Diversion of sailing vessel by tethering method and apparatus therefor with harpoon means

Abstract

A method for diverting a sailing vessel is disclosed. A watercraft equipped with a harpoon having a hull-piercing head and a tail attached to a cable may swiftly approach the vessel in the aft position. Upon piercing the hull, an extraction-preventing means, such as spokes unfolded from the head, latching it in the hull and preventing the harpoon's withdrawal. Via a cable attached to the tail of the harpoon the watercraft may use low-speed high-traction propulsion means such as Voith-Schneider Propulsion (VSP) to pull and divert the vessel at the stern to a desired course. The watercraft may preferably have a combination of lifting hydrofoils with propellers and VSP propellers to provide the respective low-traction high-speed and high-traction low-speed modes of operation.

1 . A method for diverting a sailing vessel by tethering means comprising the steps of:
 bringing into range a harpoon means capable of piercing the hull of said vessel wherein said harpoon means comprising
 a head having extraction-preventing means; and 
 a tail attached to a tethering element of sufficient length; 
   piercing said hull with said harpoon means with said extraction-preventing means deployed, thereby preventing extraction thereof;   tugging onto said tethering element to achieve a desired diversion.   
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the harpoon means is brought into range from an aft position of the errant vessel. 
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein the harpoon means is mounted onto a watercraft bringing said harpoon means into range by approaching said vessel from an aft position. 
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein said harpoon means head's extraction-preventing means comprises a plurality of radially unfoldable spokes. 
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 4  wherein the spokes are foldable backwardly to be flush with or less than the harpoon head's diameter and capable of radially unfolding to a limited degree. 
   
   
       6 . A method according to any one of  claims 4  and  5  wherein, upon piercing the hull of the vessel, the spokes unfold and latch the head against the hull's inner surface. 
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the tethering element attached to the harpoon means is a cable of sufficient tensile strength. 
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the cable is unwind to a length of up to 40 metres between the watercraft and vessel. 
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the watercraft tugs onto the cable to tether the vessel to a desired direction. 
   
   
       10 . A watercraft for use in a method for diverting a sailing vessel by tethering means wherein at least one harpoon means is hard-mounted on at least one of bow, portside, starboard and stern. 
   
   
       11 . A watercraft according to  claim 10  wherein the harpoon means is mounted to strike in a multiple angles. 
   
   
       12 . A watercraft according to claim  10  wherein a plurality or harpoon means is mounted on board in a variable angle or strike, and/or in an array. 
   
   
       13 . A watercraft according to  claim 10  comprising at least one of
 high-traction low-speed propulsion and   low-traction high-speed propulsion.   
   
   
       14 . A watercraft according to  claim 13  wherein the high-traction low-speed propulsion includes Voith-Schneider Propulsion means. 
   
   
       15 . A watercraft according to  claim 13  wherein the low-traction high-speed propulsion includes hydrodynamic lifting_elements installed below the hull. 
   
   
       16 . A watercraft according to  claim 15  wherein the hydrodynamic lifting bodies are front and back hydrofoils, including propeller-mounted front hydrofoils. 
   
   
       17 . A watercraft according to  claim 13  comprising Voith-Schneider propellers installed in between front and back hydrofoils at the bottom of the hull. 
   
   
       18 . A watercraft according to  claim 10  for use in a method for diverting a sailing vessel by tethering means via a method for diverting a sailing vessel by tethering means comprising the steps of: bringing into range a harpoon means capable of piercing the hull of said vessel wherein said harpoon means comprising: a head having extraction-preventing means; and a tail attached to a tethering element of sufficient length; piercing said hull with said harpoon means with said extraction-preventing means deployed, thereby preventing extraction thereof; and tugging onto said tethering element to achieve a desired diversion. 
   
   
       19 - 22 . (canceled)