A vessel (VE) for lowering a flexible article (FA) into the sea, said vessel comprising: - a first guide (G1) for guiding the flexible article (FA) into the sea; - a second guide (G2) for guiding the flexible article (FA) into the sea; - an overboarding quadrant (QA); and - an article support system for supporting the article (FA), wherein the article support system includes a first support section (SS1) extending between the first guide (G1) and the overboarding quadrant (QA), and a second support section (SS2) extending between the second guide (G2) and the overboarding quadrant (QA), said overboarding quadrant (QA) being configured to support and guide the article (FA) between the first support section (SS1) and the second support section (SS2), wherein the overboarding quadrant (QA) is moveable along the first and second support sections (SS1,SS2) between the first and second guide ends of the first and second support section (SS1,SS2) and the opposite ends of the first and second support sections (SS1,SS2), wherein the vessel further comprises a quadrant handling system at the first and second guide side of the vessel (VE), which quadrant handling system is configured to move the overboarding quadrant (QA) between a substantially horizontal orientation at the first and second support sections (SS1,SS2) and a substantially vertical orientation to lower the overboarding quadrant (QA) into the sea, characterized in that the vessel (VE) further comprises a heave compensation system configured to operate on the overboarding quadrant (QA) to compensate for wave-induced heave motion of the vessel (VE) in any orientation of the quadrant handling system between the substantially horizontal orientation and the substantially vertical orientation. - a first guide (G1) for guiding the flexible article (FA) into the sea; - a second guide (G2) for guiding the flexible article (FA) into the sea; - an overboarding quadrant (QA); and - an article support system for supporting the article (FA), wherein the article support system includes a first support section (SS1) extending between the first guide (G1) and the overboarding quadrant (QA), and a second support section (SS2) extending between the second guide (G2) and the overboarding quadrant (QA), said overboarding quadrant (QA) being configured to support and guide the article (FA) between the first support section (SS1) and the second support section (SS2), wherein the overboarding quadrant (QA) is moveable along the first and second support sections (SS1,SS2) between the first and second guide ends of the first and second support section (SS1,SS2) and the opposite ends of the first and second support sections (SS1,SS2), wherein the vessel further comprises a quadrant handling system at the first and second guide side of the vessel (VE), which quadrant handling system is configured to move the overboarding quadrant (QA) between a substantially horizontal orientation at the first and second support sections (SS1,SS2) and a substantially vertical orientation to lower the overboarding quadrant (QA) into the sea, characterized in that the vessel (VE) further comprises a heave compensation system configured to operate on the overboarding quadrant (QA) to compensate for wave-induced heave motion of the vessel (VE) in any orientation of the quadrant handling system between the substantially horizontal orientation and the substantially vertical orientation. <EOS>