EP2990323B1

EP2990323B1 - Remote-controlled buoy

Info

Publication number: EP2990323B1
Application number: EP15002157.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ivano DE SANTI
Original assignee: Pme Mare Srl
Current assignee: Pme Mare Srl
Priority date: 2014-07-23
Filing date: 2015-07-21
Publication date: 2020-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 2035-07-21
Also published as: HRP20201922T1; EP2990323A1; ES2850025T3

Description

The present invention relates to a remote-controlled buoy. More particularly, the present invention relates, preferentially, to a remote-controlled buoy for the retrieval of the mooring cable, to be used referring to different types of vessels (e.g. sailing vessels, motor vessels, etc), and preferably for recreational purposes, in a plurality of environments (e.g. seaside, river, lake, etc in which the same is used). The present invention also relates to a process for the retrieval of said mooring cable by means of the buoy itself.
On the other hand, the present invention also refers to a process for the installation of the buoy, in association with a fixed sinker to indicate that a mooring place for a vessel is free or occupied.
Usually, said recreational boats are moored keeping the stern of the vessel facing towards the berthing place (for example, a dock), and ensuring the bow by means of a cable connected to a submerged catenary.
In particular, with reference to said recreational vessels, two different methods of mooring are known.
First of all, it is known to perform an operation of mooring using a mooring cable connected to a floating buoy, said cable being first hoisted by means of a hook or similar, and subsequently secured to the bow edge of the vessel.
The presence of said floating buoy significantly cooperates in facilitating the operator in the retrieval of the cable. However, said method of mooring has different problems, reason for which it is even forbidden in some touristic seaports. These problems are primarily related to the potential risks of tangling up, during mooring, of the cable (which is in fact floating suspended out of the water to effect of said floating buoy) to propellers, rudders or other mechanical parts of the vessel, thereby causing engines deadlock, blocking of rudders or in any case damage to said mechanical parts of said vessel. Moreover, in case of unfavourable weather conditions, said cable, due to the fact that it is suspended in the fluid, and it is therefore susceptible to more or less large fluctuations, may cause similar accidents of tangling up involving other transiting vessels in the immediate nearby.
On the other hand, it is also known to make the docking of the vessel by connecting the catenary to one end of a sufficiently long mooring cable, connecting the other end of the same to the quay, so that said cable, when not in use, will deposit in a natural way on the sea-bed, largely avoiding the risk of tangling up of the same with respect to mechanical parts of surrounding vessels.
In fact, in these cases, the retrieval of the mooring cable takes place only when the concerned vessel is located closed to the dock (or to another docking point), moment in which the retrieval of said cable is ensured manually or by a suitable means provided with at least one end shaped like a hook (for example, a boat hook), said cable is then caused to slide to the bow of the vessel, hoisting and fixing it at the end of said bow.
However, even with reference to the foregoing method of docking, certain critical profiles are detected.
In fact, since said mooring cable, when not used, lies on the sea-bed, the same tends to accumulate bodies present on the sea-bed itself, such as algae, barnacles, mud, thus risking to cause more or less deep injuries to the operator during the manual retrieval of said rope.
For the same reasons, the mooring cable, once raised, can damage or otherwise consistently dirty the deck or other parts of the vessel.
On the other hand, in the case of an operation which requires essentially long time, there is a significant increase in the risks of collision with other eventual vessels in the nearby, at least until the moment in which said cable is not properly fixed to the bow of the watercraft.
Said risk is a particularly consistent in the case in which the operation is handled by an operator alone or in particularly adverse weather conditions. Likewise, in any case the risk remains that said cable gets entangled to the rudder or propeller of the vessel, in particular in correspondence of the steps of departure or mooring, so causing blockage or in any case damages to the same.
A partial solution to the foregoing inconvenient has been provided through the use of buoys that are able to sink together with the mooring cable which are connected to, to be dragged down to the sea-bed by the weight of said cable, and the same being connected to a catenary, to be later made to come to the surface only when there is a need for the retrieval of the cable for the purpose of docking.
A buoy of this type is disclosed, by way of example, in document No. FR 2,109,096 A5 , as shown in Figure 1 herewith attached.
As it can be seen from the above mentioned Figure 1 of the drawing, the return of said buoy to the surface, after transmission of a specific control signal (for example, by a ultrasonic transmitting/receiving system), is made possible thanks to the fact that said buoy includes in its inner part compressed-air means that allow its return to the surface, with consequent dragging to the surface of the mooring cable which can then be retrieved by the operator to achieve the docking. Buoys presenting structural and functional features similar to the above stated, or systems including the same buoys, are also disclosed in the documents No. DE 3432868 (Figure 2) and EP 0502219 A1 (Figure 3).
In addition, the document No. DE 20 2012 007 062 U1 discloses a buoy having compressed-air means to allow to the relative return to the surface, with consequent dragging of the mooring cable, as well as a mechanical system controlling an inflating pump station , placed in water.
An example of realization of the object of DE 20 2012 007 062 U1 is provided in the functional diagram shown in Figure 4, herewith attached. Further devices and advantageous systems for the retrieval of a mooring cable of a vessel are, for example, described in the documents No. WO/2009/004446 A2 , No. WO/2008/029198 A2 , No. EP 1314641 A2 , US 1220825 and DE 3432868 A1 , of prior art.
However, it can be noted that said known buoys still have several inconvenient.
First of all, since said known buoys have a structure comprising compressed air means in order to make its return to the surface possible, following to a specific command (for example imparted by means of ultrasonic transmitting/receiving systems) it is required that the operator cyclically provides to refill said foresaid compressed air means.
This inevitably determines, further than being an increase of the operator charges, the need to promptly have, in case of need, suitable means (e.g., a pump), to do said refilling operations.
At the same time, it is evident that said refilling operations may be especially complex for the operator if done in emergency situations, in low light conditions or in unfavourable weather conditions.
Moreover, it will be noted as said known buoys mostly require, for their installation, the presence of permanent installations on the quay, with consequences in terms of relatively consistent dimensions and difficulty in case of displacement to docking the place.
Moreover, the disposition of said fixed installations necessarily requires the implementation of a plurality of essentially complex operations, further requiring the intervention of experienced divers for the installation of submerged components (in particular at the sea-bed level) of the same installation.
Likewise, any subsequent maintenance interventions on said installations are often complex and with essentially high costs, since they necessarily require the intervention of specialized operators.
In addition, said known buoys have an essentially complex structure, so difficult in maintenance, difficult to be reproduced on an industrial scale, and having essentially high costs.
On the other hand, document No. US 5,007,029 discloses a device for the retrieval of an object lying on the sea-bed (an embodiment schematically illustrated in Figures 5A and 5B herewith attached), in which said apparatus includes a buoy, essentially cylindrical, and connected to said object which, in response to an appropriate remotely imparted signal, returns to the surface for hydrostatic thrust, while the unwinding of a belt or the like, connected to the same, takes place (Figure 5A), until the point in which, by floating on the water surface, the axis of said buoy is in an essentially horizontal position (Figure 5B); at this point, it is possible to proceed with the retrieval of the object, lying on the sea-bed, by means of winding said belt on the outer surface of said buoy, which performs a function of a non-motorized winder shaft with horizontal axis.
In light of the foregoing, it will be noted that the operations of retrieval of said object lying on the sea-bed, by means of the apparatus disclosed in US 5,007,029 are essentially complex for the operator.
On the other hand, said device could hardly be conveniently used for the recovery of a mooring cable of a vessel.
The present invention, starting from the notion the foregoing inconvenient, aims to provide a remedy to the same.
An object of this invention according to claim 1 is to provide a remote-controlled buoy, which allows the operator to perform the above said operations of retrieval of the mooring cable, in a safe and easy way even in case he is operating alone and/or in adverse weather conditions and/or in cramped conditions.
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a buoy as mentioned which does not require, for its use, the previous disposition of fixed installations and that, consequently, can be used in different berth conditions (e.g., among fixed or variable pillars, floating pontoons or the like), and thus not only in the case of docking with respect to a quay, or that can be easily transported and relocated.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a buoy as indicated which does not require the operator to cyclically perform refilling operations of the same for its operation, so greatly facilitating the same operator, in particular when he has to operate alone and/or in adverse weather conditions and/or in cramped conditions.
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a buoy as specified, which has an essentially simple structure, easy in maintenance, easily reproducible on an industrial scale and with essentially low cost.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and safe procedure for the retrieval of said mooring cable, by means of the buoy as said.
On the other hand, it is an object of the present invention to provide a procedure for the use of the above specified buoy, in association with a fixed sinker, to indicate that a mooring place for a vessel is free or occupied.
In the perspective of such aims, the present invention provides a remote-controlled buoy, the essential characteristic of which is the subject of the main claim, while further advantageous characteristics of the invention are described in the dependent claims 2 to 8.
The independent claim 9 relates to a procedure for the retrieval of a mooring cable for a vessel by means of said buoy. On the other hand, the independent claim 10 refers to a procedure for the use of the buoy, in association with a fixed sinker, to indicate that a mooring place for a vessel is free or occupied.
The above claims are to be considered as fully reported here. More particularly, according to the present invention, said remote-controlled buoy including a main body for protection and buoyancy, a rope provided at one end with dismountable connecting means and, at the other end, connected to a winding device, provided on the inside of said main body, is characterized in that it comprises:

a rotating shaft of said winding device, which is connected to said other end of said rope and cinematically connected to motor means to be rotated;
automatic stoppage means for said motor means with rope wound on said shaft, so as to prevent, in the rest position, the rotation of said shaft in the direction of unwinding of said rope;
remote-control means for said motor means that, in an operating position determined by said remote-control means, rotate in the direction of unwinding of said rope.

The present invention will result with more evidence, by means of the detailed description that follows, with reference to the attached drawing, having exemplary and not limiting character, in which:

Figures from 1 to 5B are schematic illustrations of buoys, respectively apparatus, or systems comprising the same, according to the prior art;
Figure 6 is a schematic and perspective view of a remote-controlled buoy, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 7 is a schematic view, in perspective and with omitted parts of the buoy of Figure 6, comprising spring motor means and in which signal transmitters means are also schematically indicated;
Figure 8 is a schematic and perspective view of a variant of the buoy of Figure 6, comprising electric motor means;
Figures 9 to 12 are schematic explanatory illustrations of the operation of the remote-controlled buoy according to the invention, in the respective stages of stationary mooring position of a vessel to a quay with emerged buoy (Figure 9); of releasing the means of mooring the vessel with the remote-controlled buoy on the sea-bed (Figure 10); of returning to surface of the remote-controlled buoy together with the mooring means (Figure 11); of retrieval of said remote-controlled buoy together with the mooring means (Figure 12).

In the aforementioned figures from 6 to 12, a remote-controlled buoy according to an embodiment of the present invention is indicated as a whole with 10.
It will be noted that the illustrated embodiment refers, in particular, to a remote-controlled buoy 10 for the retrieval of a retrieval cable C of a vessel N.
However, in a not illustrated variant, said buoy according to the invention is also suitable to be used, in association with a fixed sinker, to indicate that a mooring place for a vessel is free or occupied.
On the other hand, said illustrated embodiment (in particular, Figures 9 to 12) refers to a case of stern mooring; however, it is clear that the buoy 10 according to the present invention can be validly used also with reference to other types of mooring.
Likewise, it will be noted that the above illustrated embodiment refers, by way of mere example, to a case of quay docking; in any case it is important to take into account that the buoy 10 according to the present invention is suitable to be used for different types of mooring, for example with respect to fixed or floating piers, floating docks or similar.
Also, although the buoy 10 according to the present invention is primarily used with reference to recreational purposes vessels, the same can nonetheless be used with reference to different categories of vessels.
Said buoy 10 includes, a main body 11 for protection and buoyancy, a rope 12 provided at one end with dismountable connecting means 12.1 and, at the other end, connected to a winding device 13, provided on the inside of said main body 11.
More particularly, according to the present invention, said buoy 10 comprises (in particular, Figures 7 and 8):

a rotating shaft 13.1 of said winding device 13, which is connected to said other end of said rope 12 and is cinematically connected to motor means 14; 24 to be rotated;
automatic stoppage means for said motor means 14; 24 with rope 12 wound on said shaft 13.1, so as to prevent, in the rest position, the rotation of sais shaft 13.1 in the direction of unwinding of said rope 12;
remote-control means 16 for said motor means 14; 24 that, in an operating position determined by said remote-control means 16, rotate in the direction of unwinding of said rope 12.

In this way, as schematically shown in Figures 9 to 12, said buoy 10 sinks together with a retrieval cable C (Figure 10), i.e. together with a fixed mooring to be placed on the sea-bed (not shown variant), one or the other being connected thereto by means of said dismountable connecting means 12.1; when said remote-control means 16 are operated and determine the said operating position of said motor means 14; 24, it returns to the surface automatically due to hydrostatic thrust, while said rope 12 is unwound from said rotating shaft 13.1 and, in the case of connection with said fixed mooring, floats in a stationary manner to the surface (not shown variant), whereas, if it is connected to said cable C, it can be retrieved onto a vessel N, through the intervention of an operator O, by dragging the cable C together with said wound rope 12 (Figure 12), and it is released from said cable C by disengaging said dismountable connecting means 12.1, fixed to said other end of said rope 12, which is rewound onto said shaft 13.1 by means of said motor means 14; 24.
The operations of retrieval of the mooring rope C are therefore easier for the operator O, even when he is operating alone, in cramped conditions or in bad weather.
Advantageously, as illustrated in Figure 7, said motor means 14 comprise a spring motor, wherein elastic means are pre-charged by unwinding said rope 12 onto said shaft 13.1.
In variant, as illustrated in Figure 8, said motor means 24 may comprise an electric motor 24.1 with proper supply and control electrical means (not shown in the figure), that rotates said shaft 13.1 in the direction of winding and unwinding of said rope 12.
Conveniently, said automatic stoppage means comprise ratchet stoppage means, urged by their own elastic means to engage with said shaft 13.1, when said rope 12 is fully wound on said shaft 13.1, and selectively returned against the action of said own elastic means, by means of actuator means 15.
In variant, said actuator means 15 can be replaced by electro-magnetic means (not illustrated variant).
Advantageously, according to the present invention, said remote-control means 16 comprise, in said buoy 10, electric battery power supply means 16.2 and electronic control micro-circuit means (not shown), for the powering and selective control of said actuator means 15, electro-magnetic means respectively, receiving electronic means of coded electrical signal, (not shown), operatively connected with said electronic micro-circuit means and, separate from said buoy 10, remote-control transmitter means 16.1 and emitter means 16.3 for a coded electrical signal corresponding to the coded electrical signal of said signal receiving means. Said transmitter means 16.1 and emitter means 16.3 are placed on the vessel N.
In this way, when said signal emitter means 16.3 emit said coded electrical signal and said signal is received by said receiving electronic means, said electronic micro-circuit means control said actuator means 15, electro-magnetic means respectively, which release said ratchet means from said rotating shaft 13.1, and said rope 12 can be freely unwound with respect to said shaft 13.1.
For example, said receiver means, transmitter means respectively, may comprise radio waves receiver means, transmitter means respectively.
Alternatively, the same may comprise infrared receiver means, transmitter means respectively.
In the illustrated embodiment, said rope 12 is substantially ribbon-like and said main body 11 for protection and buoyancy comprises a winding drum casing 11.1 containing said rotary shaft 13.1 and a substantial part of said rope 12 in coaxial arrangement.
In the present embodiment of the invention, said buoy 10 comprises photovoltaic panel means (not illustrated in the figures herewith attached), conveniently located on the surface of the same, and exposed to solar radiation as soon as the same is in an operating position of floating or is suspended outside of water for the recharging of said battery means 16.2.
As can be seen in Figures 7 and 8 of the attached drawing, said buoy 10 comprises permanent magnet means 17, located on the upper part of said main body 11 for protection and buoyancy, for the dismountable connection with respect to magnetic means for fastening the buoy 10 to a handrail B or railing of said vessel N.
Said permanent magnetic means 17 may also be used for the fastening to recovery means (not illustrated) of the buoy 10, to facilitate the operator O in the operations of recovery of the same.
In this way, the operator O is further facilitated in the recovery operations of said mooring rope C, since he is operating having both hands free.
Advantageously, said buoy 10 according to the present embodiment of the invention (figure 6 to 8) comprises eyelet means 18 for the retrieval of said buoy 10 by a boat hook M, as schematically shown in figure 12.
Said buoy 10 according to the invention may comprise, on its outer surface, visual means of light position signal (not illustrated) operatively connected to said electronic control micro-circuit means and powered by said battery means 16.2. Advantageously, said buoy 10 may also comprise twilight sensor means (not illustrated) operatively connected to said electronic control micro-circuit means and powered by said battery means 16.2, to determine, below a predetermined threshold of ambient light, the automatic ignition of visual means of position light signalling.
On the other hand, said buoy 10 may also include, on the outer surface of said main body 11, outer covering protection (not visible in the figure), advantageously made of polymeric material.
By way of an example, the buoy 10 is made of ABS; it is of course intended that different construction materials, provided that are suitable to this purpose, are likewise included within the present invention.
Procedure for the retrieval of a mooring cable for a vessel by means of the buoy according to the invention ( figures 9 to 12 ).
In what follows, an exemplary carrying out of the procedure for the retrieval of a mooring cable for a vessel by means of the buoy according to the present invention, is described. Said procedure advantageously comprises the following steps consisting in:

connecting said buoy to said mooring cable, when said rope is fully wound onto said rotary shaft, by means of said dismountable connecting means;
letting said buoy sink with said cable when it is released from said vessel;
automatically returning said buoy to the surface due to hydrostatic thrust, unwinding said rope with respect to said rotating shaft, when said remote-control means are operated and determine an operating position for said motor means;
recovering said buoy onto said vessel, through the intervention of an operator, by dragging said mooring cable along with the buoy itself, together with said unwound rope, in order to retrieve the cable;
freeing said buoy from said cable, by releasing said dismountable connecting means, fixed to said other end of said rope, which is re-wound onto said rotating shaft by means of said motor means.

Procedure for the use of the buoy according to the invention, in association with a fixed sinker, to indicate that a mooring place for a vessel is free or occupied (not shown variant).
In what follows, an exemplary embodiment carrying out of the procedure for the use of the buoy according to the invention, in association with a fixed sinker, to indicate that a mooring place for a vessel is free or occupied (variant not shown), is described.
Said procedure advantageously comprises the following steps consisting in:

connecting said buoy to said fixed sinker, when said rope is fully wound onto said rotating shaft, by means of said dismountable connecting means;
letting said buoy sink with said fixed sinker when it is placed on the sea-bed;
bringing said buoy back to the surface, by unwinding said rope from said rotating shaft, by rotating said electric motor means in a first direction, when said remote-control means are operated and determine a first operating position for said motor means, to indicate that the mooring place is occupied;
bringing back said buoy next to said fixed sinker, by winding said rope onto said rotating shaft, by rotating said electric motor means in the opposite direction, when said remote-control means are operated and determine a second operating position for said motor means, to indicate that the mooring place is free.

As evident in the light of the foregoing, said remote-controlled buoy 10 for the retrieval of a mooring cable of a vessel, allows the operator to perform the above said operations for the recovering of the mooring cable in a safe and easy way, even in cases in which he has to operate alone and/or in adverse weather conditions and/or in cramped conditions.
In addition, said buoy 10 as mentioned does not require, for its use, the previous disposition of fixed installations and, consequently, it can be used in different berth conditions (e.g., with respect to fixed or variable pillars, floating wharfs or similar), not only in the case of docking with respect to a quay, or it can be easily transported and relocated.
Moreover, said buoy 10 as indicated, does not require the operator to cyclically perform refilling operations of the same for its operation, so greatly facilitating the same operator, in particular when he has to operate alone and/or in adverse weather conditions and/or in cramped conditions.
Furthermore, said buoy 10 as specified, has an essentially simple structure, easy in maintenance, easily reproducible on an industrial scale and with essentially contained costs. Furthermore, present invention provides a simple and safe procedure for the retrieval of said mooring rope, by means of the buoy 10 as mentioned.
On the other hand, the present invention provides an easy and safe procedure for the use of the above specified buoy, in association with a fixed sinker, to indicate if a mooring place for a vessel is free or occupied.
As it is evident from the foregoing, the present invention allows to achieve in a simple and advantageous way the objects explained in the introduction.

Claims

Remote-controlled buoy (10), including a main body (11) for protection and buoyancy, a rope (12) provided at one end with dismountable connecting means (12.1) and, at the other end, connected to a winding device (13), provided on the inside of said main body (11),
characterized in that it comprises:
- a rotating shaft (13.1) of said winding device (13), which is connected to said other end of said rope (12) and is cinematically connected to motor means (14; 24) to be rotated;

- automatic stoppage means for said motor means (14; 24) with rope (12) wound on said shaft (13.1), so as to prevent, in the rest position, the rotation of said shaft (13.1) in the direction of unwinding of said rope (12) whereby said automatic stoppage means comprise ratchet stoppage means, urged by their own elastic means to engage with said shaft (13.1), when said rope (12) is fully wound on said shaft (13.1), and selectively returned against the action of said own elastic means, by means of actuator means (15);

- remote-control means (16) for said motor means (14; 24) that, in an operating position determined by said remote-control means (16), rotate in the direction of unwinding of said rope (12),
and in that said remote-control means (16) comprise, in said buoy (10), electric battery power supply means (16.2) and electronic control micro-circuit means, for the powering and selective control of said actuator means (15), electro-magnetic means respectively, receiving electronic means of coded electrical signal, operatively connected with said electronic micro-circuit means and, separate from said buoy (10), remote-control transmitter means (16.1) and emitter means (16.3) for a coded electrical signal corresponding to the coded electrical signal of said signal receiving means, so that said buoy (10) sinks together with a retrieval cable (C), i.e. together with a fixed mooring to be placed on the sea-bed, one or other being connectable thereto by means of said dismountable connecting means (12.1),
when said remote-control means (16) are operated and determine the said operating position of said motor means (14; 24), it returns to the surface automatically due to the hydrostatic thrust, while said rope (12) is unwound from said rotating shaft (13.1) and, in the case of connection with said fixed mooring, floats in a stationary manner on the surface, whereas, if it is connected to said cable (C), it can be retrieved onto a vessel (N), through the intervention of an operator (O), by dragging the cable (C) together with said wound rope (12), and it is released from said cable (C) by disengaging said dismountable connecting means (12.1), fixed to said other end of said rope (12), which is re-wound onto said shaft (13.1) by means of said motor means (14; 24).
Buoy (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said motor means (14) comprise a spring motor, wherein elastic means are pre-charged by unwinding said rope (12) onto said shaft (13.1).
Buoy (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said motor means (24) comprise an electric motor (24.1), that rotates said shaft (13.1) in the direction of winding and unwinding of said rope (12).
Buoy (10) according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said automatic stoppage means comprise ratchet stoppage means, urged by their own elastic means to engage with said shaft (13.1), when said rope (12) is fully wound onto said shaft (13.1), and selectively returned against the action of said own elastic means, by means of actuator means (15) or electromagnetic means,
so that, when said signal emitter means (16.3) emit said coded electrical signal and said signal is received by said receiving electronic means, said electronic micro-circuit means control said actuator means (15), electro-magnetic means respectively, which release said ratchet means from said shaft (13.1), and said rope (12) can be freely unwound with respect to said shaft (13.1).
Buoy (10) according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said rope (12) is substantially ribbon-like and said main body (11) for protection and buoyancy comprises a winding drum casing (11.1) containing said rotating shaft (13.1) and part of said rope (12) in a coaxial arrangement.
Buoy (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises photovoltaic panel means, located on the outer surface of said buoy (10) and exposed to solar radiation whenever the buoy is floating or suspended out of the water, for the recharge of said battery means (16.2).
Buoy (10) according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that it comprises permanent magnet means (17), located on the upper part of said main body (11) for protection and buoyancy, for the dismountable connection with respect to magnetic means for fastening the buoy (10) to a handrail (B) or railing of said vessel (N), so as to facilitate the recovery of said mooring cable (C).
Procedure for the retrieval of a mooring cable for a vessel by means of the buoy according to one or more of the previous claims, comprising the following steps:
- connecting said buoy to said mooring cable, when said rope is fully wound onto said rotating shaft, by means of said dismountable connecting means;

- letting said buoy sink with said cable when it is released from said vessel;

- automatically returning said buoy to the surface due to hydrostatic thrust, unwinding said rope with respect to said rotating shaft, when said remote-control means are operated and determine an operating position for said motor means;

- recovering said buoy onto said vessel, through the intervention of an operator, by dragging said mooring cable along with the buoy itself, together with said unwound rope, in order to retrieve the cable;

- freeing said buoy from said cable, by releasing said dismountable connecting means, fixed to said other end of said rope, which is re-wound onto said rotating shaft by means of said motor means.
Procedure for the installation of the buoy according to one or more of the previous claims from 3 to 8, in association with a fixed sinker, to indicate that a mooring place for a vessel is free or occupied, comprising the following steps:
- connecting said buoy to said fixed sinker, when said rope is fully wound onto said rotating shaft, by means of said dismountable connecting means;

- letting said buoy sink with said fixed sinker when it is placed on the sea-bed;

- bringing said buoy back to the surface, by unwinding said rope from said rotating shaft, by rotating said electric motor means in a first direction, when said remote-control means are operated and determine a first operating position for said motor means, to indicate that the mooring place is occupied;

- bringing back said buoy next to said fixed sinker, by winding said rope onto said rotating shaft, by rotating said electric motor means in the opposite direction, when said remote-control means are operated and determine a second operating position for said motor means, to indicate that the mooring place is free.