Patent ID: 6843197

Claim:
A near shore port security barrier for protecting a vessel docked at a port facility from an incoming waterborne craft which is being used to inflict damage on said vessel, said near shore port security barrier comprising: (a) a plurality of floating barrier modules connected to one another to form a floating security barrier which is positioned adjacent a hull for said vessel, said floating barrier being adapted to protect said vessel from said incoming waterborne craft; (b) a mooring system for said near shore port security barrier, said mooring system having a plurality of mooring lines and a plurality of anchors which rest on the ocean floor, each of said mooring lines having one end connected to said near shore port security barrier and the other end connected to one of said plurality of anchors to secure the near shore port security barrier in a fixed location relative to the vessel; (c) each of said plurality of floating barrier modules including: (i) a first pontoon positioned adjacent the hull of said vessel; (ii) a second pontoon positioned parallel to said first pontoon away from the hull of said vessel; (iii) first and second spaced apart cross members mounted on an upper end of said first and second pontoons and attached thereto, said first pontoon, said second pontoon and said first and second cross members being configured to form a rectangular shape floating base for each of said floating barrier modules; (iv) a generally rectangular shaped wire mesh barrier fence extending vertically upward from said second pontoon, said wire mesh barrier fence having a fixed portion and a flexible portion, the flexible portion of said wire mesh fence overlapping the fixed portion of the wire mesh barrier fence for an adjacent floating barrier module of said plurality of floating barrier module; and (v) a wire mesh net support structure extending vertically upward from said second pontoon, said wire mesh net support structure being attached to said second pontoon, said wire mesh net support structure having said wire mesh barrier fence attached thereto; and (d) a fendering system affixed to said plurality of floating barrier modules, said fendering system engaging the hull of said vessel, said fendering system being retractable from the hull of said vessel, said fendering system allowing the floating barrier modules of said near shore port security barrier to be moored against the side of said vessel without damaging the hull of said vessel.