ATTEMPTS AT DEVELOPING NEW MOORING SYSTEM REDUCING HEAVING AND PITCHING MOTION

Mooing systems using piles and roller fenders, or chains are often used for coastal floating structures. Pile mooring system can restrict horizontal motion, but not heaving and rotational motion. In contrast, chain mooring system does not cost much, but can not reduce horizontal motion. In Europe and America, ship design and operation have been recommended to respond to elderly and disabled persons' needs. Also in Japan, Transportation Accessibility Improvement Law came into force in November 2000. This law will probably require ships and facilities in harbor and costal zone to reduce the responses in waves in the near future. Therefore, motion reduction in waves as well as cost is possible to be more important guidelines. In the background, the present research attempts at developing a new mooring system reducing heaving and pitching motion in particular, and demonstrates the mooring performance and the feasibility.