Patent ID: 7543543

Claim:
A method of side-by-side docking a carrier vessel to a floating dock comprising the steps of: providing an upper deck on the floating dock moored in the sea, said upper deck having a longitudinal central axis extending between longitudinal ends of the deck and extending at least a majority of a length of the floating dock, said floating dock having first and second ends and a mooring turret internally mounted between the longitudinal ends of the upper deck so that the floating dock can weathervane about a fixed point of said mooring turret, said turret being laterally spaced from the longitudinal central axis of the upper deck, and said floating dock having thrusters at said second end of the floating dock whereby said floating dock can be rotated about said fixed point by operating said thrusters, attaching a hawser between a bow of said carrier vessel and said first end of said floating deck, then rotating said floating dock about said fixed point using said thrusters until a predetermined angle exists between a longitudinal center line of said floating dock and a longitudinal center line of said carrier vessel, pulling said carrier vessel toward said first end of said floating dock, and then rotating said floating dock toward said carrier until said carrier vessel and said floating dock are side-by-side.