a first part and a second part, one of the parts of the first locating linkage being pivotally connected to the body about a body end pivot axis, and the other of the parts being pivotally connected to the hull about a hull end pivot axis. The first locating linkage is also arranged to permit relative motion between the first and second parts along at least one sliding axis to thereby permit the first locating linkage to vary in length between the body end pivot axis and the hull end pivot axis.

Abstract: A water craft has a body portion and at least two water engaging means. The body portion is at least partially suspended above the at least two water engaging means by a suspension system, and locating means are provided to connect each water engaging means to the body portion to permit substantially vertical and pitch direction motions of the water engaging means relative to the body. The suspension system includes at least one front pitch support ram and at least one back pitch support ram, the front and back pitch support rams providing support for at least a portion of the body relative to the at least two water engaging means.

Abstract: A multi-hulled water craft is disclosed. The water craft has a body, one left hull and one right hull, each hull connected to the body by respective locating means which permits at least substantially vertical and pitch motion of the respective hull relative to the body. The multi-hulled water craft also has a suspension system including at least a front left modal support means and a back left modal support means for providing at least partial support of the body with respect to the left hull, and at least a front right modal support means and a back right modal support means for providing at least partial support of the body with respect to the right hull. The suspension system further includes interconnection means connected to the modal support means to provide different stiffness between motions in at least two of roll, pitch, heave and warp suspension modes.

Abstract: A multi-hulled water craft is disclosed. The water craft has a body, one left hull and one right hull, each hull connected to the body by respective locating means which permits at least substantially vertical and pitch motion of the respective hull relative to the body. The multi-hulled water craft also has a suspension system including at least a front left modal support means and a back left modal support means for providing at least partial support of the body with respect to the left hull, and at least a front right modal support means and a back right modal support means for providing at least partial support of the body with respect to the right hull. The suspension system further includes interconnection means connected to the modal support means to provide different stiffness between motions in at least two of roll, pitch, heave and warp suspension modes.

Abstract: A water craft has a body portion and at least two water engaging means. The body portion is at least partially suspended above the at least two water engaging means by a suspension system, and locating means are provided to connect each water engaging means to the body portion to permit substantially vertical and pitch direction motions of the water engaging means relative to the body. The suspension system includes at least one front pitch support ram and at least one back pitch support ram, the front and back pitch support rams providing support for at least a portion of the body relative to the at least two water engaging means.