Abstract: Apparatus for mooring attachment of a floating tension leg platform to a subsea anchorage. The apparatus includes a tendon with an enlarged connector on one end, the connector being formed by a frustoconical bearing surface extending away from the end to which it is connected. A connector shroud partially surrounds the frustoconical surface and is connected to it by an elastomeric bearing. An inwardly sloping surface engages a supplementarily sloped surface formed on the attachment receptacle load ring to increase hoop strength. A side-entry bottom receptacle is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for securely mooring a floating tension leg platform and an anchoring base template. The method involves swinging an end of a neutrally buoyant, one piece tendon which has an enlarged connector downwardly into position adjacent an anchoring receptacle, pulling the enlarged connector through a side-entry opening in the receptacle, lifting the tendon to seat the enlarged connector in a load ring of the receptacle, adjusting the effective length of the tendon to place it in tension and repeating these steps for each of the mooring tendons. A one-piece, thin-walled, neutrally buoyant tendon is also disclosed.