Supporting system for a floating vessel in shallow or very shallow water

Method for supporting a floating vessel on a bed of a body of water, the floating vessel having a hull and a deck, the method comprising:

• providing a system having more than three support structures and more than three corresponding extendable supports, wherein said support structures and the corresponding extendable supports are within the hull and within a profile of the hull, and wherein said extendable supports extend or retract within the hull entirely under the deck of said floating vessel;
• defining a stress to apply to each of the extendable supports as a function of a predefined maximum stress on a hull calculated or predefined in a predefined section or point of the hull of the floating vessel;
• controlling extension, or retraction, of said extendable supports to apply the stress defined for each of the extendable supports;
• measuring stress applied to each of the extendable supports;
• checking that the stress applied to each of the extendable supports is less than a predefined maximum value;
• measuring a water level of the body of water;
• and
• checking stress applied to each of said extendable supports at a change in the water level of the body of water;
• wherein if a value of the stress applied to each of the extendable supports exceeds a predetermined maximum stress value for each of the extendable supports, applying a new stress to each of said extendable supports and controlling the extension or retraction of said extendable supports.

A floating vessel comprising:

• a hull;
• a supporting system, the supporting system comprising:
• a support structure in the hull of said floating vessel;
• an extendable support connected to said support structure and partially supporting the floating vessel when supported by said extendable support and when said extendable support rests on a bed of a body of water;
• an actuator connected to said support structure and connected to said extendable support for extension or retraction of said extendable support;
• a controller connected to said actuator to control the extension or retraction of said extendable support;
• a hull stress monitor connected to said controller;
• a stress monitor for monitoring stress on the extendable support connected to said controller;
• and
• a water level sensor for measuring a water level in a body of water operatively connected to said controller to extend the extendable support if the water level falls below a minimum value that would cause the hull to touch the bed of the water body;
• wherein said extendable support comprises more than three extendable legs;
• wherein said support structure comprises more than three leg seats;
• wherein said more than three leg seats are arranged in said hull to distribute weight of said floating vessel;
• wherein each leg seat and a corresponding extendable leg comprises a supporting brace installed in said hull both with the extendable leg in a fully retracted position and in a fully extended position;
• wherein each of said supporting braces comprises:
• seat walls delimiting a seat;
• a guide for guiding an extendable leg;
• an actuator assembly comprising a cylinder-piston assembly, arranged between a supporting bracket, detachably connected to said seat walls and to said extendable leg to extend or retract said extendable leg;
• a leg foot detachably connected to said extendable leg and resting on the bed of the body of water distributing stress applied by said extendable leg;
• an actuation sensor to detect action exerted by the actuator assembly, the actuation sensor comprising a pressure sensor of the cylinder-piston assembly;
• and
• an extension sensor to detect position or travel or extension of said extendable leg;
• wherein said support structure and a corresponding extendable support are in the hull and within a profile of the hull.