Abstract

A hydro-carpet apparatus for providing for downstream containment and recovery of contaminants of oil spills and the like resulting from overflows when making a transfer of such oil materials between a floating vessel and storage means, with the transfer occurring after the vessel is brought substantially adjacent to the dock surface, in which the hydro-carpet is removably maintained in compact form, e.g. on a roller, in a container, and means are secured to one end of the hydro-carpet for securing that one end to the dock while the hydro-carpet is still in the container, and further means are secured to the other end of the hydro-carpet for securing that other end to the downstream end of the vessel also while the hydro-carpet is still in the container, so that the hydro-carpet can be manually rapidly removed from the container by one person pulling on the further means and, after removal and while still being so secured, in turn rapidly dropped onto and be dispensed across the surface upon which the vessel is floated, thereby to preclude contaminants resulting from losses during transfer from floating over the surface beyond the dock and the region where the hydro-carpet is secured to the vessel.