Towing system for cargo containers

Apparatus for transporting cargo in a body of water comprising a self-propelled surface vessel, a submergible elongated cargo container, a boom including a semi-rigid continuous structure capable of transferring lateral forces producing a moment about one end of the boom to the other end of the boom, means coupling one end of the boom to the stern of the surface vessel, and means coupling the other end of the boom to the forward end of the cargo container, the means coupling the boom to the surface vessel including drive means for adjusting the angle in a vertical plane between the axis of the boom and the surface vessel to raise and lower the cargo vessel by means of the boom, and means holding the boom at any selected angle against any lateral force exerted on one end of the boom by the cargo container tending to rotate the boom about the end connected to the surface vessel, whereby the boom acts to hold the end of the cargo vessel at a selected depth relative to the surface vessel, the length of the boom being such that the lower end extends downwardly into the water substantially below the draft of the surface vessel, whereby the boom holds the forward end of the container at a depth below the influence of the wake of the vessel, the boom being sufficiently rigid to resist lateral or vertical forces imposed on the lower end by the cargo container.