WATERCRAFT WITH A DEVICE FOR RESCUE FROM A WATERCRAFT

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a marine craft of the type comprising a body extending primarily in a longitudinal direction and a device for recovering the marine craft from a naval vessel, said recovery device comprising a mast extending in an upward direction between a first end connected to the body and a second free end extending away from the body in the upward direction in a deployed position of the mast, said second end carrying at least one grasping element for the marine craft, arranged to be grasped from a receiving platform of a naval vessel rising to a height greater than that of the body in the upward direction. CN 105 540 457, which describes a marine craft equipped with a handling mast that folds along the longitudinal axis of the craft, and KR 101 785 710, which describes a telescopic handling mast, are two examples of the prior art.

[0002] The invention applies more particularly to the launching and recovery of a surface marine craft, for example, an autonomous or remotely piloted surface marine craft of the USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) type, or a submarine, for example, an autonomous or remotely piloted underwater vehicle of the UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vehicle) type. The invention also applies to surface marine craft or submarines piloted by a crew on board.

[0003] It is known to launch and recover such a marine device from a surface vessel. The recovery operation requires raising the marine device onto a deck of the vessel, which is generally located at a significantly higher altitude than the device itself. The marine device must then be secured to the vessel using one or more lifting and / or towing cables. In the case of lifting cables, this connection is made between a lifting device positioned on the deck of the vessel and the marine device. The lifting device is designed to raise the marine device and bring it back onto the deck. Securing these cables generally requires one or more operators aboard a vessel, such as a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) or a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RIB), positioned in close proximity to the marine device.

[0004] To eliminate the need for one or more operators outside the naval vessel to recover the marine craft, document WO 2012 / 057633 proposes equipping the marine craft with a mast carrying at least one lifting cable. The mast should be high enough to position one end of the lifting cable at the height of an operator on the deck of the naval vessel. This operator can then manually grasp the lifting cable, for example using a boat hook, detach the cable from the mast, and secure the lifting cable to the lifting device to allow the marine craft to be brought aboard the naval vessel.

[0005] However, due to the relative movements between the ship and the marine equipment, the operation of gripping the lifting cable can be complicated, even dangerous. Indeed, the rolling motion of the marine equipment causes significant variations in the distance between the free end of the mast and the deck of the ship, as well as potentially violent movements of the mast, which alternately moves away from and towards the deck when the marine equipment is positioned parallel to the ship. Thus, the operator may have difficulty gripping the lifting cable, particularly when the mast is far from the deck and / or when the deck is moving rapidly. Furthermore, the marine equipment must be moved away from the hull of the ship to avoid any interference between the mast and the ship when the mast approaches the deck, which further moves the lifting cable away from the operator on deck and complicates gripping it.Nevertheless, there remains a risk of collision between the mast and the deck of the naval vessel, or even with the operator, particularly in heavy seas due to the movement of the mast relative to the naval vessel.

[0006] One of the aims of the invention is to overcome these disadvantages by providing a naval device that facilitates the capture and recovery of the naval device from the deck of a naval vessel rising to an altitude greater than that of the naval device.

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to a marine craft of the aforementioned type, in which the first end of the mast is mounted on a mast stabilization device relative to the body, said stabilization device being arranged to compensate at least for the rolling movements of the body rotating around the longitudinal direction so as to maintain the direction of elevation of the mast aligned with a substantially vertical direction.

[0008] The stabilization device maintains the position of the second end of the mast relative to the ship's deck despite the rolling movements of the marine craft, thus facilitating the grasping element of the marine craft by an operator on the ship's deck. Furthermore, by keeping the mast vertical, it is possible to safely bring the marine craft closer to the ship's hull, as the distance between the second end of the mast and the deck is then stable and reduced, further facilitating the operator's grasping of the element.

[0009] The marine craft according to the invention may comprise one or more of the following features, considered alone or in any technically feasible combination: the stabilization device is further arranged to compensate for the pitching movements of the body rotating about a transverse direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the direction of elevation; the mast is movable relative to the body between a retracted position, in which the second end is brought closer to the body along the direction of elevation so as to extend to a first distance from the body measured along the direction of elevation, and the deployed position, in which the second end is moved away from the body along the direction of elevation of the body so as to extend to a second distance from the body measured along the direction of elevation, the second distance being greater than the first distance; the mast is telescopic and includes at least one section movable in translation along the direction of elevation between the retracted position and the deployed position relative to a fixed section of the mast;the gripping element is formed by a section of a cable, said cable being fixed, at one end, to the body and, at a second end, to the second end of the mast; the second end of the cable is detachably fixed to the second end of the mast, said second end of the cable being attachable to the naval vessel when detached from the mast to allow the lifting of the marine craft to be brought back on board the naval vessel and / or to allow the towing of the marine craft by the naval vessel; the retrieval device further includes a cable tensioning device arranged to maintain the tension of the cable between its first end and its second end;the first end of the mast is further mounted on a body-heaving movement compensation device along the elevation direction, said compensation device being arranged to maintain the absolute height of the second end of the mast along the elevation direction; the marine craft further includes a body-control device and a stabilization device, at least one motion sensor measuring at least the roll movements of the body rotating around the longitudinal direction and controlling the stabilization device to compensate for said roll movements so as to maintain the elevation direction of the mast aligned with a substantially vertical direction;The marine craft includes a proximity sensor mounted on the second end of the mast, said proximity sensor being arranged to detect any interference between the mast and a naval vessel recovering the marine craft, the control device commanding the stabilization device to move the mast to avoid said interference when the proximity sensor detects said possible interference; the marine craft is an autonomous and / or remotely piloted surface or underwater marine craft.

[0010] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [ Fig. 1 ] - there Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective representation of a marine craft according to the invention in a recovery position by a naval vessel, [ Fig. 2 ] - there Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective representation of the cooperation between a grasping element of the marine craft recovery device of the Fig. 1 and an input element used by an operator, [ Fig. 3 ] - there Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a stabilization device for the marine craft recovery system, [ Fig. 4 ] - there Fig. 4 is a schematic front view representation of a marine craft including a recovery device under the effect of a rolling motion, and [ Fig. 5 ] - there Fig. 5 is a schematic front view representation of a marine craft according to the invention (in solid lines) and of a marine craft according to the prior art (in dotted lines) in recovery position by a naval vessel.

[0011] With reference to the Fig. 1 , we describe a marine device 1 intended to be recovered by a naval vessel 2 after an operation at sea.

[0012] The marine craft 1 can be any type of marine craft, surface or underwater, but the invention is particularly suited to a marine craft 1 not carrying a crew, such as an autonomous or remotely piloted surface or underwater marine craft 1. Thus, according to the embodiment shown in the figures, the marine craft 1 is a RHIB-type surface marine craft.

[0013] In general, the marine craft 1 comprises a body 4 extending primarily along a longitudinal direction L. By "extending primarily along a longitudinal direction," it is meant that the body 4 has its longest dimension along the longitudinal direction L, this dimension corresponding, for example, to the length of the marine craft 1. The body 4 has any shape adapted to enable the marine craft 1 to fulfill its function and is specifically adapted to allow the marine craft 1 to carry functional elements, such as sensors, weapons, a control device 6, etc. Thus, according to the embodiment shown in the figures, the body 4 is formed by the hull and the bottom of the marine craft 1, which are adapted to receive functional elements on the bottom of the marine craft 1. In the case of a submersible craft, the body 4 is, for example, formed by the hull, which defines an internal volume in which the functional elements are arranged.

[0014] The marine craft 1 further includes a recovery device 8 for the marine craft 1 arranged to allow an operator 10 embarked on the naval vessel 2 to grasp the marine craft 1 in order to moor it to the naval vessel 2 so that it can be brought aboard the naval vessel 2 or towed. More specifically, the recovery device 8 is arranged so that an operator 10 present on a receiving platform of a naval vessel rising to a height greater than that of the body 4 in the direction of elevation of the marine craft 1 relative to the water level can grasp the marine craft 1, as shown in the Fig. 1 . Such a receiving platform is for example formed by a deck 12 of the naval vessel 2.

[0015] For this purpose, the recovery device 6 comprises a mast 14 extending in an elevation direction Z, substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L, between a first end 16 and a second end 18. The mast 14 projects from the body 4, the first end 16 being connected to the body 4 and the second end 18 extending to a height within reach of the operator 10 on the deck 12 of the naval vessel 2, as shown in the Fig. 1 . Thus, the mast 14, when deployed as will be described later, has for example a length, or height, measured along the elevation direction Z of between 2 m and 10 m, for example substantially equal to 7 meters, from the first end 16 to the second end 18.

[0016] The first end 16 of the mast 14 is more particularly mounted on the body 4 by means of a stabilization device 20 of the mast 14, as will be described in more detail later.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the mast 14 is movable relative to the body 4 between a retracted position (not shown) and a deployed position, shown on the Figs. 1 , 3 à 5In the retracted position, the second end 18 of the mast 14 is brought closer to the body 4 so as to extend to a first distance measured along the elevation direction Z of the body 4. In the deployed position, the second end 18 is moved away from the body 4 so as to extend to a second distance measured along the elevation direction Z of the body 4, this second distance being greater than the first distance and allowing the second end 18 to extend to a height within reach of the operator 10, as described previously. According to one embodiment, in the retracted position, the distance between the second end 18 and the body 4 along the elevation direction Z is substantially equal to, or slightly greater than, the distance between the first end 16 and the body 4.

[0018] In one embodiment, the movement of the mast 14 between the retracted and deployed positions is a rotational movement about an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and the elevation direction Z. In this case, the mast 14 is, for example, "lying down" against the body 4 in the retracted position and extends along the longitudinal direction L, the rotational movement enabling the mast 14 to move along the elevation direction Z in the deployed position. In this case, the first end 16 of the mast 14 is, for example, fixed to the body 4 in the vicinity of a forward end 22 of the body 4, such that the mast 14 does not substantially increase the length of the marine craft 1 in the retracted position by extending beyond a rear end 24 of the body 4 when it is folded against the body 4 in the retracted position.

[0019] Alternatively, according to the embodiment shown in the figures, the mast 14 is a telescopic mast and comprises a fixed section 26, one end of which forms the first end 16 of the mast 14, and at least one movable section 28, one end of which forms the second end 18 of the mast 14. Each section 26, 28 extends along the elevation direction Z and the movable section 28 is movable in translation along the elevation direction Z relative to the fixed section 26 between the retracted position, in which the movable section 28 extends mainly within the fixed section 26, and the deployed position, in which the movable section 28 extends mainly in projection from the fixed section 26 along the elevation direction Z.According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the mast 14 comprises several movable sections 28, movable relative to each other and within each other, the mast 14 being in the retracted position when all the movable sections 28 are in the retracted position and in the deployed position when all the movable sections 28 are in the deployed position.

[0020] When the mast 14 is telescopic, it can be installed at any suitable location on the body 4, for example substantially at the center of the body 4 along the longitudinal direction L, as shown in the Fig. 1 .

[0021] The mast 14 carries, near its second end 18, at least one gripping element 30 allowing an operator 10 on the deck 12 of the naval vessel 2 to grasp the marine device 1 by the gripping element, for example by means of a boat hook 32, as shown in the Fig. 2 The gripping element 30 is, for example, formed by a section of cable, one end 34 of which is fixed to the body 4, spaced apart from the first end 16 of the mast 14 in the longitudinal direction, and the other end 36 of which is attached to the second end 18 of the mast 14. The section of cable forming the gripping element 30 extends in the vicinity of the second end 36 of the cable. The cable 30 is, for example, substantially taut between its two ends 34 and 36 so that it extends at an angle to the elevation direction Z when the mast 14 is in the deployed position, as shown in the diagram. Fig. 1 .

[0022] The first end of the cable 34 is, for example, attached to the body 4 by means of a cable tension control device 38, which manages the tension of the cable 30 in the extended position and the cable length 30 when the mast 14 moves between the retracted and extended positions. Such a control device 38 is, for example, a reel arranged to maintain the cable substantially taut in all positions of the mast 14 between its retracted and extended positions.

[0023] The second end 36 of the cable 30 is, for example, reversibly fixed to the second end 18 of the mast 14 so that the second end 36 of the cable 30 can be detached from the mast 14 in order to be fixed to a component of the naval vessel 2 so that the cable 30 forms a lifting cable or a towing cable for the marine craft 1 when its second end 36 is fixed to a component of the naval vessel 2. In the case of a lifting cable, the second end 36 of the cable 30 is, for example, fixed to a davit 38 of the naval vessel 2 allowing the marine craft 1 to be lifted and brought back on board the naval vessel 2.

[0024] According to the embodiment shown in the Fig. 1 , two cables 30 are fixed to the mast 14 on either side of it along the longitudinal direction L. The first ends 34 of the cables 30 are for example each fixed by a tension regulating device 38 to the body 4 of the marine craft 1 and the second ends of the cables 30 are for example fixed reversibly in the vicinity of the second end 18 of the mast 14 to form two lifting or towing cables of the marine craft 1 when they are detached from the mast 14 and fixed to an element of the naval vessel 2, as described previously.

[0025] The deployable mast 14 and cable(s) 30 system are known in themselves and the person skilled in the art can refer to document WO 2012 / 057633 to determine other characteristics of this system, in particular with regard to the fixing and unfixing of the cable 30 on the mast 14 for lifting and / or towing operations, which will not be described in more detail here.

[0026] The stabilizing device 20 of the mast 14 is arranged to compensate for at least the rolling movements of the marine craft 1 in order to maintain the elevation direction Z of the mast 14 in the deployed position in a substantially vertical direction despite these rolling movements of the marine craft 1. By "maintaining the elevation direction Z of the mast 14 in a substantially vertical direction," it is understood that the mast 14 extends in a substantially vertical direction in its deployed position, regardless of the position of the body 4 around its longitudinal axis L. By "substantially vertical," it is understood that the elevation direction Z of the mast 14 forms an angle of at most 10° with the vertical direction, preferably at most 5°. The rolling movements of the marine craft 1 correspond to the rotational movements of the body 4 around an axis extending along the longitudinal direction L.In the absence of a stabilization device 20 according to the invention, these rolling movements cause a pendulum motion of the mast 14 which alternately approaches and moves away the second end 18 of the mast 14 from the naval vessel 2 when the marine craft 1 is brought in the vicinity of the naval vessel so that the body 4 extends substantially parallel to the hull of the naval vessel 2 in order to be grasped by an operator 10 on the naval vessel 2. Such a pendulum motion of the mast 14 in the absence of a stabilization device 20 is represented by dashed lines on the figure. Fig. 5 and must be taken into account during the recovery operation of marine craft 1 in order to avoid any collision between mast 14 and naval vessel 2. Thus, as visible on the Fig. 5 , the marine device 1 must be kept at a certain distance from the naval vessel 2 to take into account this pendulum motion, which complicates the grasping element by an operator 10.

[0027] The stabilization device 20 is arranged between the body 4 of the marine craft 1 and the mast 14 and comprises at least two parts movable relative to each other, one being mounted on the body 4 of the marine craft 1 and following its rolling movements, and the other receiving the first end 16 of the mast 14 and compensating for the movements of the other part to maintain the elevation direction Z of the mast 14 in a substantially vertical direction, as shown in the Fig. 4 , in which the body 4 is in an inclined position relative to its normal position while the elevation direction Z of the mast 14 is maintained in a substantially vertical direction by the stabilization device. To this end, as schematically represented on the Fig. 3 The stabilization device 20 comprises a base 40 fixed to the body 4 and at least one support 42 movable relative to the base 40 and receiving the first end 16 of the mast 14. The base 40 is arranged to move with the body 4 to accompany its roll motion, while the support 42 remains substantially fixed to maintain the elevation direction Z of the mast 14 in a substantially vertical direction. In one embodiment, the stabilization device 20 is formed by a Stewart platform with rotary motors or linear actuators.

[0028] The stabilization device 20 thus makes it possible to maintain the distance between the operator 10 on a deck 12 of the naval vessel 2 and the gripping element(s) 30 of the marine craft 1 along a transverse direction T perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and the elevation direction Z, as shown in solid lines on the Fig. 5 This facilitates the operation of grasping a gripping element 30 by the operator 10, for example, using a boat hook 32. Furthermore, since the mast 14 is stabilized in a substantially vertical direction, the marine craft 1 can be brought closer to the naval vessel 1 along the transverse direction T without risk of interference between the mast 14 and the naval vessel 2 due to the rolling movements of the marine craft 1. This can be seen by comparing the marine craft shown in dashed lines with the one shown in solid lines on the Fig. 5 Thus, for example, the second end 18 of the mast 14 of the marine craft 1 according to the invention can be brought to a distance of approximately 1.2 m to 1.5 m from the deck 12 of the naval vessel 2, whereas this distance for a marine craft 1 without a stabilization device can be up to approximately 6 m from the naval vessel 2 in the transverse direction. Indeed, in the absence of a stabilization device, the amplitude of movement of the mast 14 due to rolling can be approximately 5 m in the transverse direction T, while with the stabilization device, this amplitude is reduced to approximately 0.3 m. The operator 10 can therefore grasp the gripping element 30 much more easily because of this small distance and the absence of relative movement in the transverse direction T between the mast 14 and the naval vessel 2.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the stabilizing device 20 is further arranged to compensate for the pitching movements of the body 4, i.e., rotational movements about a transverse axis T, in order to maintain the elevation direction Z of the mast 14 when the body 4 is subjected to such pitching movements. This can be achieved by adding a movable part 44 between the base 40 and the support 42 to give the support 42 an additional degree of freedom relative to the base 40, as schematically shown in the figure. Fig. 3 Alternatively, a Stewart platform also allows for such compensation of roll and pitch movements. Compensating for pitch movements further facilitates the gripping element 30 by the operator 10 by rendering the mast 14 practically immobile in the longitudinal and transverse directions relative to the naval vessel 2.

[0030] In one embodiment, the mast 14 is further mounted on a device for compensating the heaving movements of the body 4 in the elevation direction Z. Such a compensating device (not shown) is arranged to maintain the absolute height of the second end 18 of the mast 14 in the elevation direction Z, by compensating for the movements of the body 4 in the elevation direction Z, for example, when the marine craft 1 moves from the crest of a wave to a trough. This compensating device is, for example, arranged between the first end 16 of the mast 14 and the stabilizing device 20 or between the stabilizing device 20 and the body 4 of the marine craft 1. Such a compensating device further improves the gripping of the grasping element 30 by an operator 10 by substantially immobilizing the mast 14 in the elevation direction Z relative to the naval vessel 2.Thus, the gripping element 30 is essentially fixed in all directions relative to the naval vessel 2, and the operator 10 is less likely to need to compensate for any movement of this gripping element 30 by moving their arm(s) holding the boat hook 32, or even by leaning over the deck 12 of the naval vessel 2, which could be dangerous. Furthermore, the risks of collision between the second end 18 of the mast 14 and the naval vessel 2, or worse, the operator 10, are greatly reduced, or even eliminated.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the stabilization device 20 and, where applicable, the compensation device are controlled by the control device 6 arranged to manage the movements of the stabilization device 20 and, where applicable, the compensation device to keep the mast 14 substantially fixed according to the movements of the body 4. For this purpose, the marine craft 1 includes, for example, at least one sensor of the movements of the body 4, for example formed by a gyroscope or an accelerometer, the signal emitted by this sensor being transmitted to the control device 6 which controls the stabilization device 20 and the compensation device accordingly in order to maintain the elevation direction Z of the mast 14 in a substantially vertical direction.The motion sensor is arranged to measure at least the roll movements of the body 4 rotating about its longitudinal direction and controlling the stabilization device 20 to compensate for said roll movements so as to maintain the elevation direction Z of the mast 14 aligned with a substantially vertical direction. Of course, when the stabilization device 20 is arranged to compensate for the pitch movements of the body 4, and when a compensation device is arranged to compensate for the heave movements of the body 4, the marine craft 1 includes one or more measuring sensors accordingly.

[0032] In one embodiment, the mast 14 is further equipped with a proximity sensor mounted on its second end 18. This proximity sensor is arranged to detect any interference between the mast 14 and the naval vessel 2. The control device 6 commands the stabilization device 20 to move the mast 14 to avoid said interference when the proximity sensor detects it. This movement of the mast 14 takes priority over the command to maintain the mast's elevation direction Z in a substantially vertical direction Z. In other words, the mast 14 can be moved so as not to extend in the vertical direction in order to avoid interference between the mast 14 and the naval vessel 2.Once this interference is no longer likely to occur, the control device 6 again controls the stabilization device 20 so that the elevation direction Z of the mast 14 extends in a substantially vertical direction to allow an operator 10 to grasp the gripping element 30. The proximity sensor and the corresponding control of the control device 6 thus further limit the risks of collision between the mast 14 and the naval vessel 2, or even the operator 10.

[0033] The marine craft 1 described above can be easily recovered by an operator 10 on a naval vessel 2 without requiring the presence of an operator on the marine craft 1 or in the water in the vicinity of this marine craft 1. The invention is thus particularly suitable for an autonomous or remotely piloted marine craft 1.

Claims

1. Marine craft (1) comprising a body (4) extending mainly in a longitudinal direction (L) and a device (8) for recovering the marine craft from a naval vessel (2), said recovery device (8) comprising a mast (14) extending in an elevation direction (Z) between a first end (16) connected to the body (4) and a free second end (18) spaced apart from the body (4) in the elevation direction (Z) in a deployed position of the mast (14), said second end (18) carrying at least one gripping element (30) for the marine craft, arranged to be grasped from a receiving platform of a naval vessel (2) rising to a height greater than that of the body (4) in the elevation direction (Z), characterized in that the first end (16) of the mast (14) is mounted on a stabilization device (20) for stabilizing the mast (14) relative to the body (4), said stabilization device (20) being arranged to compensate for at least the roll movements of the body (4) in rotation about the longitudinal direction (L) so as to keep the elevation direction (Z) of the mast (14) aligned with a substantially vertical direction.

2. Marine craft according to claim 1, wherein the stabilization device (20) is further arranged to compensate for the pitch movements of the body (4) in rotation about a transverse direction (T) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L) and to the elevation direction (Z).

3. Marine craft according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mast (14) is movable relative to the body (4) between a retracted position, in which the second end (18) is brought closer to the body (4) in the elevation direction (Z) so as to extend at a first distance from the body (4) measured in the elevation direction (Z), and the deployed position, in which the second end (18) is spaced apart from the body (4) in the elevation direction (Z) of the body (4) so as to extend at a second distance from the body (4) measured in the elevation direction (Z), the second distance being greater than the first distance.

4. Marine craft according to claim 3, wherein the mast (14) is telescopic and comprises at least one section (28) movable in translation in the elevation direction (Z) between the retracted position and the deployed position relative to a fixed section (26) of the mast (14).

5. Marine craft according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gripping element (30) is formed by a section of a cable, said cable being fastened, at a first end (34), to the body (4) and, at a second end (36), to the second end (18) of the mast (14).

6. Marine craft according to claim 5, wherein the second end (36) of the cable is detachably fastened to the second end (18) of the mast (14), said second end (36) of the cable being attachable to the naval vessel (2) when it is detached from the mast (14) to allow the marine craft to be lifted in order to bring it back on board the naval vessel (2) and / or to allow the marine craft to be towed by the naval vessel (2).

7. Marine craft according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the recovery device (8) further comprises a device (38) for regulating the tension of the cable, arranged to maintain the tension of the cable between its first end (34) and its second end (36).

8. Marine craft according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first end (16) of the mast (14) is further mounted on a device for compensating for heave movements of the body (4) in the elevation direction (Z), said compensation device being arranged to maintain the absolute height of the second end (18) of the mast (14) in the elevation direction (Z).

9. Marine craft according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a control device (6) for the body (4) and the stabilization device (20), at least one motion sensor measuring at least the roll movements of the body (4) in rotation about the longitudinal direction (L) and controlling the stabilization device (20) to compensate for said roll movements so as to keep the elevation direction (Z) of the mast (14) aligned with a substantially vertical direction.

10. Marine craft according to claim 9, comprising a proximity sensor mounted on the second end (18) of the mast (14), said proximity sensor being arranged to detect possible interference between the mast (14) and a naval vessel (2) for recovering the marine craft, the control device (6) controlling the stabilization device (20) to move the mast (14) in order to avoid said interference when the proximity sensor detects said possible interference.

11. Marine craft according to any one of claims 1 to 10, said marine craft being an autonomous and / or remotely operated surface or underwater marine craft.