Abstract: A splice for joining the armoring of two wire-armored cables (1, 2). The armoring is clamped between conical parts (5, 9; 6, 10) at each cable end. Each inner conical part (5, 6) is integral with a flange (7, 8) bolted to one of two similar flanges (13, 14) fixed to opposite ends of a generally tubular flexible assembly itself constituted by three layers of metal wires. The innermost first layer (22) is wound helically. The other two layers (19, 20) are wound with substantially equal and opposite pitches. The inside diameters of the first layer and of the circular openings in each of the two flanges (13, 14) fixed thereto are such that the flexible assembly is capable of sliding at one of its ends over at least one of the cables to be connected after its armoring layers have been removed, and at its other end over the splice (21) between the cables themselves. The invention also provides a method of making the splice.

Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring the laying of a deep sea cable or flexible pipeline (1) from a vessel (22). The apparatus comprises a sleeve threaded on the cable or flexible pipeline and having sliding means (4) tangential to said cable or pipeline and measuring means (3A) for measuring variables indicative of the position of the sleeve and for transmitting their values, positive buoyancy means (8) mechanically connected to the sleeve, an auxiliary small chain (19) suspended from the sleeve and extending down to the sea bed, the mass per unit length of the chain, and the masses and volumes of the sleeve and of the positive buoyancy means being such that the sleeve is maintained around that part of the cable which is situated at a substantially constant height above the sea bed (21), which height is relatively small compared with the depth of the sea bed.