System and method for launch and recovery of a marine vessel

A method for recovering at least one vessel to at least one marine platform, said at least one vessel having at least one engagement device either permanently or at least partially reversibly connectable to the same, comprising steps of:

• a. connecting at least one tensioned capturing line to said at least one marine platform;
• b. providing at least one line maneuvering mechanism configured to displace said at least one tensioned capturing line in at least one direction selected from a group consisting of up, down, left, right, forward, backward, playable into said at least one marine platform, playable out of said at least one marine platform, playable into and out of the water and any combination thereof;
• placing the tensioned capturing line outside the platform at a depth extending from sea surface to a depth greater than a depth of a keel of said at least one vessel;
• c. maneuvering a bow of said at least one vessel into a trapping zone of said at least one marine platform, said trapping zone being a region such that, said at least one engagement device being in said trapping zone, movement of said at least one tensioned capturing line towards the keel or stem and then sweeping of said at least one tensioned capturing line while in contact with said keel or stem of said vessel towards said engagement device eventuates in contact between said at least one tensioned capturing line and said engagement device;
• d. raising said at least one tensioned capturing line upward when said at least one vessel is in said trapping zone;
• and keeping at least partial contact between said at least one tensioned capturing line and said keel or stem;
• and
• e. playing in said at least one tensioned capturing line, while blindly sweeping said at least one tensioned capturing line along a substantial portion of a keel-stem line of said at least one vessel toward said engagement device and while maintaining at least partial contact between said at least one tensioned capturing line and said keel or stem, so as to cause said at least one tensioned capturing line to contact at least one engagement device, said contact inducing capture of said at least one tensioned capturing line by said at least one engagement device.

An actuatable deployable lifting structure connected at its bottom end to at least one marine platform and at its top end to a lifting device (such as a crane);

• wherein said deployable lifting structure is characterized by at least two configurations;
• a stowed configuration which is substantially horizontal with regard to sides of said at least one marine platform such that allows safe hauling of a vessel onto said marine platform with no elements of said stowed lifting structure above said hauled vessel (clear sky);
• and an erect configuration which is substantially erect such that a center of gravity of said at least one marine platform, with or without a vessel on board, is substantially under the top end of said deployable lifting structure in its erect configuration:
• actuation of deployable lifting structure between stowed and erect configuration can be done during a launch and recovery procedure.