The relative position and orientation between two subsea structures (210,
212) are measured by ultra-short baseline acoustic metrology. Dual mode
master/slave (220, 222) stations comprising a multi-transducer array are
fitted in known position and orientation relative to each structure. The
first station (220) is operated in master mode to determine the position
and direction of the second structure (222) relative to the first (220).
The second station (222) is operated in master mode to determine the
position and direction data from both operations the apparatus calculates
relative position and orientation between the structures. The dual mode
stations can be replaced by a master station and a slave station,
swapping places. The application further provides for method and
apparatus for docking an underwater vehicle to a subsea structure whereby
a mobile metrology transducer is fitted to said underwater vehicle such
that when docked together, said transducer is in a known positional
relationship to said structure. The vehicle may dock with a succession of
structures in turn.