Maritime measurement device, system for measuring ground effect and automatically maintaining travel in ground effect and vessel automatically remaining in ground effect

A method of controlling elevation of a Wing In Ground Effect (WIG) vessel to remain in ground effect during transit, said method comprising:

• receiving sensor signals from a plurality of surface distance sensors, each sensor signal indicating the distance to a travel surface directly beneath a respective sensor;
• determining a ground effect ceiling responsive to received said sensor signals;
• setting travel elevation for said WIG, said travel elevation being above said travel surface and below said ground effect ceiling;
• and until transit is complete
• returning to receiving sensor signals.

A transport vessel for traveling over a body of water, said transport vessel comprising:

• a Wing In Ground Effect (WIG) vessel;
• a plurality of sensors distributed about the bottom surface of said WIG;
• and
• a controller communicating with said plurality of sensors, signals from each sensor during flight indicating the distance to the surface directly below the respective sensor, said controller determining the ground effect region for said WIG in real time from said signals and further determining WIG elevation during transit.