Unmanned marine vehicle retrieval apparatus and methods

A method of retrieving an unmanned marine vehicle from water using an apparatus, the unmanned marine vehicle including a float and a glider connected by a tether, the method comprising:

• guiding the tether through a tether capture gap to a tether stop defined by a first tether guide and a second tether guide coupled to a buoyant frame of the apparatus;
• holding the tether at the tether stop with a capture arm of the apparatus;
• sliding a tether block assembly along the tether from a stowed position, in which the tether block is positioned near the tether stop, to a deployed position, in which the tether block is positioned away from the tether stop;
• engaging the glider with the tether block assembly at the deployed position;
• raising the tether block assembly to a position adjacent a bottom of the buoyant frame of the apparatus, thereby to raise the glider;
• guiding the float into a receiving bay defined by the buoyant frame;
• and
• securing the float within the receiving bay.

A tether block assembly for securing a tether attached to a glider of an unmanned marine vehicle, the tether block assembly comprising:

• a tether block body defining a tether channel extending along a longitudinal axis and sized to receive the tether, the tether channel having open end extending substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis;
• a tether block door coupled to the tether block body and movable between an open position, in which the tether block door is retracted from the open end of the tether channel, and a closed position, in which the tether block door closes the open end of the tether channel;
• and
• a gripper coupled to at least one of the tether block body or the tether block door, the gripper configured to couple to the glider.