Abstract: A flushing assembly of the type used to clean outboard motors by forcing cleaning water through the inlet ports of the outboard motor and comprising a base specifically structured to provide a water inlet in fluid communicating relation to the inlet ports of the motor. The base is structured so as to be capable of being clamped to the motor being cleaned adjacent the inlet ports and further to allow a water supply to be interconnected to the base wherein both the water supply and the adjustment of the base occurs at a location remote from the motor being cleaned so as to facilitate such cleaning when the motor is not readily accessible.

Abstract: A floatable passenger car for land and water cruising has a bow portion with an inclined floor, a central portion which with the bow portion forms a gliding boat body and floor and includes a bulkhead at its rear end, and a rear portion, seats being located in the central and rear portions to permit passengers to be selectively seated in the rear portion for maximum water cruising speed. The front and rear wheels are retractable into individual compartments located in the central and rear body portions, respectively, and the compartments for retaining the front wheels include sliding doors covering the openings to the compartments when the front wheels are retracted to reduce resistance during high speed cruising on the water. A propeller shaft with a propeller on the end thereof extends rearwardly from the bulkhead and is pivotable between elevated and lowered positions. The engine is located between the front wheels and is coupled through transmissions to the front wheels and the propeller shaft.

Abstract: A tank vessel for the transportation of liquid cargo having a specific gravity which is less than that of water. The vessel includes a hull comprising a bottom and sides, a top deck, and at least one transverse bulkhead disposed within the hull forming a plurality of watertight cargo compartments between the top deck and the hull bottom. The improvement of the invention comprises a watertight horizontal bulkhead disposed within the hull between the top deck and the hull bottom above the waterline of the tank vessel and at a distance above the hull bottom which is less than or equal to H(S.sub.w /S.sub.c), where H represents the vertical height of the waterline of the vessel above the hull bottom, S.sub.w represents the specific gravity of water, and S.sub.c represents the specific gravity of the liquid cargo.

Abstract: The invention as disclosed provides an improved mainsail and/or mizzensail furling device for use on sailboats and includes a furling drum mounted on the gooseneck connecting the boom to the mast. An upper masthead holding device is movably mounted relative to the mast and includes a pair of pivoted mast engaging flanges. A first pair of substantially longitudinally extending arms are connected to the flanges and maintain a swivel a given distance from the mast. The halyard is connected to the swivel in a convenient fashion, and a second pair of arms are attached in such a way as to lead the halyard from the top of the swivel device at an angle of approximately 45.degree. to the mast, to maintain the flanges substantially parallel to the mast to facilitate raising and lowering the device as well as a snug fit against the mast when the halyard is made taut. The flanges are pivoted to the first pair of arms so as to grip a variety of mast sizes and configurations.

Abstract: A boat which includes a hull body. The hull body includes a floor; two longitudinal walls and two end walls, each wall having a top face, the walls being joined together at their meeting ends into a substantially rectangular shape, and also are joined to the floor. There further are provided holding apparatus for holding the top faces of the four walls of the hull body in inverted fashion against an open-load-carrying part of a transportation vehicle; and connection apparatus for connecting at least one hull extension member and other additional members to the hull body.

Abstract: A canoe and paddle support to facilitate attachment of paddles to a canoe for storage, auto transport, and particularly portaging of the canoe. The invention has a body preferably made of a resilient material. The body has a lateral slot adapted to removably retain the thwart of a canoe, a longitudinal slot adapted to removably retain a canoe paddle and oriented in approximately perpendicular relation to the lateral slot, so that the paddle is held in an orientation approximately longitudinal with respect to the center line of the canoe, and a carrying surface facing downwardly when the thwart and the paddle are retained in the lateral and longitudinal slots and the canoe is inverted, the carrying surface being adapted to provide a convenient path for transmitting the weight of the canoe to the shoulders of the person transporting the canoe.

Abstract: A drive assembly in boats is disclosed, comprising a drive assembly with motor and an inboard-outboard drive coupled to the motor, and a motor bed, which has a passage, through which the assembly extends and which is aligned with a hole in the bottom of the boat, through which the assembly extends. The assembly has an elastic sealing ring which is held pressed between the wall of the passage and the outer surface of the assembly.

Abstract: A traction arrangement for use by a sail surfer or water skier who is pulled along by holding onto a bar-shaped member connected to pulling apparatus, has two pulling elements which are arranged to be worn by a user and each having a leading end, and two connecting elements for detachably connecting the pulling elements to the bar-shaped member. Each of the connecting elements is provided at the leading end of a respective one of the pulling elements and is flexible so as to be deformable about the bar-shaped member by a pressure of the user's hands to thereby engage the bar-shaped member in frictional connection with the latter. In the event of a fall or when the user wishes to disengage the bar-shaped member, cessation of pressure by the user's hands suffices to terminate the frictional connection. The connecting elements may be formed by inner portions of gloves which are connected to the pulling elements.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a marine propulsion device including a lower unit having a gear case, a laterally extending anti-cavitation plate extending above a propeller carried on a propeller shaft rotatably mounted in the gear case, and a pair of generally flat side fins, each of which has a laterally extending trailing edge located wholly forwardly of the propeller and which either extend laterally in coplanar relationship from the opposite sides of the gear case, extend laterally in coplanar relationship from the opposite sides of the lower unit at a location between the anti-cavitation plate and the gear case, extend outwardly and downwardly in an angular relationship from the opposite sides of the gear case, or extend laterally in coplanar relationship from the opposite sides of the lower end portion of a vertical fin extending downwardly from the gear case.

Abstract: A tether line is connected between a surfboard and an ankle cuff about a surfer's ankle so that the surfer will not lose the surfboard if he becomes separated from the board. A quick release is provided between the one end of the tether line and the ankle cuff permitting the surfer to manually release the tether line from the ankle cuff in an emergency situation. The quick release includes a yoke member to which the tether line is secured arranged to straddle an opening in the ankle cuff. A pin passes through the arms of the fork and the opening in the cuff and by simply manually removing the pin, the quick release results.

Abstract: The performance characteristics of a vee type planing hull are significantly increased by a combination of features for reducing drag and increasing attitude control.Exemplary of the former are a concave running pad to which air is inducted to reduce hull drag and an angled transom terminating at a transverse hull "step" which permits the outboard propulsion unit to be carried higher reducing unit drag. The presence of longitudinal "wedges" increase hull lift as planing speed is approached allowing the hull to plane at a lower speed.Transverse wedge elements positioned outboard of the concave running pad maintain a stern lifting torque for controlling bow up angle.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for reducing the relative motion of a vessel and for reducing the intensity of waves reflected from the vessel. According to the invention, the vessel is provided with at least two specially designed tanks or cavities, one on the starboard side of the vessel and one on the port side of the vessel. The tanks extend above and below the mean water line of the vessel. In one embodiment of the invention, each tank has (a) a bottom plate which extends substantially laterally outward from at least a portion of the bottom of the vessel and which is freely accessible to the surrounding water; (b) vertically aligned, transversely extending, outwardly directed, perforate plates which are spaced apart along a longitudinal length of the tank, and (c) a vertically aligned, longitudinally extending perforate plate or bulkhead which is spaced apart from the vessel along a longitudinal length of the tank.

Abstract: An underwater gas/liquid reservoir 1, particularly designed to be used as a ballast/buoyancy tank in an offshore drilling platform, has a pressurized supply duct 2 for introducing gas into the reservoir to control the liquid level therein. The gas supply duct has two openings 8, 11, one near the bottom of the reservoir and the other near the top. A movable straddle packer 14 is disposed in the gas supply duct for selectively closing the bottom opening 8 so that gas is allowed to flow only through the top opening 11 of the supply duct. The packer can also be positioned to uncover the bottom opening 8 of the gas supply duct. In operation, the liquid level within the reservoir is controlled by the introduction or release of pressurized gas into or from the reservoir through the openings of the gas supply duct either to force liquid from the reservoir or to allow liquid to flow into it.

Abstract: A hydroplane boat having a hull with two V-shaped sections separated by a step in the hull surface and continuous chines from stem to stern. The void created by the step is preferably provided with air by vents located between the chines, the vents having intakes internal to the boat structure. The hull includes concave portions just aft of the step separated by a pronounced keelson and tapering into a V-shape at the transom, such that the hull portion aft of the step describes a generally hook shaped surface.

Abstract: Water-jet propulsion unit for vessels which includes a water duct having an inlet and outlet portions and an impeller disposed in the water duct. The outlet portion has a variable outlet nozzle which can discharge water downwardly when desired to produce a lift force for lifting the stern of the vessel. The arrangement provides an improved rolling stability under a stationary condition and is also effective to decrease a drag force under the "hump" condition.

Abstract: A vessel comprising a pair of laterally spaced elongated buoyancy hulls and vertically mounted thereon a plurality of hollow columns, distributed around the outer circumferential area of the vessel and supporting a work platform above the water level when the hulls are submerged, the hulls containing water ballast compartments. The platform supports one or more heavy duty cranes, adapted for outboard handling of loads. At the lower end of the columns, air chambers are provided in open connection with the surrounding water at their bottom ends. At their upper ends these chambers have air valves for discharging air from and supplying air to the chambers selectively controlled by directions from a computer which is added to the crane operating device.

Abstract: A merchandising container in the form of a labelled bottle and suitable for use as a boat fender. The bottle comprises a hollow body for holding a flowable material therein. The body includes a top wall portion having an opening communicating with the interior of the body, a threaded cap covering the opening, a bottom wall portion and a side wall portion disposed between the top wall portion and the bottom wall portion. The side wall forms the periphery of the body and includes two pairs of planar opposed wall portions. Each of the wall portions of one pair include a pair of tapered depressions therein which are aligned with an identical pair of tapered depressions in the opposed wall portion. Each depression includes an upper and lower conically shaped surface and a pair of planar surfaces extending between the corresponding ends of the conically shaped surfaces.

Abstract: A supportive framework is disclosed for a boat having a hull which consists of a flexible plastic skin wherein the bottom frame element of the frame network is tubular and includes a rounded bottom wall which flexes inwardly to absorb stresses upon impact and more widely and uniformly distribute the stresses over the impact area.

Abstract: The hull has a pair of laterally spaced pontoons which are rigidly interconnected by beams which extend between them at a level low enough that a barge will float over them. An elevator with a lifting and lowering mechanism is mounted on the hull with sling or cradle-like lifting bars. The lifting bars have upstanding posts which are shaped, sized and spaced to fit in the stacking post sockets conventionally provided in the hull bottoms of LASH barges. In a lower condition of the elevator, a barge will float over the bars. In a raised condition of the elevator, workers may stand on the hull pontoon decks and work on the sides of the barge and work on the bottom of the barge from scaffolding hanging under the lifting bars. For working on conventional river barges (which are longer than LASH barges) the lifting devices may be used in pairs.

Abstract: The invention pertains to reversing apparatus for hydraulic jet marine drives utilizing a pivoted steering nozzle and a reversing gate adapted to divert a jet of water into a reversing nozzle. The reversing nozzle is rotatably mounted upon the steering nozzle and utilizes orientation apparatus fixed with respect to the axis of the steering nozzle such that rotation of the steering nozzle in one direction produces rotation of the reversing nozzle about its axis in the opposite direction. The relative movements of the steering and reversing nozzles produces force vectors in the nozzles in a common lateral direction with respect to boat movement wherein a high degree of boat control while being reversed is achieved at low pumping capacity.