Abstract: This relates to a method for positioning and hauling a vessel alongside a mooring structure wherein the vessel is connected to the mooring structure by two cables and the vessel is hauled by shortening one of the cables and lengthening the other of the cables utilizing rotating winches over which the cables are passed, and each of the winches is provided with two drive mechanisms, one of the drive mechanisms being for actuating the winches and the other of the drive mechanisms being for applying a substantially uniform cable tensioning torque on the winch, the other drive mechanisms being in the form of hydraulic motors which include high pressure and low pressure lines and a system for maintaining a substantially constant pressure within the lines.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a floating unloading installation for unloading lighters and includes two pontoons which are secured together in fixed transverse spaced relation with the spacing between the pontoons being sufficient to accommodate between the pontoons a conventional lighter for movement therebetween, the pontoons being connected together by connecting means which includes a tranverse bridge and the bridge having mounted thereon in balanced relation for swinging movement generally across the space between the pontoons to assure the complete unloading of a lighter disposed between the pontoons, the digging means including first conveying means for delivering material to the bridge, the bridge having second conveying means for delivering material to one of the pontoons, the one pontoon carrying a vertical conveyor which is mounted in a tower forming a part of the bridge, and there being carried by the tower for swinging movement a distributing conveyor adapted to receive material from the vertical co