A canal docking system

Abstract

A docking system has vertical rails and brackets for securing to a lock wall. A floating structure has a series of aluminium tubes each extending through multiple resilient buoyant element. Carriages on the tubes engage the rails, the carriages allowing the floating structure to rise and fall on the vertical rails according to water level. Bollards extend inwardly to the dock wall at spaces of several meters. A boat such as a leisure barge can enter a lock without need to tie to the dock, the floating structure protecting the barge as it rises with rising water level. It therefore allows safer and simpler passage of craft through locks, especially leisure craft manned by inexperienced people.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.