A mooring system provides a bridle having a star-like shape that is useful for mooring a single vessel or for mooring two or more vessels relative to one another. In general, the mooring system provides a mooring bridle formed of a plurality of anchor connections spaced about a central mooring position. Each anchor connection includes an anchor having a passageway therethrough and an anchor line threaded through the passageway. An anchor buoy is connected to each end of the anchor line; and a bridle line connects the anchor buoys. Adjacent anchor connections share a common anchor buoy and are, thus, interconnected. The length of the bridle lines are less than the distance between the anchors so that the diameter of the circle formed by the bridle lines is less than that formed by the anchors. Vessel lines attached to the anchor buoys extend to the central mooring position for attachment of a tender vessel thereto. An additional vessel, such as a TLP, may be attached to the mooring bridle at a position offset from the central mooring position even while the tender vessel is attached thereto. The system includes connecting lines attached to non-adjacent anchor buoys and attachable to the additional vessel and includes mooring lines attachable to the additional vessel holding the vessel to the mooring bridle. The mooring lines each include an anchor (of the adjacent anchor connection), an anchor line, an anchor buoy, and a vessel line. An alternative system includes interconnecting two mooring bridles to provide for close, effective mooring of two vessels relative to one another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 This invention relates to systems and methods for mooring deep water,
 mineral production, tension leg platform (TLP) and tender vessels.
 2. Related Art
 Recently, relatively smaller platforms have been developed for deep sea
 operations where marginal production does not merit the use of a full
 scale tension leg platform (TLP). These marginal platforms use tension leg
 mooring, like conventional tension-leg platforms, but comprise smaller
 floatation structures. Tension-leg mooring typically comprises rigid,
 single-piece tendons for anchoring the structure to the sea floor, like
 that disclosed in Monopod TLP Improves Deepwater Economics, PETROLEUM
 ENGINEER INTERNATIONAL (January 1993), incorporated herein by reference.
 It is desirable to use the TLP as a production platform, however, the
 weight and cost of the TLP platform increase significantly with increasing
 water depth and payload. Monohull vessels provide greater capacities, but
 they can hardly support the great weight of the risers which transport
 minerals from wells on the sea floor when disconnect from the operating
 site is required. Therefore, it is desirable to use a small riser wellhead
 TLP platform to suspend the risers and support the wellheads and a
 disconnectable tender vessel to receive, process, and export the produced
 minerals. The well streams are chocked and manifolded on the TLP riser
 platform.
 Close mooring of the TLP riser platform and the production tender vessel
 allows for light weight flexible hoses to be used to transport the
 minerals. However, as the two vessels are brought into close proximity so
 that minerals can be transported between the TLP and the tender vessel,
 environmental loads induce excessive displacements on the two vessels and
 large loads on the transfer system.
 Most mooring systems are heavy for larger water depths and rough
 environments so that they require larger production and tender vessels. In
 marginal deep sea production, larger vessels are not economical.
 Previously, mooring systems have been provided for single vessels. For
 example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,415, issued to Marshall on Oct. 8, 1991,
 incorporated herein by reference, discloses a mooring bridle. The
 reference suggests that different vessels may be moored within the same
 mooring bridle at any one time, but does not suggest connecting multiple
 ships to the same mooring bridle at the same time. In order to moor
 vessels relative to each other so that minerals may be transferred by
 light weight, flexible systems, the prior systems require a significant
 number of mooring lines increasing the overall weight of the system.
 Therefore, there is a need for a mooring system of two vessels which
 stabilizes the two vessels relative to each other without excessive
 loading of the vessels by the mooring system.
 Another problem associated with the prior mooring systems is associated
 with the installation of the mooring bridle. In general, the mooring
 bridle includes anchors attached to the sea floor, anchor lines having one
 end attached to the anchor and the opposite end attached to a floating
 anchor buoy, and bridle lines extending between the anchor buoys. The
 anchors are spaced about a central mooring location so that attachment of
 the vessel to the mooring bridle with vessel lines holds the vessel at or
 near the central mooring position. However, when installed, the anchors
 are typically positioned at substantial depths. Attachment of the anchor
 line to the anchor is generally made using a remotely operated vehicle
 (ROV). The ROV pulls one end of the anchor line down to the installed
 anchor and aligns rings attached to the anchor with rings attached to the
 end of the anchor line. Once aligned, a dowel is inserted through the
 aligned rings to attach the anchor line to the anchor. In practice, the
 process of attaching the anchor lines to the anchors is very difficult,
 time consuming, and costly.
 This problem is exacerbated because the anchor lines must be replaced
 periodically. Therefore, the difficult process of attaching the anchor
 lines to the anchors must be repeated, often more than once, during the
 lift of the mooring bridle. Accordingly, a more convenient method for
 attaching the anchor lines to the anchors is desired.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 An object of the present invention is to address the weight and stability
 problems by a mooring bridle system which incorporates the TLP directly
 into the bridle so that the tender vessel alone may be positioned in the
 center of the bridle. Other objects of the present invention include
 providing a bridle to which multiple vessels may be attached and providing
 a bridle that is easier to install and maintain than prior bridles.
 According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
 system comprising: a mooring bridle, wherein the mooring bridle is
 installed below the wave zone of the sea and wherein the bridle is
 attached to a first vessel; and vessel lines which attach a second vessel
 to the mooring bridle.
 According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
 system comprising: an anchor which is attached to the sea floor; an anchor
 line comprising an upper end and a lower end wherein the lower end is
 connected to the anchor; an anchor line buoy which is attached to the
 upper end of the anchor line; and a vessel line comprising an upper end
 and a lower end wherein the lower end attaches to the buoy and the upper
 end attaches to the vessel.
 According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a system
 comprising: a first mooring line; and a second mooring line, wherein the
 first and second mooring lines each comprise: an anchor which is attached
 to the sea floor; an anchor line comprising an upper end and a lower end
 wherein the lower end is connected to the anchor; an anchor line buoy
 attached to the upper end of the anchor line; and a vessel line comprising
 an upper end and a lower end wherein the lower end is attached to the buoy
 and the upper end is attached to the vessel, wherein the first and second
 mooring lines are placed on opposite sides of the vessel so that the net
 horizontal force on the vessel is zero.
 According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is
 provided a system comprising: a first mooring bridle; first vessel lines
 which attach the first vessel to the first mooring bridle; a second
 mooring bridle; and second vessel lines which attach the second vessel to
 the second mooring bridle, wherein the first and second mooring bridle are
 connected.
 According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
 system for mooring a vessel at sea that provides a bridle line member, an
 anchor line member connected to the bridle line member at a plurality of
 anchor line attachment locations, and the plurality of anchor line
 attachment locations are spaced from one another. Typically, the system
 also includes at least one anchor with the anchor line member attached to
 the at least one anchor and an anchor line member associated with each of
 the anchors. Preferably, the anchor line member has a first anchor line
 end, a middle, and a second anchor line end. The first anchor line end of
 the anchor line member is attached to the bridle line member at a first
 anchor line attachment location and the second anchor line end is attached
 to the bridle line member at a second anchor line attachment location with
 the first and second anchor line attachment locations spaced from one
 another. The middle of the anchor line member is attached to the at least
 one anchor and at least one vessel line, connected to the bridle line
 member, is adapted to attachment of the vessel to the bridle line member.
 In one embodiment, the anchor line member comprises a single anchor line.
 In another embodiment, the anchor line member comprises a plurality of
 separate anchor lines. With one anchor line, a bight portion of the anchor
 line connects to the anchor and the anchor line is preferably slidably
 connected to the anchor. To facilitate sliding connection of the anchor
 line member, in one embodiment, the anchor defines a passageway
 therethrough and the anchor line extends through the passageway.
 Alternatively, in yet another embodiment, the anchor line is fixedly
 attached to the anchor.
 In still another embodiment, at least a portion of the middle of the anchor
 line comprises a chain, and it is this chain portion that is connected to
 the anchor. Alternatively, the anchor line comprises spiral strand wire
 between the bridle line member and the chain or some other material.
 In one alternative embodiment, the anchor line member comprises at least
 two anchor lines. A first of the two lines comprises the first anchor line
 end and a first anchor attachment end. Similarly, a second of the two
 lines comprises the second anchor line end and a second anchor attachment
 end. The first and second anchor attachment ends are attached to the
 anchor.
 In some embodiments, the anchor comprises an anchor body adapted for
 attachment to the sea floor and an anchor line connector. The anchor line
 connector, preferably, comprises a passage member (e.g., a ring or some
 other passageway defined through the body). The passageway defines two
 openings in the anchor and the two openings are spaced from one another.
 Preferably, the anchor line connector has at least one fairlead.
 In some embodiments, there is also provided at least one anchor buoy
 attached to the bridle line member. In still other embodiments, a
 plurality of anchor buoys are provided, attached to the bridle line
 member, the anchor buoys being spaced from one another.
 In some embodiments of the arrangement and design of the anchor line
 members, the bridle line member, the anchor buoys and their related
 components vary. For example, in some embodiments, the first and second
 anchor line attachment locations are spaced from the anchor buoys,
 intermediate adjacent anchor buoys, each proximal an anchor buoy, or at
 one of the plurality of anchor buoys. With the attachment locations at one
 of the anchor buoys, the first anchor line attachment location is at one
 of the plurality of anchor buoys, and the second anchor line attachment
 location is at another of the plurality of anchor buoys. These anchor
 buoys are, alternatively, adjacent or non-adjacent. In one embodiment, the
 first anchor line end is attached to one of the plurality of anchor buoys,
 and the second anchor line end is attached to another of the plurality of
 anchor buoys. The first and second anchor line ends may be attached to
 adjacent or non-adjacent ones of the plurality of anchor buoys.
 In some embodiments, the bridle line member comprises a single bridle line.
 In alternative embodiments, the bridle line member comprises a plurality
 of bridle lines. In one embodiment comprising a plurality of bridle lines,
 the bridle lines comprises opposing ends and a set of the plurality of
 bridle lines are connected to one another end-to-end. In more specific
 embodiments, the first and second anchor line attachment locations are
 attached intermediate the ends of a bridle lines of the bridle line
 member, proximal one of the ends of a bridle line of the bridle line
 member, or at one of the ends of a bridle line of the bridle line member.
 Again, in various embodiments, the at least one vessel line is connected to
 the bridle line member intermediate the ends of a bridle line of the
 bridle line member, proximal one of the ends of a bridle line of the
 bridle line member, at one of the ends of a bridle line of the bridle line
 member, intermediate the first and second anchor line attachment
 locations, proximal one of the first and second anchor line attachment
 locations, or at one of the first and second anchor line attachment
 locations.
 An alternatively embodiment provides a bridle line member comprising a
 plurality of bridle lines wherein each of the bridle lines has opposing
 ends and an anchor buoy is attached to adjacent ends of adjacent bridle
 lines of the bridle line member so that the bridle line member comprises a
 plurality of bridle lines interconnected end-to-end by a plurality of
 anchor buoys. In alternative embodiments having a plurality of anchor
 buoys attached to the bridle line member, the first and second anchor line
 attachment locations are attached intermediate adjacent anchor buoys,
 proximal adjacent anchor buoys, or to adjacent anchor buoys. Likewise, the
 at least one vessel line is attached to the bridle line member
 intermediate adjacent anchor buoys, proximal an anchor buoy, or to an
 anchor buoy.
 Preferably, the system provides a plurality of anchor line members attached
 to the bridle line member that are spaced about a central mooring
 position. The plurality of anchor line members is arranged about the
 central mooring position in a triangular pattern, in some embodiments, and
 a star pattern in others. When a star patter is formed the star pattern
 comprises a multi-point star, such as a five point star pattern, a six
 point star pattern, or a multi-point star pattern with greater than six
 points. The plurality of vessel lines are attached to the bridle line
 member and spaced about the central mooring position.
 The bridle line member, the at least one anchor, and the anchor line
 members comprise a bridle. As discussed, the bridle is, preferably, design
 for attachment of more than one vessel to the bridle. Thus, the system
 preferably provides at least one second vessel attachment line connected
 to the bridle line member that is adapted for attachment of a second
 vessel to the bridle line member so that a second vessel may be attached
 to the bridle. Typically, the system includes a plurality of second vessel
 lines connected to the bridle line member. One embodiment includes a
 second vessel mooring position defined by a first set of multiple second
 vessel lines attached to the bridle line member and a second set of
 multiple second vessel lines connected to second vessel anchor lines with
 the second vessel mooring position offset from the central mooring
 position. The first set of multiple second vessel lines comprise two
 connecting lines attached to the bridle line member. Preferably, the
 bridle incorporate a plurality of anchor buoys. The connecting lines are
 attached to adjacent anchor buoys, attached proximal adjacent anchor
 buoys, attached intermediate adjacent anchor buoys, attached to
 non-adjacent anchor buoys, attached proximal non-adjacent buoys, or
 attached intermediate non-adjacent anchor buoys. Likewise, the second
 vessel anchor lines are attached to adjacent anchors of the bridle or
 attached to non-adjacent anchors of the bridle. In one preferred
 embodiment, the system includes at least one second vessel anchor with the
 second vessel anchor lines attached to the at least one second vessel
 anchor.
 An alternative embodiment further provides a second vessel bridle that
 comprises a bridle line member, at least one anchor, an anchor line member
 attaching the bridle line member to the at least one anchor, the anchor
 line member connected to the bridle line member at a plurality of anchor
 line attachment locations, and the plurality of anchor line attachment
 locations spaced from one another. The second vessel bridle is connected
 to the bridle. Various embodiments include one in which the bridle and
 second vessel bridle are connected to at least one common anchor and one
 in which the bridle line members of the bridle and the second vessel
 bridle are interconnected.
 In another embodiment, the bridle further comprises a plurality of spaced
 anchor buoys connected to the bridle line member, and the second vessel
 bridle further comprises a plurality of spaced anchor buoys connected to
 the bridle line member. The bridle and the second vessel bridle share at
 least one common anchor buoy.
 An alternative embodiment includes a plurality of anchors with the anchor
 line member attaching the bridle line member to at least two of the
 plurality of anchors.
 According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
 system for mooring a vessel at sea that provides at least one anchor
 connection. The anchor connection includes an anchor defining a passageway
 therethrough, an anchor line extending through the passageway of the
 anchor. The anchor line has opposing ends with the bight of the anchor
 extending through the passageway. Further included is a first anchor buoy
 attached to one end of the anchor line and a second anchor buoy attached
 to the other end of the anchor line. Preferably, the system includes a
 plurality of interconnected anchor connections. The end of the anchor line
 of one of the plurality of anchor connections is attached to the end of
 the anchor line of an adjacent one of the plurality of anchor connections
 and the adjacent anchor connections share an anchor buoy. The plurality of
 anchor connections are spaced about a central mooring position to define a
 mooring bridle has a star-like shape. The number of buoys, the number of
 anchor lines, the number of anchors, and the number of bridle lines are
 equal. At least one bridle line is attached to at least two buoys.
 Preferably, the at least one anchor connection provides a bridle line has
 opposing ends with one end of the bridle line attached to the first anchor
 buoy and the other end of the bridle line attached to the second anchor
 buoy. At least one vessel line has one end attached to the anchor
 connection and an opposite end adapted for selective attachment to the
 vessel facilitates attachment of the vessel and the mooring bridle.
 A further aspect of the invention provides a method for making a mooring
 bridle for mooring a vessel at sea that comprises the steps of attaching
 at least one anchor to the sea floor, connecting an anchor line member to
 the at least one anchor, and attaching a bridle line member to the anchor
 line member at a plurality of anchor line attachment locations, the anchor
 line attachment locations being spaced from one another. Preferably, the
 method also includes the steps of providing an anchor line member for each
 of the at least one anchors, attaching a first end of the anchor line
 member to the bridle line member at a first anchor line attachment
 location, attaching a second end of the anchor line member to the bridle
 line member at a second anchor line attachment location, spaced from the
 first anchor line attachment location, and attaching a middle of the
 anchor line member to the anchor. The method may also comprise the steps
 of slidably connecting the anchor line member to the anchor with the
 anchor line member comprised of a single anchor line and providing an
 anchor defining a passageway therethrough and extending the anchor line
 through the passageway. Alternatively, the method may include the step of
 fixedly attaching the anchor line member to the anchor.
 In one embodiment, the one step is to provide an anchor line member that
 comprises two anchor lines, a first of the two lines comprises the first
 anchor line end and a first anchor attachment end, a second of the two
 lines comprises the second anchor line end and a second anchor attachment
 end, and the first and second anchor attachment ends attached to the
 anchor. Another alternative step is to provide a fairlead at the
 connection of the anchor line member to the anchor.
 Alternative steps that are included in various alternative embodiments in
 the method in include attaching at least one anchor buoy to the bridle
 line member, attaching the at least one anchor buoy to the bridle line
 member intermediate the first and second anchor line attachment locations,
 attaching the at least one anchor buoy to the bridle line member proximal
 one of the first and second anchor line attachment locations, and/or
 attaching the at least one anchor buoy to the bridle line member at one of
 the first and second anchor line attachment locations. The method may
 include the steps of attaching a plurality of anchor line buoys to the
 bridle line member, attaching the anchor line member first anchor line end
 to a first anchor buoy, and attaching the anchor line member second anchor
 line end to a second anchor buoy. Another optional step is the step of
 attaching the anchor line member first and second anchor line ends to
 adjacent anchor line buoys or to non-adjacent anchor line buoys.
 Preferably, the method includes attaching at least one vessel line to the
 bridle line member with the at least one vessel line adapted for
 attachment of the vessel thereto. In some embodiments, this includes
 attaching the at least one vessel line to the bridle line member
 intermediate the first and second anchor line attachment locations,
 attaching the at least one vessel line to the bridle line member proximal
 one of the first and second anchor line attachment locations, or attaching
 the at least one vessel line to the bridle line member at one of the first
 and second anchor line attachment locations.
 Another aspect of the method provides the steps of attaching a plurality of
 anchors to the sea floor, attaching an anchor line member to each of the
 anchors, and attaching the anchor line members to a bridle line member
 with the plurality of anchors and the anchor line members spaced about a
 central mooring position. To form various bridles having various shapes,
 embodiments of the method include the steps of providing three anchors and
 three anchor line members to form a triangular pattern about the central
 mooring position, providing five anchors and five anchor line members to
 form a five point star pattern about the central mooring position,
 providing six anchors and six anchor line members to form a six point star
 pattern about the central mooring position, or arranging the anchors and
 anchor line members to form a multi-point star pattern about the central
 mooring position. Attaching a plurality of vessel lines to the bridle line
 member, the plurality of vessel lines spaced about a central mooring
 position facilitates attachment of the vessel to the bridle.
 Similarly, the steps of attaching at least one second vessel line to the
 bridle line member; and the at least one second vessel line adapted for
 attachment of a second vessel thereto, facilitates attachment of a second
 vessel to the bridle. One embodiment for the method involves attaching a
 first set of multiple second vessel lines to the bridle line member,
 attaching a plurality of second vessel anchor lines to anchors attached to
 the sea floor, and attaching each one of a second set of multiple second
 vessel lines to one of the plurality of second vessel lines. The at least
 one anchor, the anchor line member, and the bridle line member comprises a
 bridle.
 The method includes, in various embodiments, constructing a second vessel
 bridle, the constructing step comprising the steps of: attaching at least
 one anchor to the sea floor, connecting an anchor line member to the at
 least one anchor, and attaching a bridle line member to the anchor line
 member at a plurality of anchor line attachment locations, the anchor line
 attachment locations spaced from one another and then connecting the
 second vessel bridle to the bridle. Preferably, the method of making this
 embodiment further comprises using some of the similar components for the
 bridle and the second vessel bridle for both the bridle and the second
 vessel bridle and/or attaching a second vessel line to the second vessel
 bridle, the second vessel line adapted for attachment of a second vessel
 thereto.
 According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
 a method for maintaining a mooring bridle, the mooring bridle comprising
 at least one anchor defining a passageway therethrough and at least one
 anchor line extending through the passage member of the at least one
 anchor. The method comprises the steps of attaching an end of a
 replacement anchor line to an end of the at least one anchor line, pulling
 the opposite end of the at least one anchor line so that the replacement
 anchor line is pulled through the passage member as the at least one
 anchor line is removed, and once the placement anchor line is threaded
 through the passage member, disconnecting the replacement anchor line from
 the at least one anchor line. The replacement anchor line comprises a
 chain or wire at the bight portion. Further, the replacement anchor line
 may comprise a simple anchor line or a plurality of anchor lines.
 The replacement method further comprises, in some embodiments, connecting a
 first replacement anchor line end of the replacement anchor line to a
 bridle line member of the bridle and connecting a second replacement
 anchor line end of the replacement anchor line to the bridle line member
 at a position spaced from the attachment of the first replacement anchor
 line end to the bridle line member. Alternatively, the replacement method
 comprises connecting a first replacement anchor line end of the
 replacement anchor line to a first anchor buoy of the bridle and
 connecting a second replacement anchor line end of the replacement anchor
 line to a second anchor buoy of the bridle, the first and second anchor
 buoys being spaced from one another. In another alternative, the
 replacement method comprises connecting a first replacement anchor line
 end of the replacement anchor line to a bridle line member of the bridle
 intermediate a first pair of anchor buoys of the bridle and connecting a
 second replacement anchor line end of the replacement anchor line to the
 bridle line member intermediate a second pair of anchor buoys of the
 bridle, the attachments of the first and second replacement anchor line
 ends to the bridle line member being spaced from one another.

It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only
 typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be
 considered a limitation of the scope of the invention which includes other
 equally effective embodiments.
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 Referring to FIG. 1, a top view of an embodiment of the invention is shown.
 TLP 10 is moored to tender vessel 11 by mooring bridle 13. The mooring
 bridle 13 comprises anchor line buoys 12, anchor lines 14, bridle lines 17
 and anchors 15. In this particular embodiment, eight of each elements are
 used to construct the mooring bridle, but other alternative embodiments
 comprise a mooring bridle constructed from any number of elements. The
 anchor line buoys 12 support the weight of the anchor lines 14 so that the
 top of the mooring bridle 13 is located below the sea wave zone. The
 tender vessel 11 is positioned in the middle of the mooring bridle 13 at
 the central mooring position and held there by vessel lines 19. One
 embodiment incorporates a turret to connect the vessel lines 19 to the
 vessel. Also, the turret is preferably buoyed so that the vessel lines 19
 will remain at the surface when the tender vessel is disconnected from the
 turret.
 The TLP is attached to the bridle 13 via chains 16. The chains 16 extend
 from the TLP 10 to two adjacent anchor line buoys 12. No bridle line 17 is
 required between these two adjacent anchor line buoys 12. Opposite to the
 mooring bridle 13, the TLP 10 is anchored to the sea floor by mooring
 lines 18. Mooring lines 18 comprise an anchor 15, an anchor line 14, an
 anchor buoy 12 and a vessel line 19. No bridle lines 17 are required to
 connect the anchor line buoys 12 of the mooring lines 18.
 Referring to FIG. 2a, an embodiment of the anchor line buoy 12 is shown.
 The vessel line 19 extends from the top of the buoy 12 for attachment to
 the vessel, while the anchor line 114 extends from the bottom of the buoy
 12 for attachment to the anchor. The anchor line buoy 12 comprises a
 single sealed chamber filled with gas so that the buoy has positive
 buoyancy when placed in the sea. Alternatively, the buoy comprises a
 series of chambers, each filled with a substance lighter than sea water.
 Further, the buoy 12 is filled with a plastic, foam material, or any other
 material known, so that the buoy will still provide positive buoyancy even
 if the integrity of the buoy is breached to allow sea water to enter the
 buoy 12.
 The bridle lines 17 are attached to the buoy 12 by chains 65. In some
 embodiments, the bridle lines 17 are attached to the chain 65 with a
 spinner 73 between. The spinner 73 allows the bridle lines 17 to rotate
 relative to the chain 65. The chains 65 are first deflected down the sides
 of the buoy 12 by deflectors. These deflectors comprise pulleys, sliding
 material, or any other device known. FIG. 2b, shows a side view of sliding
 deflector embodiment. The chain 37 slides within a groove 71 in the
 deflector 38 which conforms to the shape of the chain. Alternatively, as
 shown in FIG. 2c, a cable 37 is deflected by the deflector 38, in which
 case, the groove 71 conforms to the shape of the cable 37. Monoloy
 material, produced by Smith-Berger of Vancouver, Wash., is a suitable
 sliding material.
 The chains 65 are fastened to the buoy 12 by stoppers 67 and the excess
 length of chain 65 is allowed to dangle from the stoppers 67. The mooring
 system is adjusted by pulling the chain 65 through the deflector 66 to
 impose tension in the bridle lines 17. When a desired tension is obtained,
 the chain 65 is locked into place by a stopper 67 which is located on the
 buoy 12. A stopper 67 comprises two protrusions which straddle a link of
 the chain 65 so as to catch the next subsequent link in the chain 65.
 However, alternative embodiments comprise automatic stopping systems,
 known in the art. This stopper 67 comprises a series of stoppers which
 engage the chain 65 at various positions. Multiple stoppers are used to
 provide redundancy should one of the stoppers fail. It should be
 understood that the stoppers are located anywhere inside or outside the
 buoy 12, however, placement on the sides of the buoy 12 makes them easily
 accessible.
 Referring to FIG. 3, a side view of an embodiment of the invention is
 shown. Anchors 15 are attached to the sea floor 68. Buoys 12 support
 anchor lines 14 and are connected in some cases by bridle lines 17. The
 TLP 10 is connected to two adjacent buoys 12 of the mooring bridle 13 by
 chains 16. The TLP 10 is secured by flexible tendons 69 which are also
 anchored to the sea floor 68 by anchors 15. Risers 70, for the
 transportation of minerals, extend from wells 74 to the TLP 10. Export
 riser 72 extends down from the TLP 10.
 The bridle is constructed by positioning each anchor 15, with an anchor
 line 14 and buoy 12 attached, in its proper location around the mooring
 site. The anchor lines 14 are long enough to allow the anchor 15 to be
 suction attached to the sea floor 68 while the buoy floats on the sea
 surface directly above the anchor 15. Once all of the anchors 15 are in
 position, the buoys 12 of the bridle 13 are attached to one another with
 bridle lines 17. The diameter of the circle formed by the bridle 13 is
 smaller than the diameter of the circle formed by the anchors on the sea
 floor. Therefore, as the bridle lines 17 are attached to the buoys 12, the
 buoys become submerged below the sea surface and the anchor lines 14
 become angled toward the mooring site. In one embodiment the depth of the
 bridle 13, once constructed, is about 30 meters. At this depth, divers are
 able to assemble the bridle lines 17 to the buoys 12 without difficulty.
 Further, the radius of the bridle 13 is about 70 meters, so that vessel
 lines 19 which moor the vessel 11 to the bridle are not unnecessarily
 lengthy. Shorter vessel lines 19 serve to reduce the mooring load on the
 vessel 11. The optimum angle of inclination of the anchor lines 14 and the
 optimum radius of the bridle 13 depend upon the size of the ship to be
 moored.
 Referring to FIG. 4, one embodiment of the suction anchor is shown. The
 anchor line 14 is attached to one end of a chain 28. A spinner 63 is used
 to make the connection so that the anchor line 14 is rotatable relative to
 the chain 28. The other end of the chain 28 is inserted into a funnel 29
 located near the top of the anchor 20. Inside the funnel 29, the chain 28
 is engaged by a chain stopper 30 which locks it into place. Excess links
 of the chain 28 are stored in a chain locker 31 below the funnel 29.
 In one embodiment, for a TLP weighing about 6000 tons, the chain 28
 comprises 4 inch, oil-rig-quality chain. The tendon comprises spiral
 strand wire having a 110 mm diameter. Further, the suction anchor 20 is
 made of single steel cylinders with a wall thickness of 20 mm. The total
 weight of the anchor ranges from about 25 tons (3.5 m diameter and 7.5 m
 long) to about 40 tons (5 m diameter and 11 m long). Optimum anchor size
 is dependent upon the size of the vessels to be moored and the depth of
 the sea at the mooring site, as will be understood by those of skill in
 the art after review of the present specification. See J-L. Colliat, P.
 Boisard, K. Andersen and K. Schroder, Caisson Foundations as Alternative
 Anchors for Permanent Mooring of a Process Barge Offshore Congo, OFFSHORE
 TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE PROCEEDING, Vol. 2, pp. 919-929 (May 1995); E. C.
 Clukey, M. J. Morrison, J. Garnier and J. F. Corte, The Response of
 Suction Caissons in Normally Consolidated Clays to Cyclic TLP Loading
 Conditions, OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE PROCEEDING, Vol. 2, pp. 909-918
 (May 1995), both incorporated herein by reference.
 The ROV 21 is attached to a ROV pod 32. The ROV pod 32 in turn engages the
 anchor 20. As shown in FIG. 5a, the ROV pod 32 comprises a series of rings
 33. The anchor 20 also has a series of rings 34. The devices are connected
 by bringing the ROV pod 32 in close proximity with the anchor 20 so that
 rings 33 are placed adjacent to rings 34. As shown in FIG. 5b, with the
 rings juxtaposed, a dowel 35 is inserted into the rings 33 and 34 to
 connect the ROV pod 32 to the anchor 20.
 Referring again to FIG. 4, the anchor 20 also comprises a series of
 chambers 36. Each of these chambers are closed on all sides with the
 exception of the bottom side which is adjacent to the sea floor 68. The
 anchor is attached to the sea floor 68 by pumping air into the chambers 36
 with air supplied by umbilicals 24. Sea water is pushed out of the
 chambers by the air through one-way valves extending between the chambers
 and the exterior of the anchor. Once the chambers are filled with air, the
 air is immediately evacuated to create low pressure inside the chambers.
 This creates a suction which causes the anchor to become embedded further
 into the sea floor 68 and to adhere to the sea floor 68. The air is
 evacuated by pumps or by allowing the air in the chambers to be exposed to
 atmospheric pressure at the sea surface via a hose. Multiple chambers 36
 provide redundancy to prevent the entire anchor from becoming detached
 should one of the chambers fail. When the anchor is to be released from
 the sea floor, air is pumped back into the chambers to increase the
 pressure.
 FIG. 6 is a top schematic view of an alternative embodiment of the mooring
 system. TLP 10 is moored to tender vessel 11 by mooring bridle 13. In
 general, the mooring bridle 13 comprises a bridle line member 76 which, in
 one embodiment is a single bridle line 17 and, in other embodiments, is a
 plurality of bridle lines 17. The mooring bridle 13 also comprises at
 least one anchor 15, and an anchor line member 78 connecting the anchors
 15 to the bridle line member 76. The anchor line member 78 is connected to
 the bridle line member 76 in at least two anchor line attachment locations
 that are spaced from one another. The anchor line member 78 attaches the
 bridle line member 76 to at least one anchor 15. Preferably, as shown in
 the figure, the bridle 13 includes an anchor line member 78 associated
 with and attached to each of the anchors 15. Within this general overview
 of the mooring bridle 13 lies a wide variety of possible designs. FIG. 6
 shows one of these possible alternative designs.
 As shown in FIG. 6, the mooring bridle 13 comprises a plurality of anchor
 connections 42 attached to one another and spaced about a central mooring
 position 44. Each of the anchor connections 42 has a triangular shape and
 comprises anchor buoys 12, an anchor line 14, a bridle line 17, and an
 anchor 15.
 The anchor 15 is attached to the sea floor 68 as previously described and
 as shown in FIG. 7. The anchor 15 has an anchor body 51 attached to the
 sea floor 68 and an anchor line connector adapted for attachment of the
 anchor line member 78 to the anchor 15. Preferably, the anchor line
 connector is a passage member 52 (which is preferably a ring portion 52;
 although the body 51 itself defines the passageway 50 therethrough in
 alternative embodiments) fixedly attached to the anchor body 51. The
 passage member 52 defines a passageway 50 through the anchor 15 that is
 sized and adapted to allow a ROV 21 to pass therethrough. Thus, the anchor
 15 is mounted with the passageway 50 above the sea floor 68. Preferably,
 the passageway 50 is oriented vertically to facilitate maneuvering of the
 ROV 21 horizontally therethrough.
 In one preferred embodiment, the anchor line member 78, which has a first
 and a second anchor line end, and a middle including a bight portion,
 attaches to the anchor 15 by passing the anchor line member 78 through the
 passageway 50 so that the ends of the anchor line member 78 are on either
 side of the anchor 15 and the bight extends through the passageway 50. In
 such an embodiment having an anchor line member 78 that passes through the
 passageway 50, the anchor line member 78 generally comprises a single
 anchor line 14 that is slidably connected to the anchor 15 at the bight
 portion of the anchor line 14. in some embodiments, the middle of the
 anchor line member 78 comprises a chain or some other material such as
 spiral strand wire. However, the portion of the anchor line member 78 that
 connects to the anchor 15 preferably comprises a chain.
 Although an alternative is to have one or more anchor lines 14 fixedly
 attached to the anchor 15 rather than slidably passing a single anchor
 line 14 through a passageway 50 in the anchor 15, the preferred mooring
 bridle 13 uses the one anchor line configuration to facilitate maintenance
 of the mooring bridle 13 which is more fully discussed below. However, in
 such an embodiment wherein the anchor line member 78 is fixedly attached
 to the anchor 15, the preferred embodiment is to use two anchor lines 14.
 A first anchor line 14 of the two comprises the first anchor line end and
 a first anchor attachment end that is attached to the anchor 15. Likewise,
 a second anchor line 14 of the two comprises the second anchor line end
 and a second anchor attachment end that is attached to the anchor 15. In
 this way the two anchor lines 14, attached to the anchor 15, form two
 sides of the triangular anchor connection 42.
 The first and second anchor line ends of the anchor line member 78 are
 attached to the bridle line member 76 at a first and second anchor line
 attachment location respectively. The anchor line attachment locations are
 spaced from one another.
 In another alternative embodiment, the anchor line member 78 attaches a
 plurality of anchors 15 to the bridle line member 76. In this embodiment,
 the middle of the anchor line member 78 connects to, for example, two
 adjacent anchors 15 with the portion of the anchor line member 78
 intermediate these adjacent anchors 15 connected to the bridle line member
 76. The ends of the anchor line member 78 is also connect to the bridle
 line member 76.
 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, an anchor buoy 12 is attached to each
 end of the anchor line 14 (at each of the anchor line attachment
 locations) and to the bridle line member 76 to support the weight of the
 anchor line 14 and to support the top of the mooring bridle 13 above the
 sea floor 68 and below the sea wave zone. In alternative embodiments, the
 anchor buoys 12 to which the anchor lines 14 are attached are adjacent of
 non-adjacent to one another although the embodiment of FIG. 6 shows them
 adjacent to one another. Thus, an anchor buoy 12 is attached to each
 anchor line end 14. Preferably, the portions of the anchor line 14 on each
 side of the anchor 15 are apportioned so that the anchor buoys 12 float at
 substantially the same level below the wave zone. Typically, such
 apportionment provides equal lengths of anchor line 14 on each side of the
 anchor 15. Adjacent anchor connections 42 share an anchor buoy 12 in this
 embodiment. Therefore, each anchor buoy 12 is attached to two anchor lines
 14 and all of the buoys 12 of the mooring bridle 13 float at substantially
 the same level. Because the anchors 15 are spaced about the central
 mooring position 44, the anchor lines 14 hold the buoys 12 in spaced
 relation to one another holding the anchor buoys 12 intermediate two
 adjacent anchors 15. The anchor buoys 12 must have sufficient buoyancy to
 hold the weight loads placed upon them by the anchor lines 14 and other
 components. Other embodiments omitting the anchor buoys 12 or showing the
 anchor buoys 12 connected to the bridle 13 differently are discussed below
 in connection with other figures.
 The bridle line member 76 connects the ends of the anchor line member(s) 78
 to one another and defines the top of the mooring bridle 13. The bridle
 line member 76 holds the tops of the anchor line member(s) 8 proximal one
 another and provides a location for attachment of the bridle to the vessel
 11. The bridle line member comprises a single bridle line 17 in one
 embodiment and a plurality of bridle lines 17 in an alternative
 embodiment. However, the preferred embodiment of the bridle line member 76
 comprises a plurality of bridle lines 17 to facilitate assembly and
 maintenance of the bridle 13. Typically, a bridle line 17 extends between
 two adjacent anchor buoys 12 or, if the bridle 13 does not include anchor
 buoys 12, between adjacent anchor line attachment locations. In some
 embodiments, the bridle lines 17 are connected to one another end-to-end
 to form a continuous bridle line member 76. Anchor buoys 12, in some
 embodiments, are used to facilitate the attachment of the bridle lines 17.
 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the bridle line 17 of the anchor
 connection 42 is attached to and connects the anchor buoys 12 of the
 anchor connection 42 (as mentioned, an alternative is to use a single
 bridle line 17 to connect the buoys 12 of more than one anchor connection
 42). The bridle line length between two adjacent anchor line attachment
 locations is less than the distance between the anchors 15. Therefore, the
 bridle lines 17 hold the anchor buoys 12 such that the distance between
 the anchor buoys 12 (or anchor line attachment locations) is less than the
 distance between the anchors 15. Further, because the anchor connections
 42 are interconnected, as are the anchor buoys 12, by the bridle lines 17,
 the anchor buoys 12 define a circle having a diameter that is less than
 the diameter of the circle formed by the anchors 15. Accordingly, the
 bridle lines 17 pull the anchors 15 inward toward one another and hold
 them in position proximal the central mooring position 44 which is located
 at the center of the anchor buoys 12. Consequently, the attached anchor
 connections 42 oriented about the central mooring position 44 define a
 star-like shape having the anchors 15 as the outermost points of the star.
 The number of points of the star depends upon the number of anchor
 connections 42.
 In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 6, five anchor connections 42
 are used to construct the mooring bridle 13, but other embodiments
 comprise any number of elements. As each anchor connection 42 contains one
 anchor 15, one anchor line 14, and one bridle line 17, and because the
 adjacent anchor connections 42 share an anchor buoy 12, the number of
 anchors 15, anchor lines 14, anchor buoys 12, and bridle lines 17 are
 equal. The resulting bridle defines a five point star pattern. Note that
 other shapes and star patterns are possible by varying the number of
 anchor connections 42. Using three anchor connections 42 produces a
 triangular pattern; using six anchor connections 42 produces a six point
 star pattern; and using more than six anchor connections 42 produces a
 multi-point star pattern with more than six points.
 To attach a tender vessel 11 to the mooring bridle 13, the system includes
 a vessel line 19 having one end attached to the bridle line member 76.
 FIG. 6 shows a vessel line 19 having one end attached to each of the
 anchor buoys 12, at each end of the bridle lines 17 and at each anchor
 line attachment location. The opposite end of the vessel line 19 is
 adapted to selective attachment to the tender vessel 11. Although certain
 embodiments of the system omit some vessel lines 19 and do not include a
 vessel line 19 attached to all of the anchor buoys 12, the preferred
 system includes an equal number of vessel lines 19 and anchor buoys 12. A
 turret is preferably used to connect the vessel lines 19 to the vessel 11.
 Also, the turret is preferably buoyed so that the vessel lines 19 will
 remain at the surface when the tender vessel 11 is disconnected form the
 turret. During use, the tender vessel 11 is positioned in the middle of
 the mooring bridle 13 at the central mooring position 44 and held thereby
 the vessel lines 19 as shown in the figure.
 The bridle 13 is designed to allow a second vessel 10 to be attached to the
 mooring bridle 13. This is generally accomplished using at least one, but
 preferably a plurality of, second vessel attachment lines 80 adapted to
 attach the second vessel 10 to the bridle line member 76 so that the
 second vessel is attached to the bridle 13. The second vessel attachment
 lines 80 comprise connecting lines 16 that connect the second vessel 10 to
 the bridle line member 76 and mooring lines 18 that connect the second
 vessel to anchors 15. Within this broad scope of possible connections lies
 a wide variety of possible embodiments. However, in addition to these
 embodiments is another general embodiment which is further discussed below
 in connection with FIG. 17 that uses two interconnected bridles 13 to
 connect a vessel 11 and a second vessel 10.
 In FIG. 6, a second vessel, such as the TLP 10, is attached to the bridle
 13 via connecting lines, or chains 16. The connecting lines 16 extend from
 the TLP 10 to anchor buoys 12. Preferably, the anchor buoys 12 to which
 the connecting lines 16 attach are non-adjacent. It has been found that,
 in practice, attaching the connecting liens 16 to adjacent buoys 12 often
 produces substantial snapping of the connecting lines 16, whereas
 attaching the connecting liens 16 to non-adjacent anchor buoys 12
 substantially reduces, or eliminates, snapping of the connecting lines 16.
 Opposite to the mooring bridle 13, the TLP 10 is anchored to the sea floor
 68 by mooring lines 18. Mooring lines 18 comprise an anchor 15, an anchor
 line 14, an anchor buoy 12, and a vessel line 19. However, in some
 embodiments, the anchors 15 for the mooring lines 18 are the anchors 15 of
 the adjacent anchor connections 42 as shown in the figure although, in
 other embodiments, they attach to non-adjacent anchors 15 of the bridle 13
 or to anchors 15 separate from the bridle 13 (FIGS. 15 and 16). No bridle
 lines 17 are required to connect the anchor buoys 12 of the mooring lines
 18.
 FIG. 8 is a side view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6.
 Anchors 15 are attached to the sea floor 68. Anchor buoys 12 support
 anchor lines 14 and are connected by bridle lines 17. The anchor buoys 12
 are maintained below the wave zone and are spaced about the central
 mooring position 44. The TLP 10 is connected to two non-adjacent buoys 12
 of the mooring bridle 13 by connecting lines 16. The TLP 10 is secured by
 flexible tendons 69 which are also anchored to the sea floor 68 by anchors
 15.
 The construction of the mooring bridle 13 is similar to the construction of
 the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and previously described. However, the
 connection of the anchor lines 14 to the anchors 15 is much simpler due to
 the improved design of the anchors 15 (i.e. the threaded anchor line 14)
 and mooring bridle 13 (i.e. the star-like shape). FIGS. 9A and 9B are side
 views showing the connection of the anchor line 14 to the anchor 15. To
 attach the anchor line 14 to the anchor 15, once the anchor 15 has been
 attached to the sea floor 68, one end of the anchor line 14 is attached to
 an ROV 21 while the other end is held at the surface. The ROV 21 is then
 maneuvered down to the anchor 15 as shown in FIG. 9A and then maneuvered
 through the passageway 50 of the anchor threading the anchor line 14
 therethrough as shown in FIG. 9B. Once the anchor line 14 is threaded
 through the ring portion 52 of the anchor 15, the ROV 21 is returned to
 the surface. With both ends at the surface, the anchor buoys 12, bridle
 lines 17, and vessel lines 19 are attached.
 One advantage of using a single anchor line 14 threaded through a ring
 portion 52 of the anchor 15 and having two buoys 12 attached thereto, is
 that the design facilitates fast, low cost maintenance of the mooring
 bridle 13 by easing replacement of the anchor lines 14. Periodically, the
 anchor lines 14 require replacement due to normal wear-and-tear. FIGS. 10A
 though 10C illustrate the anchor line replacement procedure with the
 preferred system. The anchor buoys 12 are disconnected from the anchor
 line 14 and one end of a replacement anchor line 54 is attached to one end
 of the anchor line 14 as shown in FIG. 10A. The opposite end of the anchor
 line 14 is then pulled to remove the anchor line 14 from the anchor 15 and
 simultaneously thread the replacement anchor line 54 through the
 passageway 50 of the anchor 15 (the opposite end of the replacement anchor
 line 54 is held at the surface) as shown in FIG. 10B. Finally, with the
 anchor line 14 pulled completely to the surface, the anchor line 14 and
 replacement anchor line 54 are detached from one another and the mooring
 bridle 13 reassembled using the replacement anchor line 54. Prior systems
 requiring the use of an ROV 21 to attach the anchor line 14 to an ROV pod
 32 connected to the anchor 15 are much more time consuming and difficult
 and much less efficient that the present threaded anchor line system.
 FIG. 11 is a top view of an alternative embodiment wherein the mooring
 bridle 13, having seven anchor connections 42, is used to moor a single
 vessel 11 at sea. Although the present invention is directed primarily at
 a mooring system for mooring two vessels relative to one another, the
 disclosed, improved mooring bridle 13 is also effective for mooring a
 single vessel 11. Further, other embodiments of the mooring bridle 13 are
 used to moor more than two vessels by providing more than one additional
 mooring position, along with the associated connecting lines 15 and
 mooring lines 18.
 FIG. 12 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the anchor 15. In this
 embodiment, the anchor line connector comprises a passage member 52
 defining a passageway 50. The passageway defines two openings 56 that are
 spaced from one another. Attached to the anchor 15 at each of the openings
 56 is a fairlead 58 adapted to facilitate movement of the anchor line
 member 78 through the passageway 50. Alternative embodiments of the
 fairlead 58 include rollers or other typical means to facilitate the
 movement and provide for reduced chafing of the anchor line member 78 as
 it moves through the passageway 50.
 As previously mentioned, the mooring bridle 13 components are assembled and
 attached in a variety of alternative ways to construct the bridle 13.
 Alternative embodiments of the bridle 13 include anchor buoys 12, while
 others do not include anchor buoys 12. Further, in alternative
 embodiments, the anchor line members 78 attach to (i.e. the anchor line
 attachment locations are positioned at) anchor buoys 12, intermediate
 anchor buoys 12, proximal anchor buoys 12, to adjacent or non-adjacent
 anchor buoys 12, at the ends of bridle lines 17, intermediate the ends of
 bridle lines 17, and/or proximal the ends of bridle lines 17, etc.
 Likewise, vessel lines 19 and connecting lines 16 are connected to/at,
 intermediate, or proximal the anchor buoys 12 and the ends of the bridle
 lines 17 in alternative embodiments. The anchor buoys 12 to which the
 vessel lines 19 attach are adjacent in some embodiments and non-adjacent
 in others. FIGS. 13 through 16 show some of the possible resulting
 combinations and are further discussed below.
 FIG. 13 is a top view of one embodiment of the invention. In this
 embodiment, the bridle 13 comprises a bridle line member 76 having a
 plurality of anchor buoys 12 connected thereto, a plurality of anchors 15
 spaced about a central mooring position 44, and an anchor line member 78
 associated with each of the anchors 15 connecting the bridle line member
 76 to the anchors 15. The anchor line attachment locations are positioned
 between the anchor buoys 15 to the bridle line member 76. For a bridle
 line member 76 comprising a plurality of bridle lines 17 attached
 end-to-end with an anchor buoy 15 between adjacent bridle lines 17, the
 anchor line attachment locations are positioned intermediate to the ends
 of the bridle lines 17. More specifically, the first and second anchor
 line attachment ends of an anchor line member 78 are attached between the
 ends of adjacent bridle lines 17 and the associated anchor buoys 12.
 Likewise, the vessel lines 19 are attached between the ends of adjacent
 bridle lines 17 and the associated anchor buoys 12.
 FIG. 14 is a top view of another alternative embodiment of the present
 invention. The bridle 13 comprises a bridle line member 76 having a
 plurality of anchor buoys 12 connected thereto, a plurality of anchors 15
 spaced about a central mooring position 44, and an anchor line member 78
 associated with each of the anchors 15 connected the bridle line member 76
 to the anchors 15. The bridle line member 76 comprises a plurality of
 bridle lines 17 interconnected end-to-end by anchor buoys 12. The anchor
 line attachment locations are on the bridle line member 76 and the ends of
 the anchor lines 14 and the vessel lines 19 attach to the bridle line
 member 76 intermediate, but proximal, the anchor buoys 12 and the ends of
 the bridle lines 17. Note that the first and second attachment ends and
 the first and second anchor line attachment locations of each of the
 anchor line members 76 attach to a single bridle line 17. Also, the
 attachment location of the vessel lines 19 to the bridle line member 78 is
 offset from the anchor line attachment locations. Further, the anchor line
 attachment locations of adjacent anchor line members are offset from one
 another.
 FIG. 15 is a top view of another embodiment of the mooring bridle 13 having
 a vessel 11 and a TLP 10 attached thereto. In this embodiment, the bridle
 13 comprises a bridle line member 76, a plurality of anchors 15 spaced
 about a central mooring position 44, and an anchor line member 78
 associated with each of the anchors 15 connecting the bridle line member
 76 to the anchors 15. The embodiment omits the anchor buoys 12. The
 connecting lines 16 connecting the second vessel 10 to the bridle 13
 attach to the mooring bridle 13 intermediate adjacent ends of the bridle
 lines 17 (the bridle line member 76 comprising a plurality of bridle lines
 17). Further, the mooring lines 18 connected to the second vessel 10 use
 second vessel anchors 15 that are separate from the anchors 15 of the
 mooring bridle. In a similar embodiment, shown in FIG. 16 which does
 include anchor buoys 12, the connecting lines 16 attach to the bridle line
 member 78 intermediate, yet proximal, the anchor buoys 12 and the ends of
 the bridle lines 17. The anchor buoys 12 to which the connecting lines 16
 attach are adjacent in certain embodiments and non-adjacent in others.
 FIG. 17 is a top view showing an alternative embodiment wherein two-mooring
 bridles are interconnected. The first mooring bridle 13 comprises a
 plurality of anchors 15, anchor line members 78, a bridle line member 76,
 and vessel lines 19 attached as previously described. Similarly, a second
 vessel bridle 13 comprises a bridle line member 76, anchors 15, and anchor
 line members 78 interconnected as previously described for a bridle 13.
 The bridle 13 and the second vessel bridle 13 are connected to one
 another. The connection of the bridles 13 are accomplished in a number of
 ways. For example, in one embodiment, bridle lines 17 or connecting lines
 16 extend between the bridles 13; in another embodiment, the bridles share
 common anchors 15, anchor line members 78, bridle lines 17, anchor buoys
 12, or other bridle components. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the
 bridles 13 share common anchors 15, anchor lines 14, anchor buoys 15, and
 bridle lines 17. Using the interconnected bridles, the vessel 11 and
 second vessel 10 are closely and effectively moored relative to one
 another.
 It is to be noted that the above described embodiments illustrate only
 typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be
 considered a limitation of the scope of the invention which includes other
 equally effective embodiments.