WO2008068504A2

WO2008068504A2 - Floating port and method of use

Info

Publication number: WO2008068504A2
Application number: PCT/GB2007/004691
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew Deaner
Original assignee: SHIPCO Ltd
Current assignee: SHIPCO Ltd
Priority date: 2006-12-08
Filing date: 2007-12-07
Publication date: 2008-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 2009-06-08
Also published as: GB0624570D0; GB2444559A; WO2008068504A3

Abstract

A floating port comprises a mooring location at a side of the floating port, and a channel (1) within the floating port, the channel (1) being arranged to be permanently flooded with water in use. A method of loading and unloading vessels comprises transferring cargo between a vessel (8, 10) moored at a floating port and a vessel (9, 11) in a channel (1) within the floating port.

Description

FLOATING PORT AND METHOD OF USE

The present invention relates to a floating port and a method for using a floating port in loading and unloading vessels. Typically ports and docks are land based and require a large and preferably flat area of land with access to water deep enough for ocean going vessels to moor adjacent to the land to allow loading and unloading of cargo, such as shipping containers. The unloaded cargo is then distributed to the final delivery destination by land, inland waterway or sea, or in some cases is loaded back onto another, generally smaller, vessel for further transport elsewhere.

Land based ports and docks are constrained by the geography of the local area. The depth of the water in the port and in the approaches to the port limits the size of vessel which can use the port. Thus, in many cases, the largest container and cargo ships cannot access the ports closest to the final destination of the cargo on the ships, but instead must go to an alternative port where the cargo is unloaded and often stored for some time before being loaded onto a smaller vessel which can deliver the cargo to its destination port.

In addition, increases in shipping traffic are leading to congestion at ports and significant lag time, where containers remain for undesirably long times stored at a port. Congestion occurs through queues as ocean going vessels wait to be loaded and unloaded, and also queues in the distribution networks, i.e. the barges or lorries which convey the goods onward toward their final destination. Barges are used, for example, on the Rhine to service the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, and congestion occurs as they queue to deliver or pick up cargo. When road transport using lorries forms the distribution networks then the congestion affects not only the goods being delivered to and from the ports, but also affects other road users. Such congestion can be observed in the vicinity of the UK ports of Felixstowe, Tilbury and Thamesport for example. Any delays result in a reduction in profit or in an increase in the costs passed on to the final consumer. In addition congestion, particularly of container traffic on lorries, results in an increase in pollution. Land based ports also have the problem that a lot of acreage, and thus container storage area, is lost through the internal road network required to move containers around. Large container ships are economically and environmentally attractive, as in general the larger the ship the more efficient the transport of the cargo on the ship becomes. Due to this economy of scale the trend is for containerised sea transport to occur on increasingly vast ships. Some container ships are designed to 'Panamax' dimensions, which is the absolute maximum size for vessels that can pass through the Panama Canal. A Panamax cargo ship might typically have a displacement of around 65,000 tons. In addition, 'Post-Panamax¹ container ships are now increasingly in use, and these are vessels which are larger than the Panamax standard, in some cases quite significantly larger. The Panamax standard limits vessels to a length of 294.1 metres a beam (width) of 32.3 metres and a draft of 12 metres, but current prototype ships have a length of 382 metres, a 54.2 metre beam and a draft of 13.5 metres.

To effectively operate with these large ships, large ports are needed with a large draft. Only a small number of ports exist which meet these requirements, and increasing the size of ports is an expensive proposition, not to mention an environmentally destructive one due to the dredging required to increase the depth of water available.

Shipping containers are standard sized containers which allow different modes of transport and different sizes of vehicle to move the cargo within the container, without needing to be adapted to the particular size and shape of the cargo itself. Whilst for convenience containers or Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU) are generally referred to below, as these are the current standard used in commercial shipping of goods, it should be understood that this is not intended to exclude other forms of supplies, goods and cargo that are transported by sea, for example coal and other commodities such as iron ore, bauxite, grain and so on. The comments above with regard to economies of scale apply equally well to such commodities, but instead of being transported in enclosed containers, they are transported in barges and large ocean going vessels in large open holds and compartments. To transfer such commodities between vessels hoppers, cranes and conveyor belts are used.

JP 57057132 discloses a container terminal which is moored at an offshore location. When a container ship arrives, containers are unloaded by means of a container unloading device such as a crane and nioved to a container storage rack. Containers within the storage rack may then be removed and loaded on a container barge for transferral inland. The container ship and the container barge moor at either side of the container terminal.

Similar transhipment terminals are known for coal and the like, which generally involve a floating storage facility equipped with cranes and other cargo transfer equipment.

Floating facilities are advantageous as they often do not require planning permission, and do not significantly damage the ecology of an offshore location, or a location in an estuary or a fjord.

Viewed from a first aspect, the present invention provides a floating port comprising: a mooring location at a side of the floating port, and a channel within the floating port, the channel being arranged to be permanently flooded with water in use.

By the use of a channel within the floating port a sheltered area can be provided for vessels which might otherwise be adversely affected by the larger swells and wave motion that occurs offshore. In addition, in the prior art container terminal discussed above berth space for all vessels is limited to the length of the two sides of the terminal, whereas the use of a channel provides significant additional berth space. The channel can be advantageously placed to run along the port close to the side of the floating port, allowing easy transfer of cargo from a vessel at the mooring location on the side of the port to a vessel in the channel. Channels can also be advantageously placed in a row along one end of the port extending toward a cargo storage area, in order to allow many vessels to simultaneously dock in the channels and unload.

The channel may be in the form of a gap between two sections of the floating port, the gap being free flooding at the base of the channel. The gap may be bridged at the base of the channel by beams or girders or the like. In preferred embodiments however the channel has an enclosed base, and thus is sheltered at the base and the two sides of the channel from water movement caused by swell and wave motion.

The floating port of the invention can be utilised as a container port, i.e. a port for the loading and unloading of cargo in shipping containers, or a port for other types of cargo. Alternatively, the floating port could be utilised for military purposes, as a base for the transfer of personnel and supplies between military vessels. Small supply vessels could transfer supplies from land based ports, and larger naval vessels could moor at the floating port to be re-stocked. In this case the channels may be useful for submarines and other vessels for which a sheltered berthing space is useful.

In a preferred embodiment the mooring location is for use by relatively large vessels, and the channel is for use by smaller vessels. For example, container ships may moor at the side of the port and container barges or small feeder vessels can use the channels. Cargo can then be transferred from between the large and smaller vessels, or onto the port itself for intermediate storage.

The mooring location may be for use with vessels of post-Panamax size. It is particularly advantageous to accommodate these largest sized vessels, due to economies of scale and also because as the vessels become larger the number of existing ports which can service them becomes smaller.

Preferably the port includes a storage deck. This deck can be used for intermediate storage of cargo either whilst the cargo awaits the vessel which will move them to their next destination, or when cargo needs to be loaded onto the receiving vessel in a different order to which they are unloaded from the delivering vessel, for example to meet weight considerations in stacking containers, with heavier containers being placed at the lower end of a stack of containers on a vessel. The size of the storage deck may be at least 30 percent of the width of the floating port and preferably at least 50 percent of the width of the floating port. This size of storage deck provides enough storage to enable large exchanges of cargo to be carried out with large container and cargo ships, and also provides the flexibility to allow for a certain amount of storage time of containers that are awaiting further transportation.

The storage deck maybe recessed below an upper deck level of the port. The use of a recessed storage deck lowers the height of the stored containers, thus reducing wind loading on the port and enabling smaller lift cranes to be used. When a loose cargo such as coal is being shipped, the recessed storage deck increases the volume available for storage because the sides of the recess allow the cargo to be piled higher. Preferably the storage deck is recessed such that it is below the level of water in the channel in use. This ensures optimal use of the space within the structure of the floating port.

In a preferred embodiment, the floating port includes a gate or door for closing off a portion of a channel in order to enable the water to be removed. The gates or doors may be of similar construction to lock gates or dry dock gates, and hence preferably utilise the external water pressure to form a seal. Thus, a portion of the channel can be converted into a dry dock type area. Advantageously, this can be used as an additional storage area. It will also provide access to^' the structure of the floating port within the channel for inspection and maintenance. Where the channel is open at two ends, the floating port may include two gates.

The channel may be provided with fittings to support a gate. For example, the channel may include buttresses, lugs or the like. Preferably, fittings are provided at various locations along the length of the channel.. This provides flexibility in the location of the gate or gates. The floating port may have a crane for loading and unloading vessels. This crane may be a conventional gantry crane as used in existing ports. The crane may be arranged to load and unload a vessel at the mooring location. Where the vessel is of post-Panamax size, the crane is sized accordingly. The crane may be arranged to load and unload a vessel located in the channel. In some preferred embodiments, a single crane is capable of loading and unloading vessels at the mooring location as well as vessels in the channel. This means that a single crane can transfer cargo from either vessel to and from the port, preferably to and from the storage deck.

Preferably, the crane is positioned over the channel and projects out from the side of the floating port. This arrangement allows the crane to access vessels in the channel and vessels moored at the side of the port easily. Where the crane is a gantry type crane, the two legs of the crane may straddle the channel.

In a preferred embodiment, the crane can transfer cargo directly from the vessel at the mooring location to the vessel in the channel. As discussed above it is often necessary to move cargo to an intermediate location when transferring them between vessels, but in the situation where the order of the containers is not important, or when empty containers are being transferred, direct transfer of containers between vessels is useful. This direct transfer is made particularly easy in the case where the crane is positioned over the channel and projects out from the side of the floating port. In order to allow many vessels to be accommodated simultaneously, or to allow a large vessel to be more quickly processed, a plurality of cranes may be arranged along the length of the channel. This is particularly the case where the channel extends along the full length of the floating port. In general, as the length of the floating port increases, and hence as the berth space increases, the number of cranes required will also increase.

One or more smaller secondary crane(s) may be provided for transfer of containers between the port and the smaller vessels. This avoids the use of the main crane when only a small amount of lifting is necessary. Further cranes may be provided for transfer of containers along the storage deck, for example there may be a gantry crane straddling a recessed storage deck.

Preferably there are moorings present on two sides of the port. Thus, the port may be a generally rectangular structure in plan view, with the two long sides forming berth space for mooring container ships, and the central portion of the port including the channel and preferably a storage deck.

The channel may have only one navigable end use for both entry and exit, and thus may be arranged as a docking channel where a vessel enters the channel going forward, and reverses to exit the channel. Preferably the docking channel extends into the port from an end of the port and terminates within the port. The use of a channel of this type allows wider vessels, such as coal barges for example, to be accommodated without loss of storage space. In contrast to a closed-ended channel, a wide channel extending the full length of the port would reduce the storage space. With this arrangement it is preferred that the channels are about the same length as the longest vessel expected to use the channels. Further, to allow many vessels to use the channels to dock and transfer cargo at the same time, it is preferred to have a row of channels along an end of the port, more preferably at both ends. Thus there may be two sides of the port adapted to transfer cargo from larger vessels, and two ends of the port with a row of channels, for example five channels. It is also advantageous for the channel to be navigable at both ends. With this arrangement, smaller vessels and container barges and the like which use the channel can move along the channel in either direction entering at one end and leaving at the other end, and a high volume of traffic can be accommodated by the channel. The channel may be such that it extends along the full length of the port between two ends of the port and parallel to the side of the port. Having the channel parallel to the sides means that the distance between moored vessels and vessels in the channel is a standard distance along the length of the channel. By full length it is intendecLto. mean that the channels run from one end of the port to the other, or run along the length of mooring locations provided on the port. The floating port could be longer than the length of the channels, i.e. the hull or structures on the hull of the floating port might extend beyond the length of the channels.

The floating port may have more than one channel. There may be a channel running along the whole length of the port along each side of the floating port in order to allow smaller vessels in the channels to service larger vessels on the respective sides of the port. The storage deck in this arrangement may be located between the channels, with cranes being provided for each channel.

The ends of the channel may open directly into the sea, or there may be gates, baffles, booms or the like which act to restrict wave movement into the channel whilst allowing vessels to enter and exit the port.

Docking channels with a single open end and channels running along the whole length of the port may be used in combination. This arrangement can be used to increase the docking space relative to the cargo storage space. In a preferred embodiment a full length channel is provided along with a wider docking channel to allow different feeder vessels and barges to be processed efficiently. There may be two full length channels, one along each side, with a docking channel or channels at each end.

It is advantageous for the floating port to maintain a substantially constant height relative to the vessels using the port, and therefore preferably the floating port is arranged to maintain a substantially constant free board during use. Thus the height of a side of the port that extends above the water level is substantially constant. In some cases it may be possible to achieve this simply through the size and displacement of the port being large relative to the change in displacement that occurs as cargo is moved onto and off from the port. However, where a port of smaller displacement or a port having a high storage capacity is used then a compensatory mechanism such as ballast tanks may be provided in order to maintain the substantially constant free board.

In one preferred embodiment the floating port is long enough to accommodate a large number of post-Panamax container vessels, such as twenty-four along each side. However, in some locations a shorter floating port may be preferable. Thus, in other preferred embodiments the floating port accommodates, for example, ten or sixteen post-Panamax container vessels, or even fewer. The advantages provided by the floating port are not dependent on the number of container vessels that it can service, and the size of the port can therefore be adapted to suit any range of expected cargo throughput. Smaller floating ports may be advantageously placed near to each other, in order to provide the same transhipment and storage capacity as a larger port. With this arrangement, rather than needing a single large bay, fjord or other location suitable for the larger port, the same capacity and advantages can be achieved by placing smaller ports in separate but nearby locations, which can be smaller fjords and bays.

Viewed from a second aspect the present invention provides a method of loading and unloading vessels using a floating port, the method comprising: transferring cargo between a vessel moored at the floating port and a vessel in a channel within the floating port.

This method allows cargo to be effectively transferred between vessels, providing an offshore hub for cargo distribution, where, for example, long distance vessels can transfer cargo to shorter distance vessels which can then transport the cargo to various different destinations.

Preferably, the moored vessel is a relatively large vessel and the vessel in the channel is a smaller vessel. Thus, as with the floating dock discussed above, cargo can be transferred from large container ships to smaller feeder vessels and container barges in an efficient manner by use of the channels for the smaller vessels.

In a preferred embodiment the method includes using a storage deck on the floating port for storage of cargo after it has been unloaded from one of the vessels. Intermediate storage in this way allows the vessel which delivers the cargo to the port to arrive earlier than the vessel which then transports the cargo onwards. Thus, all of the smaller vessels that are required to exchange cargo with a larger vessel need not arrive at the same time. In addition, the use of a storage deck allows re-ordering of the cargo ^"as discussed above.

The cargo may be transferred directly between the moored vessel and the vessel in the channel. The advantages of this are discussed above and in particular, empty containers can be usefully directly transferred from vessel to vessel.

Preferably the method of the second aspect and its preferred embodiments uses a floating port as defined in the first aspect and the preferred features thereof. As noted above, the floating port of the first aspect preferably comprises a gantry crane that bridges the channel. Advantageously, the crane may be positioned over the channel and projects out from the side of the floating port, enabling it to load and unload vessels both in the channel and at the mooring location. Preferably, the crane consists of a gantry supported on legs extending upward from either side of the channel, with clear space between the legs such that a vessel can pass under the crane and be unloaded by the crane.

Prior art gantry cranes for ports use cross bracing between the legs to provide structural strength and rigidity. However, to provide a crane adapted for use with the floating port of the first aspect the inventors have gone against this conventional teaching and removed the cross bracing from lower parts of the crane, which is replaced by increase strength in the joints at the upper parts of the crane for example by the use of a boxed construction where the legs connect to the gantry.

Such a crane, with no cross bracing at its lower part, is considered to be inventive in its own right, and therefore a further aspect of the invention provides a gantry crane consisting of legs supporting a gantry, wherein there is sufficient clearance between the legs to allow a vessel to be accommodated for loading and unloading by the crane. Preferably the crane is adapted to be used with the floating port of the first aspect. The clearance space between the legs is preferably sufficient to accommodate container feeder barges, and preferably can accommodate larger feeder vessels. Thus the space may be at least about 15 metres in height, more preferably at least about 25 metres, yet more preferably at least about 35 metres. Advantageously, the crane may be of a sufficient height for unloading of vessels of post-Panamax size from a mooring location beside the crane. Thus, the height of the gantry in addition to the free board of the floating port should be at least about 50 metres, preferably at least about 60 metres. In this case the clearance between the legs may extend to the same height. These heights enable easy transfer of cargo from vessel to vessel and from vessel to storage when the crane is used with the floating port described above. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the height of the gantry is about 48.5 metres and the height of the clearance space between the legs is 37.5 metres. This embodiment is intended for use with the floating port of the preferred embodiment, which has a free board of 5 metres. The gantry preferably extends outward from either side of the crane. This enables containers to be transferred along the gantry from a vessel moored at the side of a floating port to a storage area in a central area of the floating port, when the crane is mounted on a floating port of the type described herein. The gantry may extend 5 outward out a first side by at least about 60 metres for loading and unloading a vessel, more preferably it extends outward by at least about 70 metres. The gantry may extend outward on a second side by at least about 30 metres for transfer of containers to a storage area, more preferable it extends outwards by at least about 40 metres. In a particularly preferred embodiment the crane extends to 80 metres on the first side 10 and to 48.5 metres on the second side

The distance between the legs is preferably roughly the same as the channel width, with the legs being arranged to mount on rails or tracks either side of the channel. In a preferred embodiment, the distance between the legs is 40 metres.

Certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described 15 by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a floating port with channels along either side,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a larger floating port with various vessels using the moorings at the side of the port and the two channels, 20 Figure 3 is a view of the port of Figure 2 with the vessels in alternative positions,

Figure 4 is a variation of the floating port of Figure 1, having a single mooring point,

Figure 5 shows a floating port with channels along each side and docking 25. channels at each end,

Figure 6 is a variation of the floating port of Figure 5, having a single mooring point,

Figure 7 is an embodiment using many docking channels along each end, and

Figure 8 is a variation of the floating port of Figure 7, having a single mooring 30 point,

In Figure 1 a floating port is shown which has two sides having a similar arrangement of a channel 1, which is straddled by cranes 2. The channels 1 run the length of the port parallel to the sides. The cranes 2 are post-Panamax gantry cranes which extend out over the side of the port in order to load and unload vessels. A recessed storage deck area 3, which is formed of a larger central area 4 and smaller storage areas 5 at each side, lies between the two channels 1. Dolphin type moorings 6 are located at each end of the floating port in order to provide a way to secure it in place offshore. Gantry cranes 7 bridge the central recessed storage area 4.

Large vessels can moor at the side of the port beneath the cranes 2, and can thus be loaded and unloaded using the cranes 2. Smaller vessels can navigate the channels 1 and either transfer cargo such as shipping containers directly to and from the larger vessel, or can be loaded and unloaded from cargo in the storage deck 3. Small vessels can be used to transport containers between the floating port and inland destinations, or can also be used to redistribute containers between different areas of the storage deck 3. The gantry crane 7 over the central storage area 4 can be used to move containers around the central storage area 4.

The floating port of Figure 1 has ten cranes and is long enough to accommodate ten post-Panamax container ships.

Figure 2 shows a larger floating port viewed from one end and Figure 3 shows the same port with vessels in different positions. This port is similar to the port of Figure 1, but has only a large recessed storage area 3 between the channels 1. The storage area 3 is split into sections by dividers across the width of the port. Some of the cranes 2 are omitted from Figures 2 and 3 for clarity, and thus only two cranes 2 on each side are shown. On the left hand side of Figure 2 a container vessel 8 of 2000 TEU capacity is shown by the side of the port, and a container barge 9 is in the channel 1, with a small container feeder vessel beneath the cranes 2 by the container vessel 8. On the right hand side of Figure 2 a post-Panamax container vessel 10 is beside the port, and a small container feeder vessel 11 is in the channel 1. As well as the storage deck 3 for stowage of stored containers 12, the central area of the port also comprises a living and working accommodation blocks 13 for ship crew and operating personnel, which include heliports. Figure 3 shows the port of Figure 2 at a different stage in its use, with different vessels using the mooring locations and channels 1. The scale of the floating port can be appreciated from Figures 2 and 3 and in this embodiment the port will be capable of storing up to 20,000 TEU on its lowered main storage deck 3. The basic structure of the port is a floating boxed unit, characterised by its lowered main storage deck 3 and two channels 1 located on either side of the port. These channels 1 enable the smaller feeder vessels 11 and barges 9 to moor within the constraints of the vessel and load and unload containers directly to and from the port and/or between the larger vessels 8, 10 moored up alongside.

The design of the floating port leads to low motion characteristics, large deck area, high stability ease of operation and maintenance, with the creation of a simple and safe working platform for the arrangement of containers on deck.

The port is effectively a dedicated offshore shipping hub which enables the transfer of containers directly to smaller feeder vessels, which will in turn tranship containers onward to smaller ports. This design consideration will enable vessels to deliver containers much closer to their final destination through Short Sea Shipping ("SSS"), and thus reduce the land transport requirement considerably.

The embodiment shown has a length overall of 1,219 meters, a breadth of 183 meters and a depth of 20 meters, with the free board of the vessel being 5 meters. Two channels located on either side of the port will have a width of 30 meters and a depth of 10 meters, enabling smaller feeder vessels 11 and barges 9 of up to 14 meters beam and 20-meter air draft to penetrate into the port.

The main storage deck 3 of the port is lowered in order to reduce windage and to hide stored containers 12 away from view. The super post-Panamax berth spaces on either side of the port will enable the largest ships to dock safely. A total of 2,400 meters of berth space is available on both sides of the port, which will make up a total of 6 super post-Panamax berths, each berth being 400m long with three on either side.

The two channels 1 will each provide an additional two berthing lengths of 1 ,200 metres, giving a total additional berth space of 4,800m in the channels 1. This will enable vessels of up to 14 meters beam to dock and pass down either of the two channels 1. The two channels 1 are located between the legs of the container cranes 2, enabling the gantry crane drivers to lower units directly onto barges 9, just as they do with trucks onshore. The port can be constructed in varying lengths depending on the desired container handling capacity. The port shown in the Figures can be equipped with a total often super post-Panamax container cranes 2 with an outreach of 60 meters to enable the largest vessels 10 to be unloaded with speed in mind. As noted above, for clarity some of the cranes are not shown. Longer ports can have up to forty-eight such cranes.

The cranes 2 have a twin lift double trolley arrangement to enable two gantry crane workers to work in tandem to unload/load and stack and arrange containers in any combination, such as ship-to-ship, ship-to-barge or onto the container storage area 3 of the port. The productivity of this type of arrangement will ensure that the larger vessels can be unloaded with extreme efficiency and port lag time is thus reduced to a minimum.

Assuming that these cranes 2 are capable of moving approx. 60 TEU per hour, i.e. one per minute, a total of 8 cranes working each berth enables 480 TEU to be moved per hour, and 5,760 TEU in a 12 hour period, or 11,520 in 24-hours. This is all dependable on the logistics and the feeding service being in line with the crane unloading and loading times.

The cranes 2 of Figures 2 and 3 have a large clearance space between legs extending upward from either side of the channel 1. The clearance space is almost the same height as the gantry which extends outward for unloading of the super post- Panamax vessels. Preferred dimensions for the gantry cranes 2 are discussed above. Barges 9 and feeder vessels 11 can easily pass beneath the cranes, between the legs, and containers can be efficiently transferred between the floating port, vessels in the channels 1 and at the mooring locations along the side of the floating port. Vessels in the channels 1 can also pass beneath the cranes 2 whilst they are unloading from vessels at the mooring locations, without interfering with the passage of containers overhead.

The super post-Panamax vessels 10 and smaller barges will all dock with a vacuum docking system. The port will also be equipped with horizontal cryogenic storage tanks for the storage of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or the like to provide the power required for the port.

The power arrangement onboard the port will consist of a total of 10 (ten) 6,300 kW four-stroke duel-fuel engines which can be either run on natural gas or Light Fuel Oil (LFO). The port will have the capability to burn cleaner LNG or LFO as required and in any proportion. The vessel will also have a requirement to have enough power to store 4,000 TEU worth of refrigerated containers, and to power all cranes 2, together with enough power for the refrigeration. Ballast tanks will keep the vessel at the correct draft at all times, this is of utmost importance to keep the maximum possible draft in the channels, this will enable the largest feeder vessels 11 to go through the channel, as feeder vessels 11 of up to 2,000 TEU are anticipated.

The port is an elongated shape, with relatively small breadth. This provides an efficient arrangement for accessing the storage deck 3 from both sides, and also means that the port can be easily located offshore without impinging on shipping lanes, or in an estuary without restricting access for other river traffic.

The port does not require any land based connection and instead a barge service can be run between the port offshore and various ports onshore. The barges can also move cargo upriver.

When in location offshore the port will be flanked by two sets of dolphin moorings stretching the length of the port and securing the port in place in its offshore position. The placement of these dolphins between the port and the large vessels will ensure that the large vessels and the port are kept apart from each other and suffer no hull damage. A vacuum mooring system located on each of the dolphins will ensure that the port is kept locked in place for the easy transfer of containers between vessels and between the port and vessels.

Movement of containers to different locations on the port can be done through a series of specially designed barges, which will enable containers to be loaded and transferred by waterborne means to a different location on the port. Each of these barges will be capable of carrying up to 96 TEU stacked 4 (four) high.

As discussed above, a problem with land based ports is the amount of acreage lost to the internal road network for moving containers around the port. With the present floating port it has been found to be advantageous to have the deck space 3 kept for container storage and the sea, with use of the channels 1 used for the movement of any containers. The use of the barges for local transfer of containers therefore provides an efficient Way to ensure effective utilisation of the available deck space for the storage of containers, rather than trying to move them around using, vehicles on the deck of the port. The actual deck of the port is split into forty-eight separate bays, which are not shown in the drawings. Each bay has its own dedicated gantry crane 2 and container storage area. The storage area in each bay enables the stacking of 432 TEU, stacked 6. high. The port can be provided with refuelling facilities and maintenance facilities for the vessels which use and visit the port.

As an alternative to an on board power source, if moored at a suitable location then the port may be provided with a connection to a land based power supply. Secondary cranes can be provided to transfer containers from the storage deck

3 to the feeder vessels 11 and barges 9.

The channels 1 are shown open to the sea at the ends of the port, but gates, baffles or booms could be provided to reduce the wave action within the channel 1 resulting from waves moving along the line of the channels 1. In Figure 4 a variation of the floating port of Figure 1 is shown, which has a single mooring point 15 at one end. The multiple mooring ports of Figure 1 are advantageous in sheltered mooring locations, where a static floating port is required. However, there could be a requirement for a floating port where the it is to be moored in a more exposed or leeward position. In these circumstances the use of a fixed mooring would be inappropriate due to the enormous strain on system due to sea and weather conditions.

To overcome this difficulty a single point mooring system 15 is used, which allows the port to rotate so that it will always be facing into the wind in order to minimise the tidal and wind effects. This type of mooring would be inappropriate in shallow crowded water ways but out in the open sea the rotation of the port and any ships moored to it wquld not be a problem.

With this single mooring point 15 the moored end of the floating port extends beyond the end of the channels 1, which run along the length of the sides of the port.

Figure 5 shows a floating port with open ended channels 1 along the full length of each side and docking channels 14 at each end. The docking channels 14 are wider than the full length channels 1, and thus can accommodate vessels of wider beam, such as coal barges. Alternatively, two vessels of smaller beam could dock in the docking channels 14. Thus, this embodiment could be used to transfer coal and the like from large vessels moored at the sides and unloaded by the cranes 2, onto the storage deck areas 4, 5 and then onward to feeder vessels in the full length channels 1 or wide barges in the docking channels 14. The vessels in the docking channels 14 can be loaded and unloaded by a crane 16 which straddles the channels 14. The crane 16 can access both the central storage deck 3 and the docking channels 14, and thus can easily transfer cargo between vessels and the storage deck 3. The remainder of the features of Figure 5 are similar to the other embodiments discussed above.

As with the embodiment of Figure 4, the port shown in Figure 5 can also be adapted to use a single mooring point 15. This is shown in Figure 6. Figure 7 is an embodiment using many docking channels 14 along each end, and does not include any full length channels.1. This means that the storage area 3 is increased in size, whilst feeder vessels and the like can still be loaded and unloaded using the docking channels 14 and the straddling cranes 16. In addition, this embodiment is provided with a flat deck portion 17, and the remainder of the storage area 3 is made up of many small recessed storage areas 5. Each storage area 5 has an adjacent docking channel 14. The larger cranes 2 at the side of the port can place cargo onto the flat deck 17 or into the nearest storage area 5. Cargo such as containers on the flat deck 17 can be transferred by self propelled container carriers to the ends of the storage areas 5 and then placed into storage by the cranes 7. Once a container is collated for a particular feeder vessel the containers will be removed from the storage areas 5 by the cranes 7 and placed on the deck 17 at the, end of storage areas 5 and then transferred by cranes 16 onto a feeder vessel moored within the docks 14. Alternatively, containers can be directly transferred from the storage area 5 to the adjacent docking channel 14 by the cranes 16. Once again, this embodiment can be adapted to use a single mooring point 15, as shown in Figure 8. In this case, the deck area about the single mooring point 15 forms the flat deck 17.

As noted above, the floating port advantageously includes a gate or door for closing off a portion of a channel 1 , 14 in order to enable the water to be removed, and means for supporting a gate can be provided within the channels 1, 14. For example, considering the embodiments of Figures 5 or 7, fittings for a gate could be provided at the end of the closed channels 14, enabling the conversion of these channels into a dry dock area or additional storage area if required, by fitting a dry dock type gate. In relation to the open ended channels 1, fittings can be provided at locations along the length of the channel 1, and two gates could be installed at selected locations in order to allow a selected portion of the channel to be emptied of water. It will be appreciated that whilst cargo transported in containers and loose cargo such as coal and the like is discussed in relation to particular preferred embodiments above, each embodiment could be adapted to tranship either or both types of cargo, or other cargo types, by providing the appropriate lifting gear and storage facilities.

The floating port can be constructed by making a series of hull sections, each consisting of a side to side section through the port, with each hull section thus including two channel sections and a slice of the central storage area. By making each section the size of a large ship they can be constructed in conventional ship yards. The sections can then be assembled together side by side to form the floating port. This construction could occur at the final location for the offshore floating port.

In an alternative embodiment the floating port can serve as a military base. The basic structure of this embodiment would be generally similar to that shown in the figures, but the large post-Panamax cranes 2 would not be required, and the recessed storage area 3 would be replaced in whole or in part by a deck area level with the top of the port, which would form a runway for aircraft and an associated storage area. Large naval vessels could be re-supplied and maintained alongside the port, with smaller vessels utilising the channels.

In this embodiment the floating port could also be mobile and self propelled, allowing a base of operations to be readily established in a coastal location.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A floating port comprising: a mooring location at a side of the floating port, and a channel within the floating port, the channel being arranged to be permanently flooded with water in use.

2. A floating port as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mooring location is for use by relatively large vessels, and the channel is for use by smaller vessels.

3. A floating port as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the mooring location is for use with vessels of post-Panamax size.

4. A floating port as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, comprising a storage deck.

5. A floating port as claimed in claim 4, wherein the storage deck forms at least 30 percent of the width of the floating port and preferably at least 50 percent of the width of the floating port.

6. A floating port as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the storage deck is recessed below an upper deck level of the port.

7. A floating port as claimed in claim 6, wherein the storage deck is recessed such that it is below the level of water in the channel in use.

8. A floating port as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a crane for loading and unloading vessels.

9. A floating port as claimed in claim 8, wherein the crane is arranged to load and unload a vessel at the mooring location.

10. A floating port as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the crane is arranged to load and unload a vessel located in the channel.

11. A floating port as claimed in claim 8, 9, or 10, wherein the crane is positioned over the channel and projects out from the side of the floating port.

12. A floating port as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the crane can transfer cargo directly from the vessel at the mooring location to the vessel in the channel.

13. A floating port as claimed in any of claims 8 to 12, comprising a plurality of cranes arranged along the length of the channel.

14. A floating port as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein mooring locations are present on two sides of the port.

15. A floating port as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the channel is an open ended channel navigable at both ends.

16. A floating port as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the channel is a docking channel which extends into the port from one end of the port and terminates in the body of the port.

17. A floating port as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising two channels running parallel to one another.

18. A floating port as claimed in claim 17, comprising an open ended channel and a docking channel.

19. A floating port as claimed in claim 17 or 18, comprising a plurality of docking channels.

20. A floating port as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising means for mounting a gate in the channel in order to block passage of water along the channel.

21. A floating port as claimed in claim 20, comprising a gate mounted in the channel, the gate blocking passage of water along the channel.

22. A floating port as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the floating port is arranged to maintain a substantially constant free board during use.

23. A method of loading and unloading vessels using a floating port, the method comprising: transferring cargo between a vessel moored at the floating port and a vessel in a channel within the floating port.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the moored vessel is a relatively large vessel and the vessel in the channel is a smaller vessel.

25. A method as claimed in claim 23 or 24, comprising using a storage deck on the floating port for storage of cargo after it has been unloaded from one of the vessels.

26. A method as claimed in claim 23 or 24, wherein the cargo is transferred directly between the moored vessel and the vessel in the channel.

27. A method as claimed in any of claims 23 to 26, comprising using a floating port as claimed in any of claims 1 to 22.

28. A gantry crane consisting of legs supporting a gantry, wherein there is sufficient clearance between the legs to allow a vessel to be accommodated for loading and unloading by the crane.

29. A gantry crane as claimed in claim 28, wherein the crane is adapted to be used with a floating port as claimed in any of claims 1 to 22.

30. A gantry crane as claimed in claim 28 or 29, wherein the clearance between the legs comprises a space of at least 15 metres in height.

31. A gantry crane as claimed in claim 28, 29 or 30, wherein the gantry is of a sufficient height for unloading of vessels of post-Panamax size from a mooring location beside the crane

32. A gantry crane as claimed in any of claims 28 to 31 , wherein the clearance between the legs extends to about the same height as the gantry.

33. A gantry crane as claimed in any of claims 28 to 32, wherein the gantry extends outward on both a first side and a second side of the crane.

34. A floating port substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

35. A gantry crane substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

36 A method of loading and unloading vessels substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.