Cable layer

A cable layer is a specialized vessel that installs and repairs submarine cables, the power interconnectors and fiber-optic telecom links laid across the seabed. The hull carries large rotating cable tanks below deck plus a cable engine and quadrant or carousel that pays the cable out under controlled tension while a plow or remotely operated vehicle buries it for protection. Dynamic positioning holds the track precisely at the slow laying speed. Repair work uses grapnels to recover a faulted cable, cut out the damaged section, and splice in a new length. Modern power-cable layers handle high-voltage HVDC interconnectors and offshore-wind array and export cables.