Offshore wind turbines and deployment methods therefor

A wind turbine comprising:

• a back nacelle assembly;
• and
• a rotating hub rotatively mounted on said back nacelle assembly, said rotating hub including a plurality of scabbards formed therein;
• and
• a plurality of blades, wherein each blade has a spade end that is received within a corresponding one of said scabbards, and wherein each blade is retained in its scabbard by a pin extending through said scabbard and said blade's spade end.

An offshore wind turbine assembly comprising:

• a tower including a tapered lower section having a wide end and a narrow end and a tapered upper section having a wide end and a narrow end, said tapered lower and upper sections being joined together at their respective wide ends;
• a turbine head connected to said narrow end of said tapered upper section;
• a platform including a buoy tank connected to said narrow end of said tapered lower section, wherein said buoy tank is partially filled with ballast such that said buoy tank provides a large mass but also provides buoyancy;
• and
• a wave piercing cowling rotatively attached to said tapered lower section.