Patent ID: 8343358

Claim:
An oil collecting vessel defining a longitudinal direction, and having at least three hulls for movement over a water surface, comprising: a middle hull, having a length in a length direction in the direction in which the vessel travels; a first side hull, joined to the middle hull on a first side; a second side hull joined to the middle hull on a second side opposite the first side; a separating structure mounted between the middle hull and the first side hull for separating oil from among ice blocks, wherein said separating structure has a first part of a first length in the length direction, and mounted between the middle hull and the first side hull and arranged at an incline to the horizontal so as to push ice blocks moving between the middle hull and the first side hull under water when the vessel is moving, and wherein said separating structure has at least one part which is water and oil permeable; an oil collecting unit positioned above the separating structure and arranged in oil, or oil and water, receiving relation to oil, or oil and water, which passes through said separating structure; wherein the separating structure is mounted immobilely in relation to the middle hull without active vibration of the separating structure; and wherein the separating structure further has a second part substantially horizontal and longer in the length direction than the first part and arranged to receive ice blocks from the first part and keep said ice blocks moving under the second part and under water.