Landing craft with fixed and retractable azimuthing drives

(19)

(11)

EP 1 243 502 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	05.11.2003 Bulletin 2003/45

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	25.09.2002 Bulletin 2002/39

(21)	Application number: 02290575.6

(22)	Date of filing: 07.03.2002

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: B63B 35/54, B63H 5/08 // B63H5/125, B63B27/14

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30)

Priority:

22.03.2001 US 815112

(71)	Applicant: Kvaerner Masa Marine, Inc.
	Annapolis, MD 21401 (US)

(72)	Inventor:
	Armour, Robert West Vancouver, British Columbia V7T 2B1 (CA)

(74)	Representative: Bérogin, Francis
	Cabinet Plasseraud 84, rue d'Amsterdam 75440 Paris Cedex 09 75440 Paris Cedex 09 (FR)

(54)	Landing craft with fixed and retractable azimuthing drives

(57) A marine vessel (10) used for loading and offloading vehicles and cargo that has both excellent seakeeping and beaching properties. The vessel (10) is provided with azimuthing or steerable thrusters (20,22) below the waterline at the bow (12) and stem (14) of the ship, with the stern end thrusters (22) being retractable into the hull during beaching operations. Because the vessel (10) is beached "stem first" the bow (12) may be designed with better wave breaking and seakeeping features than are on prior landing craft designs.

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