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An offshore offloading system for hydrocarbon products from a storage station such as an LNG/FPSO to a shuttle vessel. The system includes a yoke mooring arrangement having a yoke and a connection assembly. One end of the yoke is selectively disconnectable to the shuttle vessel, while the other end

An offshore offloading system for hydrocarbon products from a storage station such as an LNG/FPSO to a shuttle vessel. The system includes a yoke mooring arrangement having a yoke and a connection assembly. One end of the yoke is selectively disconnectable to the shuttle vessel, while the other end of the yoke is rotatably connected to an end of the connection assembly which has its other end rotatably connected to a frame which extends from an end of the storage station. The yoke and connection assembly are arranged such that a transverse force in the lateral or y-direction moves the end of the yoke less than twice the movement of the yoke in response to an x-direction force. The system also includes arrangements for providing a hydrocarbon fluid flow path from the storage station to the shuttle vessel when the shuttle vessel is disconnectably moored to the storage station. A first fluid flow path arrangement includes a crane/boom arrangement mounted on a frame extension of the storage station so that a crane slewing arc radius of the transfer system is not larger than one half the separation distance between the storage station and a forward perpendicular of the shuttle vessel. A second arrangement includes a fixed frame with a piping pantograph mount at its end. A trolley and service platform suspended therefrom move between an operational position away from the pantograph and a service position beneath the pantograph when it is folded into a storage position.

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What is claimed is: 1. A yoke assembly for mooring a vessel to a body comprising, a yoke (17) having a first end and a second end, with said first end arranged and designed for coupling with either said vessel or with said body and said second end arranged and designed for coupling with a frame (10

What is claimed is: 1. A yoke assembly for mooring a vessel to a body comprising, a yoke (17) having a first end and a second end, with said first end arranged and designed for coupling with either said vessel or with said body and said second end arranged and designed for coupling with a frame (100) non-rotatably fixed to said body or to said vessel, said second end having first and second side members (80) and a connection assembly (90) including, a torsionally stiff weighted member (38) having a hinged link (18) at first and second ends, said hinged link having upper and lower sides, first and second hinges (25) coupling said lower side of said hinged links (18) of said stiff member at said first and second ends thereof to said first and second side members of said second end of said yoke, and first and second links (19) coupled to said frame and to said upper side of said hinged links (18) by first and second pairs (21a, 21b) of two axis universal joints. 2. The yoke assembly of claim 1 wherein said first end of said yoke is arranged and designed for connection to a carrier vessel, and said second end of said yoke is arranged and designed for connection to said body. 3. The yoke assembly of claim 2 wherein said body is a floating body. 4. The yoke assembly of claim 3 wherein said vessel is an LNG carrier vessel, and said floating body is an LNG/FPSO. 5. The yoke assembly of claim 1 wherein said first and second hinges (25) include first and second lower brackets 31(b) extending from the lower side of said hinged links (18), with first and second pins (82) extending through aligned holes in said brackets 31(b) and said first and second side members (80). 6. A yoke assembly for mooring a vessel to a body comprising, a yoke (17) having a first end and a second end, with said first end arranged and desired for coupling with either said vessel or with said body and said second end arranged and designed for coupling with a frame (100) carried by said body of by said vessel, said second end having first and second side members (80) and a connection assembly (90) including, a torsionally stiff weighted member (38) having a hinged link (18) at first and second ends, said hinged link having upper and lower sides, first and second hinges (25) coupling said lower side of said hinged links (18) of said stiff member at said first and second ends thereof to said first and second side members of said second end of said yoke, first and second links (19) coupled to said frame and to said upper side of said hinged links (18) by first and second pairs (21a, 21b) of two axis universal joints, and said first and second hinges (25) including first and second lower brackets 31(b) extending from the lower side of said hinged links (18), with first and second pairs (82) extending through aligned holes in said brackets 31(b) and said first and second side members (80), wherein first and second upper brackets 31(a) extend from the upper side of said hinged links (18), said first and second upper brackets being connected to said first pair (21 b) of said two axis universal joints. 7. The yoke assembly of claim 6 wherein said first and second lower brackets 31(b) are placed on said hinged link (18) such that while said yoke assembly is in an at-rest neutral position, a line through a center of gravity ( 39) of said stiff member (38) and a center of said first and second upper brackets (31(a)) passes through a center of said first and second lower brackets 31(b), wherein said yoke assembly is characterized by approximately equal force stiffness in the aft direction and in the forward direction from at-rest neutral position. 8. The yoke assembly of claim 6 wherein said first and second lower brackets (31(b)) are placed on said hinged link (18) while said yoke assembly is in an at-rest neutral position, forward of a line through a center of gravity (39) and a center of said first and second upper brackets (31(a)), wherein said yoke assembly (24) is characterized by more force stiffness in the aft direction than it does in the forward direction from at-rest neutral position. 9. A yoke assembly for mooring a vessel to a body comprising, a yoke (17) having a first end and a second end, with said first end arranged and designed for coupling with either said vessel or with said body and said second end arranged and designed for coupling with a frame (100) carried by said body or by said vessel, said second end having first and second side members (80) and a connection assembly (90) includes, a torsionally stiff weighted member (38) having a hinged link (18) at first and second ends, said hinged link having upper and lower sides, first and second hinges (25) coupling said lower side of said hinged links (18) of said stiff member at said first and second ends thereof to said first and second side members of said second end of said yoke, and first and second links (19) coupled to said frame and to said upper side of said hinged links (18) by first and second pairs (21a, 21b) of two axis universal joints, wherein said force stiffness of said first end of said yoke (17 ) is where ΔX and ΔY represent small displacement increments corresponding to small increments in forces Fx and Fy near any displacement x1 and y1, and said yoke assembly is characterized by the ratio whereby said connection assembly (90) is arranged and designed to provide fore-and-aft resistance to an x-direction force on said yoke (17) of less than twice the resistance of a y-direction force of the same magnitude on said first end of said yoke (17). 10. A yoke assembly for mooring a vessel to a body comprising, a yoke (17) having a first end and a second end, with said first end arranged and designed for coupling with either said vessel or with said body and said second end arranged and designed for coupling with a frame (100) carried by said body or by said vessel, said second end having first and second side members (80) and a connection assembly (90) including, a torsionally stiff weighted member (38) having a hinged link (18) at first and second ends, said hinged link having upper and lower sides, first and second hinges (25) coupling said lower side of said hinged links (18) of said stiff member at said first and second ends thereof to said first and second side members of said second end of said yoke, and first and second links (19) coupled to said frame and to said upper side of said hinged links (18) by first and second pairs (21a, 21b) of two axis universal joints, wherein said first end of said yoke (17) is arranged and designed for connection to a carrier vessel, and with said first end of said yoke (17) designed and arranged with said connection assembly (90) to rotate with respect to said body, and a buoyancy chamber (29) is disposed in said second end of said yoke, said buoyancy chamber (29) having sufficient buoyancy to cause said second end of said yoke to float when said yoke is disconnected from said carrier vessel. 11. An offshore off-loading system comprising, a storage station (1) for storing hydrocarbon products, a shuttle vessel (2) arranged and designed for transporting hydrocarbon products, a yoke assembly (24) including a yoke (17) with first and second ends and a connection assembly (90), said second end of said yoke and said connection assembly rotatably connected to said storage station (1) and a first end of said yoke (17) is selectively connectable to said shuttle vessel, said connection assembly (90) including a torsionally stiff weighted member (38) having a hinged link (18) at first and second ends, said hinged link having upper and lower sides, first and second hinges (25) coupling said lower side of said hinged links (18) of said stiff weighted member (38) at said first and second ends thereof to first and second side members (80) of said second end of said yoke, and first and second links (19) coupled to said frame ( 100) and to said first and second ends of said stiff member (38 ) of said upper side thereof by first and second pairs (21a, 21b) of two axis universal joints, wherein said force stiffness of said first end of said yoke (17) is wherein ΔX and ΔY represent small displacement increments corresponding to small increments in force Fx and Fy near any displacement x1 and y1, and said yoke assembly is characterized by the ratio whereby a transfer force in the y-direction moves the first end of said yoke (17) less than or equal to twice the movement of said first end of said yoke (17) in response to an x-direction force of equal magnitude to the y-direction force.