Patent ID: 8006337

Claim:
A system for transferring personnel or material from a transport vessel to a stationary platform at sea, wherein the system comprises: a ramp, wherein in use, a first end of the ramp is movably coupled to the transport vessel and a second end of the ramp is movably coupled to the stationary platform, and wherein the ramp includes a planar base that is suitably dimensioned and configured to enable personnel to walk thereon; a first coupling, wherein: (a) the first coupling movably couples together a first end of the ramp and the transport vessel; (b) the first coupling provides three rotational degrees-of-freedom and one translational degree-of-freedom to the first end of the ramp; and a second coupling, wherein: (a) the second coupling movably couples together a second end of the ramp and the stationary platform; and (b) the second coupling provides at least one rotational degree-of-freedom and no more than two rotational degrees-of-freedom and no translational degrees-of-freedom to the second end of the ramp.