Patent ID: 7484467

Claim:
A method of controlling the raising and lowering of an object in water comprising the steps of: mounting hoist machinery on a flotation unit, said hoist machinery having operatively interconnected power supply, motor and winch mounting a cable having a coupling device; floating said flotation unit on water: positioning said flotation unit above a submerged object; extending said cable from said hoist machinery to said object; coupling said coupling device on said cable to said object; providing two insulated, electrically conductive control lines, said control lines having first and second ends and being of sufficient length to extend from said flotation unit to said object; coupling said first ends of said control lines to said hoist machinery; coupling said second ends of said control lines to switches; covering said control lines within an elongate sheath having first and second ends and an elongate interior volume; filling the remainder of said elongate interior volume not occupied by said control lines with filler material; coupling said first end of said sheath to said hoist machinery; enclosing said switches within a watertight control housing; coupling said watertight control housing to said second end of said sheath; extending said control lines, sheath, switches and watertight control housing from said hoist machinery on said flotation unit to said object; operating said switches to thereby operate said hoist machinery to raise or lower said object while remaining within visual contact range of said object.