Underwater plough and method of operating an underwater plough

A method of operating an underwater plough for providing an elongated element into a submerged surface, the method comprising:

• providing a underwater plough comprising:
• a body portion for receiving and guiding an elongated element therethrough, the body portion having:
• a first end positioned at or towards the front of the underwater plough;
• a second end positioned at or towards the rear of the underwater plough;
• and
• a longitudinal axis along which the first end and second end are spaced;
• a plough share extending from an underside of the body portion, the plough share comprising a cutting edge for cutting a bottom of a trench in which the elongated element is to be deposited;
• support means for supporting the underwater plough with respect to a submerged surface, the support means comprising:
• a first set of at least one support member extending from an underside of the body portion, the at least one support member of the first set having a contact portion for contacting the submerged surface;
• and
• a second set of at least one support member extending from an underside of the body portion, the at least one support member of the second set having a contact portion for contacting the submerged surface;
• wherein the at least one support member of the first set is rotatable with respect to the body portion and the at least one support member of the second set is rotatable with respect to the body portion,
• actuating means configured to rotate the at least one support member of the first set with respect to the body portion and/or to rotate the at least one support member of the second set with respect to the body portion,
• positioning the underwater plough on the submerged surface in an operational configuration in which:
• the at least one support member of the first set extends from the body portion in a first direction, the first direction being angled away from the longitudinal axis of the body portion;
• the at least one support member of the second set extends from the body portion in a second direction, at an angle to the first direction, the second direction being angled away from the longitudinal axis of the body portion;
• the contact portion of the at least one support member of the first set and the contact portion of the at least one support member of the second set are in contact with the submerged surface;
• the longitudinal axis of the body portion is angled with respect to the submerged surface, with the longitudinal axis being closer to the submerged surface at the first end of the underwater plough than at the second end of the underwater plough;
• and
• the cutting edge is in contact with the submerged surface or the bottom of the trench;
• performing a ploughing operation with the underwater plough;
• and
• actuating the actuating means with underwater plough in the operational configuration such that the first direction and the second direction are varied to change the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the body portion with respect to the submerged surface and/or the distance between the body portion and the submerged surface while the underwater plough is supported by the support means.

A method of deploying an underwater plough for providing an elongated element into a submerged surface, the method comprising:

• providing a underwater plough comprising:
• a body portion for receiving and guiding an elongated element therethrough, the body portion having:
• a first end positioned at or towards the front of the underwater plough;
• a second end positioned at or towards the rear of the underwater plough;
• and
• a longitudinal axis along which the first end and second end are spaced;
• a plough share extending from an underside of the body portion, the plough share comprising a cutting edge for cutting a bottom of a trench in which the elongated element is to be deposited;
• support means for supporting the underwater plough with respect to a submerged surface, the support means comprising:
• a first set of at least one support member extending from an underside of the body portion, the at least one support member of the first set having a contact portion for contacting the submerged surface;
• and
• a second set of at least one support member extending from an underside of the body portion, the at least one support member of the second set having a contact portion for contacting the submerged surface;
• and
• a drawbar coupled to the body portion, the drawbar being for connection to a towing line;
• positioning the underwater plough on a surface of a deployment vessel in a deployment configuration in which:
• the at least one support member of the first set extends from the body portion in a first direction;
• the at least one support member of the second set extends from the body portion in a second direction, at an angle to the first direction;
• the contact portion of the at least one support member of the first set and the contact portion of the at least one support member of the second set are in contact with the surface of the deployment vessel;
• the longitudinal axis of the body portion is angled with respect to the surface of the deployment vessel, with the longitudinal axis being closer to the surface of the deployment vessel at the first end of the underwater plough than at the second end of the underwater plough;
• the drawbar is in a deployment position wherein the drawbar is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body portion so as to extend substantially vertically from the body portion;
• and
• the cutting edge is in contact with or adjacent to the surface of the deployment vessel;
• loading an elongated cable onto the underwater plough;
• and
• suspending the underwater plough from a towing line connected to the drawbar and deploying the underwater plough from the deployment vessel to a submerged surface in a body of water.