Patent ID: 8763549

Claim:
A mooring system ( 20 ) for mooring a vessel ( 10 ) in a body of water comprising: a mooring support structure ( 120 ) connected to one of the group consisting of a bow and a stem of said vessel ( 10 ), said mooring support structure ( 120 ) disposed at least partially outboard of said vessel ( 10 ) and including a plurality of connection elevation points ( 125 A . . . 125 E) located at differing elevations, a connection assembly ( 30 ) having one end rotatably coupled between a submerged base assembly ( 40 ) and one of said connection elevations points ( 125 A . . . 125 E) of said mooring support structure ( 40 ), said connection assembly ( 30 ) having a first arm ( 25 ) rotatably coupled at one end to said submerged base assembly ( 40 ) and a second end rotatably coupled to a lower end of a linkage ( 15 ) which has an upper end disconnectably coupled at one of said connection elevation points ( 125 A . . . 125 E) of said mooring support structure ( 120 ); whereby said linkage ( 15 ) is arranged to be oriented substantially vertically from said mooring support structure ( 120 ) of said vessel ( 10 ) by disconnecting said upper end of said linkage ( 15 ) from one connection elevation point to another connection elevation point depending on water depth in which said vessel ( 10 ) is moored.