Abstract: A portable towed vessel suitable for containing and transporting various liquids is disclosed. The vessel further comprises various features useful in navigation and storage of the device, both when in use for transporting fluids and when transported in an emptied state. Such features include navigational and positioning devices and methods, and means for emptying and deflating a towed vessel. Aspects of the present invention further include the ability to quickly fill and evacuate a towed vessel and features useful for purifying or preserving the purity of fluid to be transported.

Abstract: A marine propulsion system has an exhaust conduit conveying exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine. The exhaust conduit has a dry portion and a wet portion located downstream of the dry portion. Cooling fluid enters the exhaust conduit to cool exhaust gases flowing through the wet portion. A bypass conduit is connected to the exhaust conduit and conveys a portion of the cooling fluid away from the dry portion to thereby decrease reversion of cooling fluid into the dry portion.

Abstract: A vessel includes a hull, a shaft extending from an upper part of the hull to a bottom of the hull, a turret being rotatably supported in the shaft via a turret bearing, a manifold support structure carrying one or more conduits being rotatably supported on the turret via a manifold bearing. The turret includes a cavity for receiving a mooring buoy carrying one or more risers and one or more vertically displaceable actuation members near the manifold bearing for vertically displacing the manifold support structure relative to the turret between a rotational position in which the manifold support structure can rotate relative to the turret via the manifold bearing and a locked position in which the bearing support structure is rotationally locked relative to the turret.

Abstract: A buoyancy control system comprises a housing, first and second pistons, and a source of pressurized air. The pistons are coaxially aligned and are supported by the housing such that movement of the pistons changes a volume of a control chamber. In a shallow mode, fluid flows from the source of pressurized fluid to the first piston such that the pressurized fluid displaces the first piston to alter the volume of the control chamber and thus a buoyancy of the buoyancy control system. In a deep mode, fluid flows from the source of pressurized fluid to the first and second pistons such that the pressurized fluid displaces both of the first and second pistons to alter the volume of the control chamber and thus the buoyancy of the buoyancy control system.

Abstract: The present invention discloses apparatuses, systems, and methods for operating a marine vessel, drilling subsea wells, and producing hydrocarbons therefrom. The marine vessel comprises at least two matching pairs of controlled azimuthing propulsion devices to ice-vane the vessel in the event of a changing ice drift or other conditions and keep station in a body of water containing pack ice. In one embodiment, a matching pair of azimuthing propulsion devices are provided. In one embodiment, the propulsion devices share a single physical axis of rotation and in another each propulsion device has its own physical axis of rotation. In another embodiment, the azimuthing propulsion devices are controlled by an automatic control system with a feedback loop. In yet another embodiment, the vessel is substantially oblong having a centrally mounted turret with mooring lines capable of disconnecting from the vessel.

Abstract: In a steering device for an outboard engine, a drive shaft of a helm mechanism and an output shaft of an electric assist mechanism are disposed orthogonally to a steering output shaft of a steering operation member. Where the steering operation member is a tiller handle, a torque sensor, provided between an outboard engine body and the tiller handle, detects, as steering torque, a difference between steering angles of the engine body and the tiller handle, and the helm mechanism, drivable by the assist mechanism, operates to compensate for the difference between the steering angles. The assist mechanism and the helm mechanism are provided on the body of the boat.

Abstract: A device (1) for actuating sheets of sailing boats comprises a pulling element (2) for a sheet (200) and an actuator (3) connected to the pulling element (2) for causing the motion thereof. The actuator (3) comprises a screw (4) and a nut (7) engaged with each other, wherein one from the screw (4) and the nut (7) is rotated and the other translates linearly. A boom (300) of a sailing boat (100) provided with the device (1) for actuating sheets of the invention is also described.

Abstract: To provide a fin attachment structure capable of facilitating the attachment/detachment of a fin and also of making the attachment of the fin robust, wherein if the fin comes into contact with human body from behind during surfing, the impact of the fin can be eliminated to restrict the damage to the human body to an extreme minimum and thus safety is improved.

Abstract: A steering device for an outboard engine includes: a helm mechanism operable, in response to operation of a steering wheel, to steer the outboard engine and including a drive shaft parallel to an output shaft of the operation member; an electric assist mechanism for detecting steering torque, applied to the steering wheel, to assist operation of the helm mechanism on the basis of the detected steering torque; and a power transmission section for connecting the output shaft of the steering wheel and the helm mechanism to transmit rotation of the output shaft to the helm mechanism.

Abstract: An adjustable fin apparatus adjustable between a first expanded position including a pair of inner elongated blades 12 and a pair of outer elongated blades 14; the blades 12, 14 are mounted to a blade housing portion 16 comprising an upper housing element 18 and a lower housing element 20; the lower blade housing element 20 comprises an elongate shape having a slot 22 formed therein along a portion of the length of the lower blade housing element 20; the inner elongated blades 12 comprise an inner edge 26 and an outer edge 28 and a bore 30 is located at an end thereof; an outer elongated blade 14 defines an inner edge 32 and an outer edge 34; and the upper blade housing element 18 comprises an elongate shape generally corresponding to the elongate shape of the lower blade housing element 20.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for loading of hydrocarbons from a floating vessel, such as a FPSO or FSO vessel, to an export tanker, where the floating vessel is spread moored to a sea bottom, and where the export tanker during the loading phase is moored in such a way that the export vessel to a greater or less degree can weathervane dependent upon the prevailing weather, wave and/or wind conditions. According to invention the floating vessel at least at one end is provided with a rotatable deck which can be turned when the heading of the export tanker changes.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel method and a novel inflatable flotation device for the method which are used in association with water sports boards such as kite boards, surfboards and the like, for the purpose of uprighting the water sports boards when inverted and encouraging the water sports boards to be moved by the wind in the direction of a water sports board rider when the rider becomes separated from the water sports board.

Abstract: A marine vessel, and a system and method of using the marine vessel, to facilitate the introduction of bulk liquid commodities, such as LNG, into the established and extensive worldwide intermodal transportation system, which is based on containerized shipments. The marine vessel is a specialized vessel, of either ship or barge form, that is capable of holding a large number of ISO-sized intermodal LNG tanks and is configured so as to have at one and the same time characteristics of both a tanker vessel (e.g., a gas carrier) and a container vessel. The intermodal LNG tanks connect to a piping system of the marine vessel and are thereby interconnected in such a manner that allows the interconnected intermodal LNG tanks to behave as if they constitute a typical LNG vessel bulk liquid tank to facilitate efficient loading at a typical marine LNG terminal.

Abstract: An inflatable device that floats on water has an inflatable body that has a hollow interior, a speaker unit removably secured to the body, a battery box removably secured to the body, and wiring that electrically connects the speaker unit with the battery box. The wiring is housed inside a tube that extends inside the hollow interior of the body and exits the body at least one exit location, the wiring including a first electrical connector that is removably coupled to the speaker unit, and a second electrical connector that is removably coupled to the battery box.

Abstract: A method and device to permit a water vessel to releasably capture a line. The water vessel may include a step cutout portion to receive a line capturing device. The line capturing device includes a device housing having a capturing notch and a pivotal guide arm. The guide arm may be pivoted to a deployed position. When presented with a line, a water vessel with the line-capturing device may capture the line by deploying the guide arm to guide the line into the notch, where the line is releasably latched. Also included is a system for towing a smaller water vessel to a parent vessel, the smaller water vessel including a device for capturing a line. The line may be attached at one end to the parent vessel.

Abstract: A boarding ladder, designed for dock access, which may be securely and non-invasively mounted onto a sailboat's toe-rail. The invention utilizes a continuous hook mechanism to bear the user's weight, and attachment mechanisms to retain the hook in place. The invention offers the advantages of being sturdy, yet readily removable, and compact for easy stowage.

Abstract: A watercraft with several stability and handling design improvements. It has an enhanced reactive suspension system positioned in the vessel between a set of separating hull and body components. The watercraft also has improved braking, steering and stabilizing systems designed around multiple pivoting mechanisms on the vessel hull that work individually or in unison to achieve the desired braking or steering effect. The stabilizing system is operated by a computerized, gyroscopic hydraulic control to maintain stability and comfort of ride, minimizing the roll, pitch and yaw commonly experienced in the passenger compartment.

Abstract: A ship hull includes at least one float (10) and a center of buoyancy (CB) situated behind the center of flotation. (CF), the distance between the center of buoyancy and center of flotation is greater by 5% than the waterline length L of the hull.

Abstract: A watercraft comprising a main body having hull, a bow end and an opposite stern send, a starboard, a port and a deck. A plurality of watercraft articles are removably mountable to the main body and provide for transforming the watercraft into a variety of watercraft types. The main body comprises a watercraft article-receiving assembly for stowing the watercraft articles therein. Thus providing a transformable, multi-functional and self-stowage watercraft. These watercraft types include a kayak, a paddle boat, a sailboat, a catamaran, a trimaran, a motorboat, a sit-in/on windsurfer/sailboard and any combinations thereof. A removable trailer assembly for the land-transport of a watercraft is also provided. A rudder control assembly for a watercraft having a rudder is also disclosed.

Abstract: A power unit is housed in a casing, and a screw (propeller) is disposed outside the casing, the screw being driven by the power unit. The casing is formed as a watertight case in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a left-right width direction being a longitudinal direction, and the case has at least a front face portion coupled to a stern portion and a substantially flat upper face portion at a substantially same height as a top portion of the stern portion.