Abstract: A two-piece folding outdoor seat for recreational boats and the like includes a hollow molded seat member and a hollow molded back member. The seat member has an upper surface shaped to abuttingly support a seated user thereon, and a raised rearward portion elevated above the upper surface and shaped to abut the lower back area of the seated user for improved comfort. The raised rearward portion of the seat member includes a plurality of integrally formed hinge fingers extending along an upper portion thereof. The back member has a plurality of integrally formed hinge fingers extending along a lower portion thereof. The hinge fingers on the raised rearward portion of the seat member and the back member are meshed with one another and pivotally interconnected to define a horizontally oriented hinge therealong which permits the back member to be shifted between a lowered storage position and a raised use position.

Abstract: A marine navigation light assembly for installation in alternately configured mast mounting bases has a mast, a navigation light mounted to a top end of the mast, and an electrical receptacle mounted in a bottom end of the mast and electrically connected to the navigation light. The electrical receptacle includes a receptacle shell and at least two electrical contacts housed in the shell wherein a first of the at least two contacts is fixed with respect to the shell and a second of the at least two contacts laterally floats within the shell and with respect to the first contact for interchangeable mating between electrical plugs having differently spaced electrical pins.

Abstract: A retractable cleat for recreational boats and the like includes a seal to inhibit moisture from entering the interior of the cleat. The retractable cleat has a base member, a retractable cleat member and seal positioned therebetween. The base has an upper plate for mounting on an associated boat surface, and a tube depending therefrom. The tube has a hollow interior with a stepped-shaped seat disposed adjacent to an uppermost end thereof. The retractable cleat member has an upper cleat-shaped head and a post depending therefrom. The post is telescopingly received into the interior of the base tube. The seal has an exterior surface thereof closely received in the base seat, and an interior surface closely receiving the cleat post therein. The resilient seal is configured to permit the post to slide longitudinally when the retractable cleat is shifted between a raised use position and a lowered storage position, and forms a watertight seal about the post to inhibit water from seeping into the base.

Abstract: An all-round marine navigation light which generally limits the direction of light transmission to a selected angle above and a selected angle below a plane in which light transmission is to be generally directed. The navigation light generally includes a base defining a light limiting perimeter wall, a circumferential lens which allows light transmission in all directions of the selected plane, the lens being secured to the base, a cap defining a downwardly projecting light limiting perimeter wall, the cap being secured to the lens, and the upwardly and downwardly projecting perimeter walls blocking light transmission through lower and upper portions of the circumferential lens, respectively, to generally limit the direction of light transmission to a relatively narrow band generally within and/or adjacent to a selected plane.

Abstract: A compact, lightweight, inexpensive surge restrictor for use in the fuel tank vent line of a marine craft includes a housing which defines a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a baffle member disposed within a flow path through the chamber so that liquid passing therethrough impinges upon and is redirected to dissipate liquid momentum, and a movable closure member, which in response to a surge of liquid into the inlet, abates liquid flow through the surge restrictor. More specifically, the movable closure member is movable between a normal rest position wherein vapor and air can easily flow through the surge restrictor to allow venting and atmospheric pressure equalization within a fuel tank, and a liquid fuel surge arresting position wherein the closure member blocks a passageway in the flow path between the inlet and outlet of the surge restrictor to abate fluid flow therethrough.

Abstract: A pole light system for marine craft, which is easily mounted and dismounted and includes a base receptacle having a keyed socket, and a pole having a light assembly at one end and a plug at the other end which is keyed to be received in the socket, whereby insertion of the pole into the socket is limited to a preselected orientation which will permit the use of wiping, self-cleaning electrical contacts on the pole and receptacle. The light assembly includes a base which is securable to the pole, a planar reflector disposed on the base, a hemispherical Fresnel lens which, together with the reflector, define a volume wherein a light bulb is disposed via a two-part, wire form retainer. The reflector which is generally positioned below the lightbulb, in combination with a hemispherical Fresnel lens, efficiently utilize light emitted from the bulb, so that a lower wattage bulb requiring less energy and producing less heat can be used to achieve a desired illumination in a smaller light assembly.

Abstract: A navigation light assembly for a marine craft includes a base mountable to a deck or other suitable surface of a marine craft, a hemispherical lens which is sealingly attached to an interior wall in the base to form a water-tight space for containing a lightbulb and electrical contacts, and a cap which is attached to the base to securely capture the lens therebetween. A reflector disposed within the water-tight space of behind the lightbulb redirects light outward from the back of the assembly to provide efficient utilization of light emitted from the lightbulb to achieve better visibility of the light from a greater distance using a smaller lightbulb and light assembly. The efficient utilization of light from the lightbulb is further improved by employing a hemispherical Fresnel lens which focuses light along the horizon. The light assembly is easily mounted to the deck and assembled, and is free of exposed fasteners used to attach the assembly to the deck of a marine craft.

Abstract: A foldable seat includes a seat member having a pair of generally upwardly opening elongate slots, and a backrest having a pair of hingeblades received with the slots. The hingeblades are pivotally connected to the seat member for rotation about a pivot axis. The hingeblades include bearing surfaces which engage stop surfaces located inside the slots on the seat member to prevent backward rotation of the backrest beyond the normal upright position. The pivot axis, bearing surfaces and stop surfaces are all located below the upper seating surface of the seat member and forward of the rear edge thereof, so that major pinch points are generally inaccessible, whereby the risk of injury on account of inadvertent placement of a finger between the bearing surfaces of the hingeblades and the stop surfaces of the seat member are substantially eliminated.

Abstract: A fuel filling assembly for liquid fuel tanks, especially on boats or the like, includes a fill tube adapted for mounting through a deck and a closure cap preferably hinged over the fill tube opening for selective opening and closing. Preferably, a positioning member allows the closure cap to be mounted in various positions with respect to the fill tube to accommodate various mounting locations on a boat. The fill tube may be angled or straight to further accommodate varied mounting positions. In one version, a separate vent tube joins the fill tube to provide continuous fuel tank venting, pressure equalization and return of fuel overflow to the fuel tank in case of tank overfill. In the vented version, a rigid shield on the closure cap extends over the opening to a vent passageway through the cap to restrict the escape of liquid fuel in the event of fuel surge due to extreme boat movements or the like when the closure cap is closed.

Abstract: A fuel filling assembly for liquid fuel tanks, especially on boats or the like, includes a fill tube adapted for mounting through a deck and a closure cap preferably hinged over the fill tube opening for selective opening and closing. Preferably, a positioning member allows the closure cap to be mounted in various positions with respect to the fill tube to accommodate various mounting locations on a boat. The fill tube may be angled or straight to further accommodate varied mounting positions. In one version, a separate vent tube joins the fill tube to provide continuous fuel tank venting, pressure equalization and return of fuel overflow to the fuel tank in case of tank overfill. In the vented version, a flexible valve member on the closure cap closes a vent passageway through the cap in the event of fuel surge due to extreme boat movements or the like when the closure cap is closed.

Abstract: A fishing rod holder for casting and spinning reels including a holster portion for receiving a rod and a flexible clamp rotatably mounted in a recess on one end of the holster for retaining a reel within the holster. The flexible clamp is discontinuous with an opening less than the diameter of the circumferential slot whereby the opening must be widened by flexing the clamp when assembling the clamp in the recess. The holster includes support flanges extending therefrom and straddling the recess for supporting the clamp in the recess and for providing stops to the rotation of the clamp when locking a rod in the holster or when releasing the rod from the holster.