Automated mooring system

An automated mooring system holds a ship against a berth without conventional ropes, using vacuum pads or magnets mounted on the quay or a pontoon that clamp the hull and pay out under tide and surge. The vacuum type, marketed as MoorMaster by Cavotec, deploys several pad units each developing on the order of 200 kN of holding force, moors a ship in under a minute, and removes line handlers from the quay. It is used at ro-ro and ferry berths, lock approaches, and bulk berths exposed to long-period swell, where it cuts ranging motion that interrupts cargo work. The pads track the vessel as draft changes, keeping the hull tight against the fenders.