78 thanks to the configuration of the vessel protection device 10 and spring 50 which may be in the form of a leaf spring as shown the forces applied by vessel 4 in use will be partially if not completely offset by the reaction forces of the spring as will be readily appreciated from considering fig1 the orientation of spring 50 and indeed vessel protection device 10 may be considered substantially vertical and a direction indicated by arrow 120 may be considered substantially horizontal as discussed above the substantially horizontal orientation may be the orientation of wheels 70 and spring 50 for example when vessel 4 is being brought into or moved out of docking thus the inventive vehicle protection device may be considered a dual use vessel protection device in use dock lines will be secured to dock 6 and onto the vessel 4 in such a manner as to allow the vessel to move against the wheels or rollers 70 during vertical tidal motion rocking wave movement varying wind speeds and water current changes fig3 illustrates a further embodiment of a vessel protection device 130 according to the invention vessel protection device 130 includes features of the fig1 embodiment with the addition of further features such as the elimination of the nut and bolt of the fig1 embodiment that secure fig1 shaft 80 to fig1 threaded hub 90 as shown in fig2 instead the fig3 embodiment may include a sleeve 132 which may be a pvc polyvinylchloride pipe the sleeve 132 protects shaft 80 and serves as the element over which stop 90 may be slid and then glued to sleeve 90 which may likewise be pvc for example additional mating left and right stops 136 and 142 may secure respective.