Patent ID: 7950092

Claim:
A method of providing access from a vessel navigable under its own power to a fixed offshore structure, comprising: providing a gangway apparatus in a stored condition on the vessel, the gangway comprising at least one inflatable member in the form of a longitudinally extensible tube; maneuvering the vessel so that it is proximate the fixed offshore structure; providing at least one guide wire attached to the vessel, the gangway apparatus being attached or attachable to a said guide wire by means of one or more slidable fixings; extending the at least one guide wire from the vessel and connecting the at least one guide wire between a location on the vessel and an attachment location on the fixed offshore structure proximate a location of entry to the fixed offshore structure; controlling and, where necessary, adjusting the position of the vessel so that it is maintained in spaced apart relation to the fixed offshore structure, and maintaining the at least one guide wire at a desired tension; extending the gangway apparatus from the stored condition by inflating said at least one inflatable member to a use condition by sliding the slidable fixing(s) along a said guide wire until the at least one inflatable member spans the gap between the vessel and location of entry to the fixed offshore structure.