Patent ID: 8555982

Claim:
A method for setting up a hybrid tower in an expanse of water of the type comprising the following steps: positioning and temporarily retaining a rigid rising column in a substantially vertical configuration in the expanse of water; totally immersing a buoy for retaining the rising column and moving the retaining buoy facing the rising column; inserting a male connecting member borne by a first of the rising column and of the retaining buoy into a female connecting member borne by a second of the rising column and of the retaining buoy; immobilizing the male connecting member in a receiving passage defined by the female connecting member; wherein the female connecting member comprises at least one surface for guiding the male connecting member towards the receiving passage, the guiding surface opening out around the receiving passage and having a vertical section diverging away from the receiving passage towards the male connecting member upon introducing the male connecting member into the female connecting member, the insertion step comprising the guiding of the male connecting member towards the receiving passage by contact with the guiding surface; wherein one of the male connecting member and of the female connecting member borne by the retaining buoy is mounted so as to be transversally mobile relatively to the retaining buoy between an axial rest configuration substantially parallel to a vertical axis and a guiding configuration tilted by a non-zero angle with respect to the vertical axis; and the insertion step comprising the displacement of the one of the male connecting member and of the female connecting member borne by the retaining buoy between its axial configuration and its tilted configuration upon contact of the male connecting member with the guiding surface.