Marine pipelaying friction clamp device

A marine pipelaying friction clamp device for frictionally retaining an offshore subsea pipeline to be launched into the sea during the laying of the pipeline from a pipelaying vessel, comprising:

• a frame which comprises a main frame structure that is adapted to be supported by the pipelaying vessel, wherein the frame supports multiple annular arrays of clamping units in series in a longitudinal direction of the frame corresponding to an axis of the pipeline to be retained, the annular arrays of clamping units adapted to simultaneously engage separate portions of the pipeline, wherein each annular array of clamping units comprises multiple clamping units, wherein each clamping unit comprises a friction pad adapted to frictionally engage a portion of the pipeline and an associated friction force actuator, adapted to force the friction pad against the pipeline, wherein the frame comprises, for one or more of said annular arrays of clamping units, one or more mobile subframes, wherein each of said one or more mobile subframes carries one or more of the clamping units, and wherein each of said one or more mobile subframes is movably supported by a spring assembly to allow for elastic adjustment of the mobile subframe relative to said main frame structure only in said longitudinal direction of the frame.