Patent ID: 6719497
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: B63B,F16G

Abstract:
A method of mooring a vessel to a subsea anchoring element (1) which is connected to the seabed, comprising the steps of:connecting the anchoring element (1) to the seabed, the anchoring element comprising a chain section (3) which is not longer than half the water depth, the chain section being (3) at or near its free end provided with a coupling chain member (4, 25; 26) characterized by the steps of: providing a lifting member (5, 6, 12, 14) at or near the end of the chain section (3) lifting the coupling chain member (4, 25, 26) from the seabed; lowering a multi-strand anchor line (9) from a vessel (8), the multi-strand anchor line (9) being at its free end attached to a connector (10), the connector comprising an eye (20, 30) that is attached to the multi-strand line (9), a connector body (21, 31) comprising two spaced apart wall parts (22, 23; 32, 33) that define a recess therebetween for accommodating the chain member (4, 25, 36), and a closing member (26, 34) being movable with respect to the connector body (21, 31), the closing member (26, 34) being slidable to bridge the space between the wall parts (22, 23; 32, 33), and attaching the connector (10) to the coupling chain member (4, 25, 26) by placing the chain member (4, 25, 26) between the wall parts (22, 23, 32, 33) and operating the closing member (26, 34) to bridge the space between the wall parts (22, 23, 32, 33).