Patent ID: 8414342

Claim:
A fluid transfer system that lies in a sea that has a sea surface and a wave action zone, and that includes first and second floating structures that have respective first and second hulls that each floats at the sea surface, said system including a steel pipeline that extends in the sea in a catenary curve between said structures and that has first and second pipeline ends connected respectively to said first and second structures, wherein: said steel pipeline has end portions ( 40 , 42 ) that each extends through the wave action zone of the sea and said steel pipeline comprises multiple steel pipe sections that are directly connected together; at least a first end of the steel pipeline is directly coupled to said first floating structure via a connection that includes a pipe joint ( 70 , 70 B) that has a joint center ( 76 , 89 ), with said pipe joint constructed to allow said first end of said steel pipeline to freely pivot by a plurality of degrees about horizontal axes that pass through said joint center relative to said first floating structure while preventing said pipeline end from sliding through said joint.