Abstract: A barge-carrying vessel of the flotation loading and unloading type. Each barge-stowage hold has parallel, vertical side walls that are only slightly further apart from each other than the width of the barges to be stowed. The barges are held down against the bottom of the hold, enabling transfer of buoyancy from the barges to the vessel when the hold is flooded. For this purpose, a series of guides is secured to one side wall of the hold, each guide comprising a pair of parallel vertical tracks. In between each pair of tracks is a wedge having a sloping outer face for engagement with a barge in a wedging manner to force this barge against the opposite side wall. The wedges are raised and lowered as needed, and are positively secured in place in their barge-hold down position.

Abstract: A marine carrier that comprises a hull, a plurality of loading decks, an opening through the hull on the level of each of the decks sufficiently large to permit loading barges through each opening into and out of each storage deck.

Abstract: A submersible vessel, such as a barge, has a plurality of ballast compartments, each of which communicates with the exterior of the vessel through a separate riser, each terminating in an elongate vertical opening in the hull of the vessel. A vertically movable gate is positioned over said openings. At its uppermost limit of travel, the gate provides a conduit into the bottom portion of said openings so that water may be drawn into the ballast compartments through the risers in response to suction applied to the ballast compartments, thereby submerging the vessel. To raise the vessel, the gate is lowered to uncover the uppermost portion of said openings. Positive air pressure is applied to the ballast compartments to move the water upwardly through the risers and out of the vessel over the top of the gate.

Abstract: A transportation method and a barge-carrying waterborne vessel in which there is flotation loading and unloading, with the loading being assisted by water flow from the gate into the flooded vessel and toward the opposite end of the vessel from the gate. For unloading, the water flows in the opposite direction, toward the gate. Preferably, loading is through a gate in the stern while water is being pumped out from a sump at the forward end of a hold. When barges are fully loaded into the hold, the stern gate is closed and the hold may be dried out; then the barges are secured in place against movement relative to the vessel. There may be more than one hold having at least one longitudinal bulkhead dividing the holds. There may be either a separate gate for each hold or a transfer system in which each longitudinal bulkhead has an archway providing a passageway joining adjacent holds. During lateral transfer water jets may play against the sides of the barge to cause lateral movement.

Abstract: A transportation method and barge-carrying water-borne vessel therefor having a hull with rigid supporting and hull-reinforcing structure, a bow, a stern, and side walls providing a series of buoyancy compartments. The hull has a hollow interior defining at least one hold extending most of the length of said vessel. The bottom of the hold is always below the level of the sea. Water can be placed from the sea into the hold and can be pumped out from it. A gate at one end of the vessel is opened for flotation loading of the hold, when the hold is partially flooded, with buoyant cargo carriers such as barges, lighters and pontoons. Each such carrier may be held down against the bottom of the hold. A collision bulkhead located adjacent the gate enables closing the hold off in a watertight manner, and this collision bulkhead can be opened to enable the flotation loading and unloading.

Abstract: A system for logistical support of an offshore drilling facility from a shore-based supply location includes a plurality of modular work deck units, a self-propelled vessel, and a plurality of one dock facilities at the supply location. The vessel releasably mates with and supports any one of the work deck units and cargo carried thereby. The vessel is ballastable for increasing and decreasing the draft of the vessel when the vessel is mated with a work deck unit sufficiently that the vessel can ballast down from a separately supported work deck unit and move out from thereunder. The dock facilities are defined for movement thereinto of the vessel with a work deck unit thereon. The dock facilities are each defined for engaging and supporting a work deck unit therein both for loading and unloading of cargo to and from the deck unit and for transfer to and from the vessel in response to ballasting of the vessel relative to the dock facility.

Abstract: A barge-carrying ship comprising a crane of a lifting-beam type installed at the end of the ship for hoisting barges afloat, runway rails laid on the upper deck and along the inner walls of the both sides of the hull, barge-end-holding trucks disposed in pairs on the rails to travel thereon, each pair of said trucks being capable of taking over a hoisted barge from the crane and carrying the barge while supporting the same at both ends, and another lifting-beam crane installed amidships along a hatch opening of the deck for hoisting the barge from the pair of trucks and lowering or raising the load.

Abstract: A barge-carrying shiphaving an opening at one end provided with an elevator for lifting barges from the water surface. Rails are laid in the fore-and-aft direction on the upper deck and along the inner walls of both sides of the ship's hull for the transportation of the lifted barges to the points where they are stowed. Barge trucks equipped with low-lift means for raising and lowering the loads thereon are movable along the rails, a pair of said rails. Supports are provided protruding inwardly from the inner walls to support the barges after being moved to stowed accomodation by the trucks.

Abstract: A method of establishing a ship loading or unloading pier facility comprises providing a buoyant self-propelled vessel having removable jack-up legs and a well carrying a plurality of buoyant jack-up platforms, propelling the vessel with the legs stored on deck to an off-shore site adjacent a shore line, floating the platforms out of the vessel through an opening in the hull thereof, jacking-up the vessel to render it stationary, and arranging the platforms together with connecting tressels to form a roadway between the vessel and to shore. The vessel carries a crane which is used to remove and install the jack-up legs and to transport cargo between a cargo ship moored to the vessel and the roadway.

Abstract: A barge-carrying ship having a crane at the end of the vessel for lifting barges from the water surface, a plurality of openings at the end of the vessel through which the barges are carried aboard the ship, and rails laid in the fore-and-aft direction on the upper deck and along the inner walls of the both sides of the hull for the transportation of the lifted barges to the points where they may be stowed. Barge trucks are provided equipped with low-lift hydraulic jacks for raising and lowering the loads thereon. The barge trucks are distributed at the rate of at least one such truck per track of one or a pair of the rails. Supports protrude inwardly from the inner walls of the both sides of the ship for supporting the barges. The ship has no deck in the hold space except for a middle deck over engine rooms. A second crane is mounted substantially amidships.

Abstract: A waterborne vessel capable of carrying in its partially submerged hold a predetermined number of buoyant cargo containers, each container being partially supported by its own buoyancy and also engaged by the vessel, resulting in exchange of buoyancy between each container and the vessel. Plural hinged swash bulkheads are provided, and when the vessel is loaded to less than full capacity, some of the swash bulkheads are raised to an upright position at predetermined locations in the bottom hull structure of the vessel to resist potentially damaging forces of sloshing waters therein. When a full load of cargo containers is carried in the hold, the swash bulkheads are retracted to a stowed position in the bottom structure of the hull.

Abstract: A vessel for transporting, on a body of water, cargo consisting of barges, pontoons, and lighters, and other floating cargoes. The hull has a bow, a stern, and water-tight buoyancy compartments in side walls. The hull also has a perforate bottom shell with rigid supporting and reinforcing structure, enabling the cargo hold to be flooded and open to the sea under all conditions while loading, in transit, and during discharge. A hinged gate is provided at either or both ends of the hull for rapid flotation loading and unloading of the floating cargo, and each gate closed during transportation of the cargo. The vessel carries means for moving the cargo into, out of, and within the hold. A series of vertical pistons secure the floating cargo units by exerting a downward force to bring the cargo to bear on the hull structure. The water in the hold, having communication with the sea, provides buoyancy for the cargoes secured therein.