Two vertically movable, tiltable legs, one located at the forward end and one located at the aft end of a large open well internal to the hulls of a vessel for deep ocean mining operations for docking and undocking a subsurface mining vehicle and for raising and lowering the mining vehicle into or out of the well. Each leg includes a panel at the lower end thereof for engaging pins on the mining vehicle. The panels include a keyhole slot to aid in initial capture of the mining vehicle and restrict relative motion between vessel and vehicle after capture. Each panel features a hydraulically driven slide portion to permit lateral movement of the vehicle after docking in the event such lateral movement is required to stow the vehicle or to trim the vessel with the loaded vehicle on board when the docking legs are engaged with the vehicle.
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