Patent ID: 7007623

Claim:
An assembly for mooring a vessel ( 2 ) at sea to a body ( 1 ) comprising a yoke ( 10 , 10 ′) selectively disconnectably coupled between said vessel ( 2 ) and said body ( 1 ) and having first and second ends with a non-disconnectable coupling arrangement between said first end and said body and a disconnectable coupling arrangement between said second end and said vessel, said non-disconnectable coupling arrangement including a pivoted connection between said first end of said yoke ( 10 , 10 ′) and said body ( 1 ) that allows said yoke to rotate about a horizontal axis, said disconnectable coupling arrangement including a first coupling member ( 32 , 32 ′) at said second end of said yoke which is arranged and designed for mating with a second coupling member ( 34 , 34 ′) carried by said vessel ( 2 ), a tension member ( 20 , 110 ) arranged and designed to extend through said first and second coupling members and to be coupled between a winch mechanism ( 18 , 18 ′, 106 ) and a connector ( 42 , 42 ′), said mechanism and connector being arranged and designed to pull said first coupling mechanism ( 32 , 32 ′) into engagement with said second coupling mechanism ( 34 , 34 ′), a selectively operated locking mechanism ( 80 ) arranged and designed between said first and second coupling members ( 32 , 34 ) to lock said yoke ( 10 ) to said vessel ( 2 ), thereby mooring said vessel ( 2 ) to said body ( 1 ) or to unlock said yoke ( 10 ) from said vessel ( 2 ) thereby allowing said tension member ( 20 , 110 ) to be uncoupled from said connector ( 42 ) for disconnecting said yoke ( 10 ) from said vessel ( 1 ), wherein said body ( 1 ) is an LNG process vessel, and said vessel ( 2 ) is an LNG carrier vessel, said first coupling member includes a male guide cone ( 32 ) mounted on a multiple axis joint ( 30 ) which is attached to said second end of said yoke ( 10 ), said second coupling member includes a female receiver ( 34 ) mounted on an extension ( 8 ) of said vessel ( 2 ) and arranged and designed to receive said guide cone ( 32 ), said connector ( 42 ) is mounted on said extension ( 8 ), said winch mechanism ( 21 ) is mounted on said yoke ( 10 ), and said tension member ( 20 ) extends from said connector ( 42 ) through said multiple axis joint and via guide wheels ( 26 a , 26 b ) to said winch mechanism ( 21 ).