Deep/rough water submerged buoyancy pylon

Abstract

A high floating rescue pylon with a passenger compartment at the top and a long narrow portion of the pylon above water with a submerged buoyancy compartment located on the pylon a distance above a ballast chamber at the lower end of the pylon. The unsubmerged portion of the pylon is designed to be high enough to clear the tallest wave crest. The buoyancy compartment is designed to be below water at all times and high enough above the ballast chamber that a pylon righting moment is created by a couple between the center of buoyancy of that chamber and the center of gravity of the ballast chamber. This righting moment is made great enough to create a stable passenger compartment high above the highest waves. The pylon is launched from a rescue vessel or a helicopter to float horizontally, buoyed at one end by a buoyant passenger compartment and at the other end by the about to be submerged variable buoyancy compartment. A heavy ballast shaft slides out the bottom end of the pylon. The heavy ballast shaft pivots one end of the horizontal pylon downward erecting the remaining pylon with passenger compartment uppermost. The now submerged buoyancy compartment enlarges, inflating to lift the now vertical pylon to its design waterline.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for providing stable support in a body of water, the apparatus comprising: 
 an elongated pylon;    a support at a first end of the pylon;    a variable buoyancy flotation device at a second end of the pylon;    ballast carried by the pylon and movable from a first position between the ends of the pylon to a second position extended beyond the second end of the pylon;    means for effecting movement of the ballast from the first position to the second position to thereby establish an upright orientation of the pylon in a body of water with the support disposed above the surface of the water and the ballast disposed below the surface of the water; and    means for varying the buoyancy of the flotation device so as to maintain a desired submersion depth of the flotation device in the body of water.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for rescuing persons from a body of water, the apparatus comprising: 
 an elongated pylon;    a compartment at a first end of the pylon for accommodating persons rescued from the body of water;    a variable buoyancy flotation device at a second end of the pylon;    ballast carried by the pylon and movable from a first position between the ends of the pylon to a second position extended beyond the second end of the pylon;    means for effecting movement of the ballast from the first position to the second position to thereby establish an upright orientation of the pylon in a body of water with the compartment disposed above the surface of the water and the ballast disposed below the surface of the water; and    means for varying the buoyancy of the flotation device so as to maintain a desired submersion depth of the flotation device in the body of water.