Passenger vessel with retractable, concealable bow gangway and method for deploying, retracting and concealing a passenger vessel's gangway

A passenger vessel concealable gangplank assembly, comprising:

• (a) an elongated extendable ramp or gang-plank member having a ramp distal end opposite a ramp proximal end and being configured with a steerable mount configured to be fastened within passenger vessel hull interior below a hull upper deck;
• (b) said elongated extendable ramp or gang-plank member being configured to be stowed in a nondeployed state with said ramp distal end near a passenger hull's forward section and within an openable bow member in its closed state, wherein said ramp proximal end is configured to be in a stowed position adjacent a port hull segment or a starboard hull segment when said gang-plank member is in said nondeployed state, wherein said bow member is openable to an open state to provide a bow opening, and wherein said ramp member is extendable by being conveyed distally or forwardly through said bow opening from said stowed position to an extended position;
• (c) said gangplank assembly further including a pivot or swing mount affixed within said hull interior volume to support said ramp, said extendable and steerable ramp or gang-plank assembly being operable to extend said elongate ramp member's distal end distally beyond said bow to define a deployed state in which a distally projecting ramp extension is supported from said ramp's proximal end;
• (d) said gangplank assembly further including a drive mechanism for said extendable and steerable ramp or gang-plank assembly operable to steer said elongate ramp member's distal end vertically and laterally in arcs defined beyond said bow, including a lateral ramp steering arc angle to either the port or starboard side and a vertical ramp steering angle, wherein said ramp angles extend from a centerline plane and are controlled from said pivot or swing mount when said ramp member is extended and is in said deployed state;
• and wherein said ramp member's distal end is configured to be moved in said vertical arc downwardly from said steerable mount to engage a shore without the necessity of moving the vessel to orient said ramp.

A method for operating a passenger vessel when either (a) mooring along an unimproved shoreline and transferring passengers, crew, stores and other items between the ship and the shore or (b) loading or unloading the vessel via the bow, comprising the method steps of:

• (a) providing a hull having a movable bow member configured to be moved between a closed state and an open state which exposes the hull's interior volume;
• and
• (b) mounting, within said hull interior volume, an extendable and steerable ramp or gang-plank assembly including an elongated retractable and extendable ramp or gang-plank member a steerable mount supporting;
• (c) configuring said assembly to enable said ramp or gang-plank member to be retracted and stowed in the hull's interior when the bow member is in the closed state and extended out of the hull's interior when the bow member is in the open state;
• and
• (d) extending and then lowering said ramp or gang-plank member downwardly from said steerable mount to engage a shoreline or dock facility.

A method for operating a passenger vessel to embark or disembark passengers and crew or to load and unload stores or other items by way of a bow access opening when moored along either an improved or unimproved shoreline, comprising:

• (a) providing a vessel having a hull with a movable bow member configured to be moved between a normal closed state and an open state which exposes an interior volume of the hull;
• (b) providing an extendable and steerable ramp or gang-plank assembly including an elongated retractable and extendable ramp or gang-plank member;
• (c) stowing said assembly in its retracted state within the said interior volume of the hull when the bow member is in the closed state;
• (d) when retracted, locating a proximal end of the ramp in a stowage location on a vessel deck and locating a distal end of the ramp within the closed bow member;
• (e) mooring the vessel adjacent an improved or unimproved shoreline;
• (f) opening the bow member to expose the ramp assembly;
• (g) extending the ramp through the bow opening forwardly of the hull;
• and
• (h) steering and lowering the distal end of the ramp to contact and rest on the adjacent shoreline.

A passenger vessel concealable gangplank assembly, comprising:

• (a) an elongated extendable ramp or gang-plank member having a ramp distal end opposite a ramp proximal end and being configured with a steerable mount configured to be fastened within passenger vessel hull interior below a hull upper deck;
• (b) said elongated extendable ramp or gang-plank member being configured to be stowed in a nondeployed state with said ramp distal end near a passenger hull's forward section and within an openable bow member in its closed state, wherein said ramp proximal end is configured to be in a stowed position adjacent a port hull segment or a starboard hull segment when said gang-plank member is in said nondeployed state, wherein said bow member is openable to an open state to provide a bow opening, and wherein said ramp member is extendable by being conveyed distally or forwardly through said bow opening from said stowed position to an extended position;
• (c) said gangplank assembly further including a pivot or swing mount affixed within said hull interior volume to support said ramp, said extendable and steerable ramp or gang-plank assembly being operable to extend said elongate ramp member's distal end distally beyond said bow to define a deployed state in which a distally projecting ramp extension is supported from said ramp's proximal end;
• (d) said gangplank assembly further including a drive mechanism for said extendable and steerable ramp or gang-plank assembly operable to steer said elongate ramp member's distal end vertically and laterally in arcs defined beyond said bow, including a lateral ramp steering arc angle to either the port or starboard side and a vertical ramp steering angle, wherein said ramp angles extend from a centerline plane and are controlled from said pivot or swing mount when said ramp member is extended and is in said deployed state;
• and
• wherein said extendable and steerable ramp or gang-plank assembly pivot or swing mount affixed within said hull interior volume comprises a mounting frame to support said ramp, said mounting frame including a support structure which incorporates a bottom, or base cross-member spanning a lateral width of the frame support structure, port and starboard, or left and right parallel upright or vertical members or posts extending the height of the frame, and a top cross-member which spans the lateral width of the frame between the vertical members;
• and slide supports mounted inside said mounting frame on said vertical frame members, each said slide support being secured by a horizontal pivot axle to a corresponding frame member and centered on a horizontal pivot axis for pivotal motion with respect to the vertical frame member, said slide supports receiving and movably securing said ramp within and extending through said mounting frame to enable the ramp to slide forwardly and rearwardly through the frame for extension forwardly out of said hull and rearwardly into said hull for storage.