A Boarding Assembly and a Method for Use Thereof

The invention relates to a boarding assembly for maritime boarding actions, and to a method for use of a boarding assembly.

A boarding assembly may comprise a boarding pole. Boarding poles are used in so called Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) marine actions. VBSS teams are trained to capture enemy vessels, to combat terrorism, piracy, and smuggling, and to conduct customs, safety, and other inspections. A boarding pole may form a hook and climb VBSS boarding system. An example of a boarding pole is produced by SOSSAB, distributed by H. Henriksen AS and marketed as the REBS Giraffe Tracer Pneumatic Telescopic Pole.

A boarding pole is typically fitted in a marine vessel, such as a rigid-inflatable boat (RIB). The boarding pole is connected to the vessel deck via a flexible joint. The vessel may be manoeuvred so as to be next to another vessel, e.g. a ship, to be boarded. A person may erect the boarding pole so as to be substantially vertical. The pole has a hook at the upper, distal end thereof. A rope ladder is suspended from the hook. The telescopic pole may thereafter be extended, by means of pressurized air. Thereafter, the pole may be swung so as for the hook to engage a gunwale of the other vessel. Thereby, the rope ladder is made to hang from the gunwale of the other vessel, down to the boarding vessel. Thereafter, the hook and the rope ladder are released from the rest of the pole by means of a release arrangement, which may be controllable by pressurized air. Thereafter, one or more persons may board the other vessel, using the rope ladder.

The ladder hanging from the hook, while attempting to engage the hook to the other vessel, may cause problems, e.g. due to strong winds grabbing the ladder, and/or waves moving the vessel on which the boarding pole is erected.

An object of the invention is to facilitate the use of boarding poles for maritime boarding actions.

The object is achieved by a marine surface vessel according to claim. Thus, the object is achieved by a boarding assembly for maritime boarding actions,

The boarding assembly may comprise a boarding pole. The target marine vessel part may be a gunvale of a ship to be boarded. The elongated climbing device may be flexible. The elongated climbing device may be a rope ladder, or a ladder comprising rigid parts joined by flexible joints. In some embodiments, the elongated climbing device is rigid, e.g. a rigid ladder.

By the invention it is possible to erect the boarding assembly on the support structure, and engage the engagement device to the target marine vessel part, without the climbing device attached to the engagement device. There, problems caused by winds grabbing the climbing device hanging from the engagement device, while attempting to engage hook to the other vessel, are avoided. Instead, the engagement device may be engaged to the target marine vessel part without the interference of the climbing device, and once the engagement device is engaged to the target marine vessel part, the climbing device can be pulled up to the engagement device.

Also, the invention allows for the use of heavier and/or more rustic climbing devices.

Preferably, the holding assembly is flexibly mounted to the engagement device. The boarding assembly may be arranged to release the device carrier from the engagement device, when the engagement device is engaged to the target marine vessel part. By the flexible mounting of the holding assembly to the engagement device, the holding assembly can be moved aside while the device carrier is attached to the engagement device. Once the device carrier is released from the engagement device, the holding assembly can move, by means of the flexible mounting, and gravity, to a position, in which it can receive the climbing device.

The flexible mounting of the holding assembly to the engagement device may be provided by means of one or more flexible joints, or one or more ropes or wires

Preferably, the boarding assembly comprises a release mechanism, arranged to release, upon the engagement mechanism engaging the pulled up end of the climbing device, the elongated flexible element from the elongated climbing device. Thereby, the elongated flexible element, e.g. in the form of a rope, may be removed before any person climbs up the climbing device. This removes the risk of the elongated flexible element interfering with the person's climbing, e.g. by getting tangled up with the person, or attire or equipment of the person.

The objects are also reached with a method according to any one of claims-.

Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention are disclosed in the following description and in the dependent claims.

shows a longitudinal, vertical section of a marine surface vessel in the form of a rigid-inflatable boat (RIB), herein also referred to as an action marine vessel. The boat incomprises a solid, shaped hulland flexible tubesat a gunwale. The hullmay be made in any suitable material, such as steel, wood, aluminium, or fibre-reinforced plastic, such as glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) composite, or carbon reinforced plastic. The hull may present a single skin, or it can be a sandwich construction. The hullmay be a “deep-V hull”, or a “shallow-V” hull, a catamaran hull, or a trimaran hull.

In the example shown in, the solid hullreaches to the top of the tubes. Thereby, the solid hullforms an internal part of the gunwale. Hence, only a forward end of the tubesare visible in the cross-section of. The tubesmay be provided outside of the solid hull, along the sides thereof. The tubesmay be joined at the bow. At the stern, an outboard engine mounting board is provided, with one or more outboard engines.

It should be noted that the invention is equally applicable to alternative types of vessels. For example, the vessel may have a fully rigid hull. The vessel may have one or more inboard engines.

The vessel further presents a deck. The deck is surrounded by the gunwale. The vessel further comprises a steering console. The steering console presents control devices for a driver of the vessel, such as a steering wheel, engine control devices, and instruments. The consolemay further house equipment for the vessel, or for a mission of the vessel.

The vesselcomprises a boarding assemblyfor maritime boarding actions. The boarding assembly comprises an elongated device carrier, and a boarding engagement deviceremovably attached to an engagement endof the device carrier.

An attachment deviceis provided in the deck. The attachment device may be mounted to the deck directly, or via a device, such as a rail. The attachment device is located in front of the console. The device carrieris, at a support endthereof, attached to the deck, via a flexible jointand the attachment device. The support endis opposite to the engagement end. The flexible jointmay be provided in any suitable form, e.g. as a rubber pin, or a helical spring.

The engagement deviceis provided in the form of a hook. The hook has a tip made of hard metal, such as hardened steel, or a tungsten carbide. It should be noted that the engagement device may be provided in any alternative suitable form, for engaging a part of a vessel to be boarded.

Thus, between the flexible jointand the engagement device, the boarding assemblypresents the elongated device carrier. In, the boarding assemblyis in a non-erected state. Thereby, it may extend substantially parallel with a longitudinal direction of the vessel. Herein, the vessel longitudinal direction is understood as a direction of straight travel of the vessel.

Reference is made also to. By means of the flexible joint, the boarding assemblymay be erected by a person, while attached to the attachment device. In this example, the attachment device is provided in the form of a plate, which may be bolted to the deck. The attachment device may be provided in any suitable form. The attachment device may comprise a female adaptor, arranged to receive a male adaptor at an end of the flexible joint.

By being erected on the support structure, the device carrierwill allow the engagement deviceto engage a part, e.g. a gunvale, of a ship to be boarded. Illustrated inis an engagement device, a device carrier, a flexible joint, and an attachment deviceof a boarding assembly marketed as the REBS Giraffe Tracer Pneumatic Telescopic Pole, mentioned above. However, the invention is applicable to a large variety to boarding assemblies.

The boarding assembly comprises handles, to be held by a person holding the boarding assembly in an erected state.

The device carriermay be telescopic. Thereby, the device carrier may be extended. The boarding assemblymay comprise a manoeuvring devicefor extending the device carrier. Embodiments of the invention may allow raising the boarding assembly, followed by extending the device carrier.

Reference is made again to. For extending the device carrier, the boarding assemblycomprises a conduitfor the provision of pressurized air, from a pressurized air source. The air conduitmay be arranged to be connected, at a distal end thereof, to an air supply connection (not shown). The air supply connection may be connected by an air conduit with one or more pressurized air sources in the form of gas cylinders (not shown). The gas cylinders may be stored in the console.

The pressurized air may be, by control of the manoeuvring device, allowed to enter the Device carrier, for extending the device carrierin a telescopic manner. For this, the device carried may comprise two, three, four, or more, coaxial tubes, arranged one inside the other.

It should be noted that other manners of extending the assembly are conceivable. It should be noted that the extension of the device carriermay be driven in any suitable manner, e.g. hydraulically, pneumatically, electrically, or manually.

The boarding engagement devicemay be arranged to be released, by control of the manoeuvring device, from the device carrier. Alternatively, as is known per se from said boarding pole marketed as the REBS Giraffe Tracer Pneumatic Telescopic Pole, the boarding engagement device, in the form of a hook, is released automatically when the tip of the hook is in contact with a part of the target marine vessel, and the operator retracts the device carrier. The connection between the hookand the device carriercomprises a release mechanism. The release mechanism is designed so that the release takes place when the engaged hook, due to the retraction of the device carrier, rotates backwards around the top of the device carrier.

As illustrated in, the boarding assembly comprises a holding assemblymounted to the engagement device. An elongated flexible element, on the form of a rope, extends through the holding assembly. The ends of the flexible elementare on the deck, or within reach for someone on the deck. A climbing device, in this example in the form of a rope ladder, is attached to one of the flexible elementends.

Reference is made also to. As can be seen, the holding assembly is flexibly mounted to the engagement device via a flexible joint. By the flexible mounting of the holding assemblyto the engagement device, the holding assembly can be moved aside while the device carrieris attached to the engagement device.

The holding assemblycomprises a support device in the form of a pulley block. The support devicecomprises a pulley with a grooved rim around which the flexible elementcan pass. Thereby, the direction of the flexible elementis changed so that it reaches the pulley from below, and continues downwards.

The holding assemblyfurther comprises a holding housing, described closer below. The flexible elementextends through the holding housing.

Reference is made also toand. As understood, the boarding assembly may be moved so as for the engagement deviceto engage a a part of a target marine vessel to be boarded, e.g. a gunwaleof the target marine vessel.

When the engagement devicehas engaged the target marine vessel part, the device carrier () is released from the engagement device.

Once the device carrier is released from the engagement device, the holding assemblycan move, by means of the flexible mounting, and gravity, to a position, in which it can receive the climbing device. In this embodiment, thereby, the holding devicehangs from the flexible joint.

Reference is made also to. The holding deviceis arranged so that the elongated flexible elementcan be pulled through the support deviceso as to pull an end of the climbing deviceup towards the holding device. Thereby, a person standing on the vessel deck can pull up the climbing deviceto the engagement device. The climbing deviceis attached to the flexible elementvia a mating device, described closer below.

Reference is made also to. The holding assemblycomprises an engagement mechanism. The engagement mechanism may comprise one or more, in this example four, catching devices. The catching devices are spring loaded. The catching devices are mounted externally on the holding housing.

The holding housinghas a generally conical internal surface. The cone formed by the internal surfaceopens downwards. The catching devicesextend so that parts thereof are under the opening formed by the internal surface.

The mating devicehas a generally conical external surface, which narrows upwards. The flexible elementextends through the holding housing, coaxially with the cone formed by the internal surface.

The flexible elementis fastened to the mating device. The flexible elementmay be fastened to the mating deviceby means on one or more cleats, in this example one cleat. In this example, the cleat releases the flexible elementby means of a leverfixed to the cleat, as exemplified below. Thereby, the cleat and lever form parts of a release mechanism for the flexible element.

Reference is made also to. When pulled up, the mating deviceenters the holding housing. Thereby, the catching devicesmove outwards. When the mating devicehas passed the parts of the catching devicesat the opening formed by the internal surface, the catching devicesmove back, thereby preventing the mating deviceto move out of the holding housing. Thereby, the engagement mechanism is arranged to engage and retain the pulled up end of the climbing device.

When the mating deviceis pulled further into the holding housing, said levercomes into contact with the internal surface. Thereby, the lever turns, thereby turning said cleat. Thereby, the flexible elementis released. Thereby, upon the engagement mechanism engaging the pulled up end of the climbing device, the elongated flexible elementis released from the climbing device.

Reference is made also toand. When the flexible elementhas been released, the mating devicemay rest of the catching devices. Thereby, the climbing devicemay hang from the holding assemblywhich is mounted to the engagement device. Thereby, the climbing device may be used for one or more persons to enter the other vessel.

The levermay be held in a position for allowing the flexible elementto be released, by a spring loaded latch, or similar. The levermay be spring loaded, and the latchmay have a release lever. Thereby, when the boarding assembly is prepared for further use, the flexible elementmay be inserted into the mating deviceagain, and the levermay be released so that the cleatcatches and holds the flexible element.

Thus, the use of the boarding device may involve a person driving the vessel, and manoeuvring the vessel so as to be next to another vessel, e.g. a ship, to be boarded. Another person, who may be referred to as an assembly control person, may erect the boarding assemblyso as to be non-horizontal, e.g. substantially vertical. The assembly control person may thereafter allow, by control of the manoeuvring device, the extension of the boarding assembly. The assembly control person may swing the boarding assembly so as for the engagement deviceto engage a target marine vessel part, e.g. a gunwaleof the target marine vessel to be boarded.

Once the engagement deviceis engaged, the device carriermay be released from the engagement device. Thereafter, the flexible elementis pulled through the support deviceso as to pull, attached to the flexible element, the end of the elongated climbing device up towards the engagement device. The engagement mechanismengages and retains the pulled up end of the climbing device. Also, upon the engagement of the pulled up end of the climbing device, the flexible element is released from the elongated climbing device.

Thereby, the flexible elementis made to hang from the gunwale of the other vessel, down to the boarding vessel. Thus, one or more persons can use the climbing device.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.