Apparatus and methods for recovering one or more contaminants from a body of water

A system useful for collecting water from a body of water and debris at or near the surface of the body of water onto a waterborne vessel, the vessel having front and rear ends and being positionable at or near the surface of the body of water, the system comprising:

• at least a first cargo compartment disposed on the vessel, being in fluid communication with the body of water and configured to contain water and debris collected from the body of water;
• at least one passageway fluidly coupling said first cargo compartment and the body of water;
• at least one suction conduit disposed on the vessel and fluidly coupled to said first cargo compartment;
• at least one discharge pump disposed on the vessel and fluidly coupled to said at least one suction conduit, said at least one discharge pump having sufficient capacity to create suction in said at least one suction conduit to concurrently (i) draw water and debris from the body of water through said at least one passageway into said first cargo compartment whether or not the vessel is moving and (ii) draw water from said first cargo compartment into said at least one suction conduit;
• and
• at least one gate disposed on the vessel proximate to said at least one passageway, said at least one gate being selectively moveable up and down relative to said at least one passageway between at least a first position and at least a second position, said at least one gate in said first position being disposed at a height below said at least one passageway and said at least one gate in said second position extending across and blocking a lower portion of said at least one passageway, preventing the flow of water and debris from the body of water into said first cargo compartment through said lower portion of said at least one passageway and limiting inflow into said first cargo compartment through said at least one passageway to water and debris disposed at or near the surface of the body of water during use of the system.

A method of collecting water and debris from a body of water at or near the surface of the body of water onto a waterborne vessel, the vessel being positionable at or near the surface of the body of water, the method comprising:

• submerging the front end of the vessel in the body of water and at least partially submerging at least one passageway disposed on the vessel proximate to the front end of the vessel in the body of water, the at least one passageway being in fluid communication with at least a first cargo compartment on the vessel;
• at least one discharge pump concurrently (i) drawing water and debris from the body of water through the at least one passageway into the first cargo compartment regardless of whether the vessel is moving and (ii) drawing water out of the first cargo compartment through at least one suction conduit;
• and
• at least one wave dampener limiting inflow into the first cargo compartment from the body of water to water and debris at or near the surface of the body of water, the at least one wave dampener being pivotably coupled to the vessel proximate to the front end of the vessel below the surface of water that enters the first cargo compartment from the body of water through the at least one passageway and including at least one float floating at or near the surface of water contained in the first cargo compartment aft of the first end of the at least one wave dampener.

A method of collecting water and debris from a body of water at or near the surface of the body of water onto a waterborne vessel, the vessel being positionable at or near the surface of the body of water, the method comprising:

• submerging the front end of the vessel in the body of water and at least partially submerging at least one passageway disposed on the vessel proximate to the front end of the vessel in the body of water, the at least one passageway being in fluid communication with at least a first cargo compartment on the vessel;
• at least one discharge pump concurrently drawing water and debris from the body of water through the at least one passageway into the first cargo compartment regardless of whether the vessel is moving and drawing water out of the first cargo compartment through at least one suction conduit;
• and
• moving at least one gate disposed within the first cargo compartment proximate to the front end of the vessel upwardly to extend across and block a lower portion of the at least one passageway, preventing the flow of water and debris from the body of water into the first cargo compartment through the lower portion of the at least one passageway and limiting inflow into the first cargo compartment from the body of water to water and debris at or near the surface of the body of water.