RECOVERY SHIP AND RECOVERY METHOD FOR RECOVERING METAL FROM SEAWATER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an efficient recovery method for recovering an apparatus for collecting metals from seawater and a recovery ship which facilitate collection of materials moored in seawater. SOLUTION: The recovery ship for recovering collecting materials for collecting metals from seawater is a recovery ship for recovering a collecting apparatus 10 for collecting metals from seawater. The collecting apparatus 10 has constitution in which one ends of a plurality of metal collecting materials 13 having buoyancy are detachably connected to a chain 11, at both ends of the chain 11, pressure-resistant buoys 12 are connected to the middle of chain-hoisting prefetching ropes 15 through underwater detaching devices 16 and are floated in sea, and when wires 18 are detached, the chain-hoisting prefetching ropes 15 extend to allow the buoys 12 to float up toward the sea surface. The recovery ship is equipped with: a prefetching rope spooling winch 38 for hoisting the chain-hoisting prefetching ropes 15; a chain hoisting machine 36 for hoisting the chain 11; a chain lowering machine 37 for lowering the chain 11; and a ship's hold which can receive, at least, collecting material storage drums 32 in the number sufficient to take up the metal collecting materials 13 in the number corresponding to the number of the metal collecting materials 13 recovered by a single operation, added with a margin. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT