C-Dart is a quick-connection mooring system developed by Blackfish Engineering to remove one of offshore renewable energy's most persistent operational risks: the manual handling of mooring lines, ropes and shackles in open water.
Originally developed for wave and tidal energy converters through the Wave Energy Scotland (WES) Quick Connection Systems programme, C-Dart has since progressed from prototype toward commercial manufacture, delivered in partnership with AJT Engineering, and has been recognised with a Mooring Solutions Award in 2026.
The Challenge
Connecting and disconnecting floating marine structures - wave and tidal devices, floating wind platforms, aquaculture infrastructure - typically relies on divers, ROVs, or close-quarters vessel manoeuvring to handle heavy mooring lines. This is slow, weather-limited, and carries real risk to personnel.
Blackfish was set the challenge of designing a connection system that could be made and released remotely, by a single small vessel, without powered systems, stored energy, or specialist intervention.
Our Approach
Blackfish led the engineering design and development of C-Dart from concept through to a tested, certifiable system:
Concept design exploiting gravity, buoyancy and rope tension to achieve a passive, self-aligning connection
Mechanical and electrical connector design, including a derivative mooring-only configuration for temporary moorings
Load case definition and structural analysis across a working range of 1 to hundreds of tonnes
Test protocol development and validation, including pull testing and at-sea demonstration
Gaining Bureau Veritas' Design Assessment and Endorsement of the Qualification Plan to standard BV-NR493
The system was tested at the Fort William Underwater Centre, where John Maclellan, skipper and Operations Director, praised the system for the minimal effort required to secure a vessel safely, that it could be operated by one or two people on deck, and eliminated shackles and the entanglement risks they bring.
From Prototype to Product
Following successful at-sea demonstration, Blackfish signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with AJT Engineering, an Aberdeen-based manufacturer, to bring C-Dart to commercial production. Under this partnership, Blackfish leads application engineering while AJT handles manufacture and assembly.
"Our collaboration with AJT Engineering marks an exciting step in the journey to bring C-Dart to market. By combining Blackfish's cutting-edge engineering capabilities with AJT's world-class manufacturing expertise, we are confident in delivering a solution that meets the rigorous demands of the offshore sector."
- Jon Powell, Managing Director, Blackfish Engineering
The partnership has since been supported by Scottish Enterprise and the Energy Transition Zone, and C-Dart's MoorSafe application has been modelled using the National Decommissioning Centre's 3D simulator. AJT Engineering now manufactures C-Dart commercially and was recognised as a Mooring Solutions Award Winner in 2026.
Outcome
C-Dart is a scalable mooring and quick-connection system, applicable across wave, tidal, floating wind, aquaculture and general marine operations, and is moving toward commercial availability through Blackfish's manufacturing partnership with AJT Engineering. It demonstrates Blackfish's ability to take a concept from first principles through funded R&D, third-party certification, and into a manufactured product with an industrial partner.
See C-Dart in action | Read about our partnership with AJT Engineering
