Giant electromagnets to moor ships
 

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3270

I loved this line in the article:

"A key part of the trial will be to see if this idea works."


You think? :-)

If the magnets don't prove out, they might try a vaccuum system. All
the displaced longshoremen would then be able to say the new mooring
system really sucks.