Patent ID: 8197293

Claim:
A mooring assembly for a vessel, comprising: a receiving vessel part, a geostationary part, and a main bearing assembly connecting the geostationary part to the receiving vessel part to carry both a radial load and a load along the axis of rotation between the receiving vessel part to the geostationary part while allowing rotation of the receiving vessel part around the geostationary part, the main bearing assembly comprising at least a first bearing and a second bearing separate from the first bearing, wherein the first bearing and the second bearing are manipulable into a first configuration wherein the first bearing is in an operative position to carry both the radial load and the load along the axis of rotation between the receiving vessel part and the geostationary part while allowing rotation of the receiving vessel part around the geostationary part and the second bearing is in an inoperative position and does not carry the radial load or the load along the axis of rotation between the receiving vessel part to the geostationary part, wherein the first bearing and the second bearing are manipulable into a second configuration wherein the second bearing is in an operative position to carry both the radial load and the load along the axis of rotation between the receiving vessel part to the geostationary part while allowing rotation of the receiving vessel part around the geostationary part and the first bearing is in an inoperative position and does not carry the radial load or the load along the axis of rotation, and wherein the the first bearing and the second bearing are manipulable into a third configuration wherein the first bearing and the second bearing members are in operative positions to carry both the radial load and the load along the axis of rotation between the receiving vessel part to the geostationary part while allowing rotation of the receiving vessel part around the geostationary part.