A variety of systems are known for docking one vehicle to another vehicle, and for using a vehicle to retrieve another vehicle. For example, it is known to use a submarine in the process of capturing and retrieving an unmanned underwater vehicle. As another example, it is known to maneuver a tethered submersible vehicle to another underwater vehicle, connect the tethered submersible vehicle to the other underwater vehicle, and then retrieve the tethered submersible vehicle and the other underwater vehicle to a boat.
There is a desire for docking apparatuses and methods that provide a new balance of properties.