Abstract: An improved articulated stinger for laying pipe at the bottom of a body of water is disclosed. The first structural support for the pipe, after it leaves the vessel, is provided at a substantial distance from the vessel. A long, nonarticulated stinger link, attached to the vessel, does not engage the pipe and serves to position a buoyant stinger means beneath an effective wave action water depth. In addition, the long length of the stinger link separates the buoyant stinger means (and first pipeline support) from the vessel by a distance sufficient to substantially decouple vessel motion from the buoyant stinger means. There results through this arrangement significantly less banging between the pipe and the stinger assembly.

Abstract: A guide member having the advantage of the "J-tube" and "bending shoe" risers, for installing a riser pipeline between a submerged pipeline and an above water facility of an offshore apparatus, is disclosed. The guide member has a J-shape and has three sections: a long, tubular, vertically extending upper section, a short, tubular, substantially horizontal lead-in section, and a curved channel section extending between the upper and lead-in sections. The curved channel section is open on a side away from the lead-in section. The resulting guide member requires a substantially smaller pulling force than would be required with a comparable J-tube riser and avoids the manipulative complications of conventional "bending shoe" risers.