METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING CARGO FROM A TWIN-HULL SEA-GOING SHIP

A twin-hulled sea going vessel especially configured and adapted for transporting cargo carrying water vessels thereupon comprising : (i) first and second substantially parallel hulls which lie beneath the water surface; (ii) first and second hull tanks for regulating the draft and horizontal position of said ship wherein when said hull tanks are substantially filled with water said ship is at a loading draft and when said hull tanks are substantially filled with air said ship is at voyage draft; (iii) at least one generally horizontal submersible platform having a deck located on a top portion thereof for supporting at least one cargo carrying vessel thereupon; (iv) a hearing bar projecting from said at least one generally horizontal platform; (v) at least one transverse truss coupled between said first and second hulls, said transverse truss being positioned and aligned in a generally perpendicular relationship to said first and second hulls; (vi) a support rail on each of said at least one transverse truss for engaging said bearing bar and supporting said platform; (vii) an air cell, subdivided longitudinally and transversely and located beneath the deck of said at least one submersible platform; (viii) a first air compressor; (ix) first piping means for injecting air from said first air compressor into said air cell; (x) a first valve which regulates the flow of air from said first air compressor into said air cell; (xi) first vent piping means for ejecting air from said air cell; (xii) a second valve which regulates the venting of air from said air cell; (xiii) a second air compressor; (xiv) second piping means for injecting air from said second air compressor into said hull tanks; (xv) a third valve which regulates the flow of air from said second air compressor into said hull tanks; (xvi) second vent piping means for ejecting air from said hull tanks; (xvii) a fourth valve which regulates the venting of air from said hull tanks; (xviii) a first plurality of sensors mounted on said platform providing feed-back on depth of immersion and horizontal position of said platform to a load computer having a central processor; (xix) a second plurality of sensors mounted on said hulls providing feed-back on depth of immersion and horizontal position of said hulls to said central processor; and (xx) the central processor being programmed with software especially configured and adapted to include calculated flow rates utilized to allow the load computer to contr