Patent ID: 7959480

Claim:
A disconnectable mooring arrangement for a vessel ( 157 ) comprising: a buoy ( 155 ) having an upper structure ( 155 U) and a lower structure ( 155 L), a generally vertical shaft ( 168 ) defined between said upper structure and said lower structure; a chain table ( 151 ) rotatively coupled to said buoy ( 155 ) by an axial/radial bearing assembly ( 154 ) mounted to said lower structure ( 155 L) of said buoy ( 155 ), said chain table ( 151 ) having anchor legs ( 153 ) attached thereto capable of anchoring said chain table ( 151 ) to a sea floor, whereby said buoy ( 155 ) is free to rotate about said chain table ( 151 ) when said anchor legs ( 153 ) are anchored to said sea floor; a connector flange ( 167 ) having a lower part secured within said vertical shaft ( 168 ) and an upper part extending above said upper structure ( 155 U); a structural connector ( 156 ) mounted on said vessel ( 157 ) and arranged and designed to releasably connect to said upper part of said connector flange ( 167 ), whereby connection of said structural connector ( 156 ) to said connector flange ( 167 ) moors said vessel ( 157 ) to the sea floor while allowing said vessel ( 157 ) and said buoy ( 155 ) to weathervane about said chain table ( 151 ) and wherein said upper structure ( 155 U) of said buoy ( 155 ) is designed to be substantially parallel to a bottom surface ( 157 B) of the vessel ( 157 ), said connector flange ( 167 ) and said structural connector ( 156 ) being arranged and dimensioned to define a vertical space ( 200 ) between said upper structure ( 155 U) and said bottom surface ( 157 B) of the vessel ( 157 ) when said structural connector ( 156 ) is connected to said connector flange ( 167 ), a center line ( 169 ) is defined within said structural connector ( 156 ), said connector flange ( 167 ), said buoy ( 155 ) and said chain table ( 151 ), when connected together, the arrangement further comprising metal-to-metal contact shoes ( 110 ) circumferentially connected about said center line ( 169 ) and facing downwardly from said bottom surface of said vessel ( 157 ).