Abstract:
An apparatus and method is disclosed for inspecting and repairing a sailing vessel having a hull while the sailing vessel remains afloat in the water, which may comprise a containment curtain of a size and shape allowing the containment curtain to define a work area around a portion of the hull of the sailing vessel; a containment seal adapted to cooperate with the hull of the sailing vessel to define with the containment curtain a region of water within the work area and a region of water outside of the work area; and a filtration system connected to the region of water within the work area and adapted to replace the ambient water initially within the region of the work area with filtered water. The filtered water may be filtered to a sufficient degree to allow underwater imaging of a portion of the sailing vessel in need of repair or replacement, e.g., to a sufficient degree to allow imaging of a quality to allow real-time remote analysis of the underwater imaging for purposes of approval of the repair or replacement. The apparatus and method may further comprise the containment seal forming seal along the hull of the sailing vessel from at least the waterline on the port side of the hull of the vessel to at least the waterline on the starboard side of the hull and the containment seal and the containment curtain forming a work area from a point along the hull of the sailing vessel to a point aft of the stern of the sailing vessel. The containment seal may further comprise a first containment seal and a second containment seal and the first containment seal and the second containment seal along with the containment curtain forming a work area from a first point along the hull of the sailing vessel to a second point along the hull of the sailing vessel. The method and apparatus may further comprise an underwater imaging apparatus adapted to provide as an output an image of a portion of the sailing vessel in need of repair or replacement; a real time communication link connected to the output of the imaging apparatus to a location outside of the work area to facilitate evaluation of the necessary repair or replacement.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of inspection and repair of sailing vessels in-situ, i.e., in the water, without then need for putting the vessel, e.g., into a dry-dock, or removing the vessel from turbid waters.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    It is well known in the art of vessel husbandry, e.g., for the purposes of doing repair or ordinary maintenance on a vessel, particularly a large ocean-going vessel, to take the vessel out of the water in some manner, e.g., by utilizing the services of a dry-dock. Particularly when the repair is non-scheduled, e.g., due to some accident causing damage to the hull and/or propulsion system of a vessel that needs repair, the time needed to remove the vessel from the water inspect the damage and make a claim for coverage and authorization of covered repair costs from, e.g., an insurer, can be enormously expensive to the vessel owner/operator. Often this lost time/down time for the vessel can far exceed the costs of the actual repairs necessary.  
           [0003]    It is known in the art to do repairs and the like in the water, e.g., at dockside, without taking the vessel from the water. However, often this work cannot be covered by insurance, since the inspections required are most generally not capable of being done with the vessel in the water. Even the taking of photographs or other images of the damage may not be satisfactory to the insurer. This may be due, e.g., to the quality of the images obtainable in-situ, without removing the vessel from the water. The inspections necessary to approve the repair work in terms of reinsuring the vessel suffer from the same problems if the vessel is not removed from the water, or from turbid water where clarity is insufficient to perform a meaningful inspection.  
           [0004]    There exists, therefore, a need for improving the ability to inspect and repair vessels dockside or at least in-situ in the water without removal of the vessel to, e.g., a dry-dock facility, or to move the vessel to less turbid waters; and to obtain satisfactory images for remote approval of the necessary work and of the work as completed, with a minimum of down-time for the vessel.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    An apparatus and method is disclosed for inspecting and repairing a sailing vessel having a hull while the sailing vessel remains afloat in the water, which may comprise a containment curtain of a size and shape allowing the containment curtain to define a work area around a portion of the hull of the sailing vessel; a containment seal adapted to cooperate with the hull of the sailing vessel to define with the containment curtain a region of water within the work area and a region of water outside of the work area; and a filtration system connected to the region of water within the work area and adapted to replace the ambient water initially within the region of the work area with filtered water. For environmental reasons, the particulate and solids removed from the water may be disposed upland while the filtered water may be returned to the region within the containment. The apparatus and method may further comprise the filtered water being filtered to a sufficient degree to allow underwater imaging of a portion of the sailing vessel in need of repair or replacement, which may include to a sufficient degree to allow imaging of the portion of the sailing vessel in need of repair or replacement of a quality to allow real-time remote analysis of underwater imaging for purposes of approval of the repair or replacement. The apparatus and method may further comprise the containment seal forming seal along the hull of the sailing vessel from at least the waterline on the port side of the hull of the vessel to at least the waterline on the starboard side of the hull and the containment seal and the containment curtain forming a work area from a point along the hull of the sailing vessel to a point aft of the stern of the sailing vessel. The containment seal may further comprise a first containment seal and a second containment seal and the first containment seal and the second containment seal along with the containment curtain forming a work area from a first point along the hull of the sailing vessel to a second point along the hull of the sailing vessel. The method and apparatus may further comprise an underwater imaging apparatus adapted to provide as an output an image of a portion of the sailing vessel in need of repair or replacement; a real time communication link connected to the output of the imaging apparatus to a location outside of the work area to facilitate evaluation of the necessary repair or replacement. The digital video images may be used in real time to create a grid reference system on the hull or appurtenance inspected which will allow measurement, cataloging, and recorded documentation of repairs or conditions. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an inspection and repair system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 shows another perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 shows a more detailed perspective view of a propulsion repair system useful in an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 shows another perspective view of the propulsion repair system shown in FIG. 3;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of a portion of the system according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]    Turning now to FIG. 1 there is shown a perspective view of an inspection and repair system  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The inspection and repair system  10  can include a system  10  for the husbandry, i.e., inspection, repair and maintenance of a sea going or other vessel  20 , which includes a hull  22 , and which may be, e.g., tied up beside a dock  30 .  
         [0013]    The vessel husbandry system  10  may include a containment curtain system  40 , which may be, e.g., utilized for performing inspection, repair or maintenance tasks, e.g., at the stern section  24  of the vessel  20 . The vessel husbandry system  10  containment curtain system  40  may include, e.g., a starboard containment curtain wall  42 , a port containment curtain wall  44 , a rear containment curtain wall  46  and a forward containment curtain wall  48 , as well as a containment curtain floor  50 , with the starboard containment curtain wall  42 , the port containment curtain wall  44 , the rear containment curtain wall  46  and the forward containment curtain wall  48 , as well as a containment curtain floor  50 , defining a containment area  52 .  
         [0014]    The forward containment curtain wall  48  may be in sealing engagement with the hull  22  of the vessel  20 , e.g., at a forward most end of the stern section  24  of the hull  22 . The sealing engagement may be accomplished, e.g., with a seal  54  that may, e.g., be constructed beforehand to conform to the shape of the hull  22  at this forward most portion of the stern section  24  or may be adaptable to conform to such shape.  
         [0015]    The seal  54  may be adapted to engage and hold the material of the surrounding portion of the containment curtain forward wall  48  along the outer most edge of the seal  54 . For example, the seal  54  may be adapted to hold the material of a containment curtain wall, e.g., the forward containment curtain wall  48  as shown in FIG. 1 in a sandwich arrangement with the seal  54  forming a U-shaped slot into which the material of, e.g., the forward containment curtain wall  48 , also formed with a corresponding U-Shaped opening, can be inserted and the U-Shaped slot of the seal  54  tightened to engage the material of the containment curtain wall  48 . The seal  54  may be formed on its innermost edge with a suitable sealing material, e.g., a strip of neoprene rubber. The seal  54 , as mentioned above, may be of a relatively rigid construction and pre-shaped to form a sealing engagement with the hull  22  of the vessel  20  at a location in, e.g., the stern section  24 , or, alternatively, in another embodiment of the present invention may be relatively flexible and adapted to shape to the contour of the hull  22  of the vessel to form the sealing engagement.  
         [0016]    The starboard containment curtain wall  42 , the port containment curtain wall  44 , the rear containment curtain wall  46  and the forward containment curtain wall  48 , as well as the containment curtain floor  50 , may be formed of a suitable relatively light weight, durable and non-permeable material, e.g., any of a number of synthetic rubber compounds and the like well known in the art, e.g., which are used, e.g., by the United States Navy in the fabrication of the air containment skirt for hover craft such as CAC craft.  
         [0017]    The edges forming the joints between the respective starboard containment curtain wall  42 , the port containment curtain wall  44 , the rear containment curtain wall  46  and the forward containment curtain wall  48 , as well as the containment curtain floor  50 , may be formed in any suitable manner that provides a leak proof seal, e.g., by stitching, spot welding or the like joint formation techniques that are well known in the art.  
         [0018]    The edges forming the joints between the respective starboard containment curtain wall  42 , the port containment curtain wall  44 , the rear containment curtain wall  46  and the forward containment curtain wall  48 , as well as the containment curtain floor  50 , may be formed, e.g., with stiffening members (not shown) e.g., there may be formed grommet sheaths (not shown) into which may be inserted one or more reinforcing grommets extending singularly or collectively generally between corners of the containment curtain system  40  starboard containment curtain wall  42 , port containment curtain wall  44 , rear containment curtain wall  46  forward containment curtain wall  48 , and the containment curtain floor  50 , respectively, as needed to assist in maintaining the relatively solid rectilinear shape of the containment region  52 . Suitable stiffening may also be accomplished, e.g., by providing one or more layers of multiply material, e.g., fabric and polycarbonate plastic of Ultra High Molecular Weight polyethylene, positioned in requi9ns of the containment curtain walls  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  or floor  50  where stiffening is desired.  
         [0019]    The material selected for the containment curtain system  40  starboard containment curtain wall  42 , port containment curtain wall  44 , rear containment curtain wall  46  forward containment curtain wall  48 , and containment curtain floor  50  can also be constructed to be buoyant, particularly, e.g., in sea water. Alternatively, the material for only the containment curtain walls  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48 , or some of them may be so constructed, such that the entire arrangement of the starboard containment curtain wall  42 , port containment curtain wall  44 , rear containment curtain wall  46 , forward containment curtain wall  48 , and containment curtain floor  50  is so buoyant. Alternatively, of the if the buoyancy is not sufficient to float the entire containment curtain system  40  starboard containment curtain wall  42 , port containment curtain wall  44 , rear containment curtain wall  46 , forward containment curtain wall  48 , and containment curtain floor  50  then flotation booms (not shown) may be utilized to provide the appropriate buoyancy. Alternatively, flexible, inflatable portions of the walls  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  of the containment curtain system  40  (not shown) may have compressed air added to provide additional lift and assist with the proper balance of lift and trim, and also, e.g., in maintaining sealing pressure of the seal  54  against the hull  22 . Anchor points shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and  5  at the terminus of tie down lines  80  may be utilized to stabilize the containment curtain system  40 , as may be available to be utilized at the harbor of opportunity. These anchors points may be composed of driven metal anchors, auger drilled anchors or solid ballast material, e.g. concrete or steel.  
         [0020]    In any event sufficient buoyancy, ballast, or trim may be achieved as noted or by other means well known in the art such that the top edges of the side walls,  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  remain sufficiently above the water line so as to contain the water within the containment area  52  and prevent the introduction of water from the region surrounding the containment system starboard containment curtain wall  42 , port containment curtain wall  44 , rear containment curtain wall  46  forward containment curtain wall  48 , and containment curtain floor  50 . In any event, the anchor points can be made to hold the tie down lines  80 , which may be attached at generally the corner regions of the containment system  40  containment curtain floor  50  to help maintain the integrity of the shape of the containment area  52 , along with the buoyancy or neutral trim of the containment curtain  40  as a whole. Where the weight of the outer region of water may contain a higher specific gravity than the filtered water within the inner region and cause the containment curtain walls  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48 , and/or floor  50  to move toward enveloping the hull any the protruding items, e.g., propulsion system components that are desired to be worked upon, buoyancy can be applied to the containment floatation chambers (not shown), e.g., by adding compressed air, causing the containment curtain walls  42 ,  44 ,  46 , and  48  and floor  50  to rise several inches higher. This therefore can raise the level of the water in the inner region and create differential pressure outward, which may be utilized to restore the integrity of the containment area  52  and generally maintaining its original shape as a work area. Banks of lights  90  may be suspended on the insides of the containment curtain walls, e.g., starboard containment curtain wall  42  and port containment curtain wall  44  and held up by the buoyancy of the containment curtain system  40 , or may be independently provided with buoyancy means (not shown) which alone or in combination with the buoyancy of the containment curtain system  40  may keep the light banks  90  in position.  
         [0021]    The system  10  may also be provided with a support system  60 , e.g., contained on a support vessel, e.g., a barge  62 . The support system  60  may include a pump and filter system  64 , which may include an intake pipeline  66  and a return pipeline  68 . The pump and filter system  64 , operating through the intake pipe line  66  and the return pipe line  68  may be controlled, e.g., from a control station  70  aboard the barge  62 .  
         [0022]    The pump and filter system  64  in operation can serve to remove the water from around, e.g., the stern section  24  of the hull  22  of the vessel  20  within the work area  52  which may include dirt, oil, etc. contained within the water within the containment work area  52 , resulting in lack of clarity of the water, and replace it with water that has been filtered. Waterborne particulate and solids may be removed in sufficient quantity to improve the clarity of the water within the containment area  52 . As additional containment systems  40  are attached to the hull, as explained in more detail in regard to FIG. 5, it may be possible, e.g., to transfer water from a first containment region  52  to one or more subsequent containment regions, e.g.,  52 ′ thus inflating the subsequent region  52 ′ with pre-filtered water and allowing the previous region  52  to collapse somewhat or fully with the physics of displacement. In this manner, in situ, without the need to, e.g., place the vessel in a dry-dock, or move the vessel to geographic locations of higher water clarity, inspection and repair can be done, e.g., of the hull  20  or the propulsion system, e.g., the propellers  94  and/or the bearing  142  on the propeller shafts  96 . The bearings  142  are axially mounted for rotation of the propeller shafts  96  within cylindrical strut bearing housings  99  on struts  98  attached to the hull  22 .  
         [0023]    Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown another perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. The support system  60  may also include a propeller repair unit  92 , which may be attached to a control consol  72  on the barge  62  by a tether or umbilical  76 , and which may be positioned on the propeller  94  and propeller shaft  96 , e.g., by divers and remotely controlled, e.g., for safety reasons, from the control console  72  on the barge  62  through the tether/umbilical  76 . The control console  72  for among other things propeller  94  seal  142  repair, as is well known in the art, may be custom built for the particular application and not commercially available as an entire assembly, however, many of the components such as valves, gauges, tubing, and fittings are commercially available. Likewise, a propulsion repair unit  100 , described in more detail below, may have a tether/umbilical  74  connected to the support system  60  on the barge  62 , e.g., at the control console  70 . This tether/umbilical  74  may, among other things, be connected (not shown) to the ratchet drive mechanisms  134   a  and  134   b  to provide hydraulic pressure for operating the drive mechanisms  134   a  and  134   b.    
         [0024]    Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4 there is shown a more detailed perspective view of a propulsion repair system  100  useful in an embodiment of the present invention. The propulsion repair unit  100  can be designed to be fitted, e.g., by divers, straddling the propeller shaft  96  and aligned with the propeller shaft  96  for purposes of, e.g., removal and replacement of the bearing  142  by a replacement bearing  140 , as will be described in more detail below.  
         [0025]    The propulsion repair unit  100  may have, e.g., a rear alignment yoke  120   a  and a forward alignment yoke  120   b.  The rear alignment yoke  120   a  and the forward alignment yoke  120   b  may be connected by a pair of cylindrical alignment bars  102   a  and  102   b.  The forward alignment yoke  120   b  and, alternatively, both the forward alignment yoke  120   b  and the rear alignment yoke  120   a,  may be of a clamshell construction, e.g., having one or more hinges, e.g., at 120° intervals around the respective yoke  120   a,    120   b  for ease of application and removal, as is well known in the art. This can enable the yoke  120   a  or  120   b,  to engage the propeller shaft  96  on both sides of the strut bearing housing  99 . The forward alignment yoke  120   b  and the rear alignment yoke  120   a  may be constructed of a pair of flat hinged sections (not shown) connected together as rings  122   a  and  122   b,  which may be attached to each other by a plurality of bolts  124 . Each of the rear alignment yoke  120   a  and the forward alignment yoke  120   b  may have a plurality of propeller shaft engagement feet  126 , which may be constructed of arched plates adapted to engage and hold the rear alignment yoke  120   a  and the forward alignment yoke  120   b  on the outer surface of the propeller shaft  96  and may be supported on the rear alignment yoke  120   a  and the forward alignment yoke  120   b  by alignment yoke engagement feet connection legs  128 . The alignment yoke engagement feet connection legs  128  may be attached to the rear alignment yoke  120   a  and the forward alignment yoke  120   b  and to the engagement feet  126  by suitable means, e.g., by dry hyperbaric SMAW welding.  
         [0026]    Also mounted on the alignment bars  102   a  and  102   b  between the rear alignment yoke  120   a  and the forward alignment yoke  120   b  can be a pair of bearing replacement yokes  130   a  and  130   b,  which may be formed in a clamshell construction, with a hinge  132  as well as a means for closing the open end of the clamshell, e.g., a bolt (not shown). The forward one of the bearing replacement yokes  130   b  may have mounted on it a pair of ratchet drive mechanisms  134   a  and  134   b,  which may be similar to those made by manufacturers of propeller seal products such as “Lips Propellers” “Kennedy” or “Crane,” including tooling for the installation and removal of their seals. Though this tooling is only designed for use above water and on dry docked vessels, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that it can be adapted for use underwater, e.g., electric tools can be replaced with hydraulic ones, etc. The forward bearing replacement yoke  130   b  may have a pair of openings through it through each of which extend a respective ratchet arm  138 . The ratchet arms  138  may have threaded portions  144 , which also pass through a respective opening  148  in the rear bearing replacement yoke  130   a  forming a threaded and ratcheted operating opening  148 . In operation a replacement bearing  140  may be formed, e.g., in two semi-circular or three or four, arched portions to be inserted over the shaft  96  in contact with the rear bearing replacement yoke  130   a.  The ratchet drive mechanisms  134   a  and  134   b  can rotatively turn the ratchet arms  138  to move the rear bearing replacement yoke  130   a  toward the forward bearing replacement yoke  130   b,  with the rear bearing replacement yoke  130   a  slideably moving along the alignment bars  102   a  and  102   b  on a respective alignment bar sleeve  136  formed at the outer end of each respective rear bearing replacement yoke  130   a  hingedly connected sections. The threaded ratcheted openings  148  may be both threaded to receive the threaded portions  144  of the ratchet arms  138   a  and  138   b,  respectively, and to ratchet the movement of the rear bearing yoke  130   a  along the alignment bars  102   a  and  102   b.  As will be understood by those skilled in the art the openings  148  can contain a ratchet that ratchets, e.g., at each rotation of their respective ratchet arm  138   a,    138   b,  such that the drive mechanisms  134   a,    134   b  are operated to rotate the ratcheted arms  138   a,    138   b  one rotation and then reverse direction for one rotation as the ratcheting occurs. The forward bearing replacement yoke  130   b  may be fixedly attached to the alignment bars  102   a,    102   b,  e.g., as by welding. Alternatively or additionally, the forward bearing replacement yoke  130   b  may be attached to the forward end of the bearing strut housing  99 , e.g., as by welding, or, e.g., by being welded to pad eyes (not shown) which may be existing on the bearing strut housing  99 . This movement forces the replacement bearing  140  into the strut bearing housing  99  and moves an existing bearing  142  out of the opposite end of the strut bearing housing  99 . As noted above the new bearing  140  sleeve may be cut into segments to fit around the full diameter of the propeller shaft  96 .  
         [0027]    Turning now to FIG. 5 there is shown a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. Here is illustrated the utilization of a containment and filtering system  40 ′ which may be set up along the hull  22  of the vessel  20 , with two containment curtain seals  54 ′, e.g., one in a rear containment curtain wall  46 ′ and one in a forward containment curtain wall  48 ′. FIG. 5 also illustrates the fact that two or more containment and filtering systems, e.g.,  40  and  40 ′ may be set up on a single vessel  20  at the same time.  
         [0028]    Turning now to FIG. 6 there is shown a schematic block diagram of an image-processing portion  200  of the system  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image processing system  200  may comprise an imager  204 , which may be any suitable video imager, either capable of producing still photographs or motion video, e.g., a video camera  204  capable of producing analog or digital video images. The image processing system  200  may also include a processor unit  202 , which may include any suitable digital data processor  210 , e.g., a P.C. or a lap top computer, a work station, a hand held digital assistant or the like, or simply a dedicated micro-controller processor that is preprogrammed to carry out the functions noted below, as opposed to a general purpose computing apparatus responding to the instructions of an application software containing the instructions for performing the functions noted below.  
         [0029]    The processor unit  202  may have a separate image processor  208  or the functionality defined for the image processor  208  may be performed by the processor  210  or by the image processor  208  under the control of the processor  210  or by a combination of the image processor  208  and the processor  210 . Depending upon the capabilities of the imager  204  and therefore the signal received by the processing unit  202  over the connection  206  between the imager  204  and the processing unit  202 , and depending on the type of image data being desired to be transmitted from the location of the processor unit  202  and the imager  204  to a remote evaluation location  240 , and over whatever communication medium or combination of communication mediums are desired, this will define the functionality to be performed by the image processor  208  alone or in combination with the processor  210  as noted above.  
         [0030]    For example, if the imager  204  is capable of providing images in standard still or video compressed formats, e.g., JPEG or MPEG, and this is the desired format for transmission to the remote location  240  over some form of communication system, then the processor  210  and/or the image processor  208  may need only to forward the image output of the imager  204  on line  206  to the communications section  220  of the processor unit  202 . In other cases, e.g., if the image from the imager  204  is an analog image, then the image processor  208  and/or the processor  210  or a combination of both may need to digitize the image and then may need to place the digitized image into a standardized form, e.g., JPEG or MPEG.  
         [0031]    The communications section  220  of the processor unit  202  may include a number of possible outlets to communicate the images to the remote location  240 . These may include a wired connection  226  to the Public Switched Network, i.e., the usual switched telephone system. The utilization of these systems and the formation and/or modulation of the signals for transmission may be done by external devices, e.g., modems, or devices internal to the processor unit  210 , e.g., a modem card, or may be done in software by the processor unit  210 , acting as a soft-modem, as is well known in the art. Other devices may be employed as is also well known in the art, e.g., encryption/decryption devices such as coder-decoders (CODECs”), analog to digital and/or digital to analog converters, and the like. This functionality may be provided solely by the communication unit  220  or by the digital data processor  210 , or by a combination of the communication unit  220  and the digital data processor  210  as is also well known in the art.  
         [0032]    The link to the remote evaluation area  240  may be through a wireless antenna  222 , e.g., to a central wireless station (not shown) for transmission, e.g., by microwave or satellite to another central station (not shown), which can communicate to a wireless antenna  242  at the remote location  240 , unless the remote location is in wireless communication with the same central station (not shown) as to which the signal from antenna  222  originally was received within the particular wireless communication system being employed. Similarly microwave or satellite antenna  224  at the location of the imager  204  may communicate in various ways directly or indirectly to the microwave or satellite antenna  246  at the remote location.  
         [0033]    It is also possible to have a direct dedicated line  228 , e.g., a coaxial cable, or fiber optic connection between the location of the imager  204  and the remote location  240 .  
         [0034]    Various of these communication links can be or be part of a networked connection over the world wide web, otherwise known as the Internet, or some combination of this with, e.g., the PSN, more localized local networks such as LANs or WANs or the like. The capability of the system to transmit in essentially real time the underwater images, which due to the clarity of the water within the containment and filtration systems  40  or  40 ′ enables rapid remote evaluation of the husbandry needs, e.g., the damages that need to be repaired or the evaluation of the sufficiency of the repairs or maintenance once completed. In this manner rapid approval of such things as insurance coverage and the amount of coverage for a given necessity of husbandry can be obtained. This can greatly reduce, e.g., the amount of time that a vessel is in the repair facility or otherwise in need of repair, which in combination with the elimination of the need for the vessel to be removed from the water and, e.g., placed in a dry dock to have the husbandry work done, is a very significant savings both to the vessel owner/operator but also to the party covering the repair or maintenance work, e.g., an insurer.