Precise navigation buoy

For use in resiliently mooring a buoy deployed on a water surface with said buoy subject to ambient forces and having a cable extending between said buoy and an anchor as said anchor descends toward the water floor, the improvement comprising:

• a drum with a portion of said cable wound on said drum,
• first means rotatably supporting said drum in said anchor to enable said cable to unwind from said drum in response to the descent of said anchor toward said floor,
• a spring having a shaft rotatable in one direction for tensing said spring to store a force in said spring,
• second means secured to said shaft at a position spaced radially outwardly of said shaft for rotation with said shaft and movable axially of said shaft,
• spring means for biasing said second means in said one axial direction,
• a wall secured to said drum having a passageway spaced radially of said shaft at a position corresponding to said second means for receiving said second means in response to movement in said one axial direction of said second means,
• means movable transverse to said axis and engaged with said second means for holding said second means and said shaft against rotation to hold said force in said spring and hold said second means against movement in said one axial direction, and
• means carried beneath said anchor for engagement with said floor to move said transversely movable means transverse to said axis to disengage said second means for enabling movement of said second means in said one axial direction and receipt in said passageway and for thereafter enabling the rotation of said shaft with said drum to apply the force stored in said spring in opposition to said ambient forces.

For use in resiliently tethering a buoy deployed on a water surface to an anchor on the water floor and having a cable secured thereto, the improvement comprising an anchor,

• a drum in said anchor with said cable wound on said drum and extending to said buoy,
• a shaft in said anchor rotatably supporting said drum,
• a tensed spring wound in a spiral having an inner radial end secured to said shaft for rotation therewith and an outer radially end secured against movement relative said anchor, and
• means connecting said shaft to said drum for resiliently biasing said drum and cable against movement of said buoy in a direction extending said cable, and
• in which said means connecting said shaft to said drum comprises a radial wall secured to said drum and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced arcuate slots therein, a pair of pins secured to said shaft for rotational movement with said shaft and movable axially of said shaft in one direction for receipt in a respective one of said slots, and spring means for moving said pins axially of said shaft in said one direction to engage each pin a respective slot.