Abstract: A gyroscopic roll stabilizer includes an enclosure, a flywheel assembly, a bearing, a motor, and a bearing cooling circuit. The enclosure is mounted to a gimbal for rotation about a gimbal axis and configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure. The flywheel assembly includes a flywheel and flywheel shaft. The bearing rotatably mounts the flywheel assembly inside the enclosure for rotation about a flywheel axis. The bearing has an inner race and an outer race. The inner race is affixed to the flywheel shaft, and the outer race is held rotationally fixed relative to the enclosure. The motor is operative to rotate the flywheel assembly. The bearing cooling circuit is configured to transfer heat away from the bearing by recirculating cooling fluid along a closed fluid pathway. The gyroscopic roll stabilizer is configured to transfer heat away from the inner and/or outer race of the bearing to the cooling fluid.

Abstract: A method of unloading cargo at sea from a cargo vessel to a cargo barge, comprising the steps of providing a catamaran vessel having a pair of spaced apart catamaran hulls and a pair of spaced apart arch shaped frames, each frame attached to each hull at a frame lower end portion; positioning the cargo vessel in between the hulls and under the top portion of the frames; placing one or more cargo barges next to one or both of the hulls, wherein the hull is in between the cargo vessel and the cargo barge; and unloading cargo from the cargo vessel to the cargo barge wherein the cargo travels from the cargo vessel, over the catamaran hull to the cargo barge.

Abstract: A marine propulsion device has a powerhead, a driveshaft powered by the powerhead, a lower unit, and a propeller shaft supported in the lower unit and in torque transmitting relationship with the driveshaft. The marine propulsion device also has a steering column through which the driveshaft extends and to which the lower unit is coupled. The steering column is configured to rotate the lower unit with respect to the powerhead. There is a steering housing through which the steering column extends, the steering housing being stationary with respect to the powerhead. A flexible conduit, for example a wiring harness, extends through an aperture in the steering housing and through an aperture in the steering column. The flexible conduit has slack between the steering housing and the steering column.

Abstract: A barrier accessory device for a watercraft includes: an accessory connection base configured for having at least one accessory removably connected thereto; a first rail connector connected to the accessory connection base at a first end portion thereof, the first rail connector having a slot-engaging member configured to be inserted into a slot defined in one of an upper rail and a lower rail of a barrier structure of the watercraft; and a second rail connector connected to the accessory connection base at a second end portion thereof opposite the first end portion, the second rail connector having a locking assembly configured to be selectively locked onto an other one of the upper rail and the lower rail.

Abstract: An anchor assist device for use with a grappling anchor, the grappling anchor including a shank, a plurality of prongs extending outwardly from a lower end of the shank and an inner portion defined by the lower end of the shank and corresponding lower ends of each of the prongs. The anchor assist device including a plate section having a base end and an opposing ground-engaging end. The base end of the plate section is attached to the inner portion of the grappling anchor, such that the plate section is supported by one or more prongs of the grappling anchor, and the ground- engaging end of the plate section extends outwardly from the inner portion of the grappling anchor to provide increased anchor hold capacity within soft anchoring ground.

Abstract: Aquatic activity fin (1) comprising a foot support portion (2) configured for fixing to a person's foot, and a fin portion (3) extending from the foot support portion substantially along a base plane (P). The fin portion (3) comprises a support frame (4), a plurality of hydrofoil blades (5) mounted pivotally to the support frame (4) via pivot couplings (6), and a mechanism for limiting the maximum blade pivot angle ? of each hydrofoil blade. The mechanism for limiting the maximum blade pivot angle comprises bidirectional angle stops (7) configured to allow pivoting of the hydrofoil blade from the a thrust position where a trailing edge (9b) of the hydrofoil blade is above said base plane (P), to a return position where the trailing edge (9b) is below said base plane (P).

Abstract: A self-retrievable anchor with a shovel, lever, and manifold contains no welded parts eliminating weld failure due to tensional and bending forces during anchor retrieval. The anchor has interchangeable parts. The manifold attaches the shovel to lever, and contains at least an internal breakable fuse. A specific dimensioned fuse to anchor size is used. The fuse is not universal. When a tensional force is applied above fuse shear strength capacity, and below breaking strength of the rope, the fuse breaks rotating the shovel 180° about a pivot hinge pin. The anchor is released when stuck at sea bottom without any loss. The anchor's interchangeable parts makes it capable to change shovel shapes suitable to different sea bottom conditions. A stop bar on the shovel portion may be included. The lever may also detach during retrieval by a breakable pivot hinge pin or fuse pin alone, and shovel/manifold later replaced.

Abstract: A rail system for a pontoon boat is provided. The rail system allows for the addition and removal of a pontoon boat skin, as well as additional features and attachments without dismantling the rail system. The system may include detachable rail caps and/or rail attachments that hold the skin against the rail. The rails also include features to attach exterior attachments such as accents, bumpers, and inserts.

Abstract: A variable use pontoon boat configured to operate in both a high speed condition and an improved wake-profile condition is provided. The boat includes a pair of outer pontoons that flare outward in the rearward direction. A rear section of the outer pontoons has a width that is greater than its height. An inclined bottom surface is defined by the outer pontoons. The bottom surface is inclined upward in the rearward direction, and may be inclined laterally upward. The system may include a center pontoon that flares outward in the rearward direction. The center pontoon and the outer pontoons may be spaced apart at a decreased distance at the rear of the boat relative to the front of the boat, such that water is blocked at the rear of the boat and displaced downward. A pair of wake panels may be disposed at the rear of the outer pontoons, and the wake panels may be individually and selectively actuated downward into the water to enhance the wake profile and retracted upward at high speeds.

Abstract: A method of automatically moving, by an automatic location placement system, a marine vessel includes receiving, by a central processing unit, from a vision ranging photography system, at least one optical feed including data providing a mapping of an environment surrounding a marine vessel. The method includes displaying, by the central processing unit, on a touch screen monitor, the mapping of the environment. The method includes receiving, by the central processing unit, from the touch screen monitor, target location data. The method includes directing, by the central processing unit, at least one element of a propulsion system of the marine vessel, to move the marine vessel to the targeted location, using the mapping.

Abstract: The invention provides a solution to people who want to enjoy therapeutic exercises in water using body boards but do not yet have the necessary skills to maneuver themselves alone. This invention serves as a way of acquiring these skills through a body board anchored to a fixed position and leaving a reasonable amount of space for the user to freely move his/her body without interfering with the operation of the board.

Abstract: A small planing watercraft includes: a body including a storage box and a lid, the storage box including an opening, the lid releasably closing the opening; an opening and closing sensor detecting opening and closing of the lid; and processing circuitry determining whether the lid is open based on a result of detection of the opening and closing sensor, and, when determining that the lid is open, outputting a signal indicating that the lid is open.

Abstract: A collapsible kayak may include a single-piece hull including a plurality of crease lines along which the hull is foldable. A floorboard lines a midship portion of the hull between a bow portion and a stern portion, and the floorboard includes a base and a pair of outboard walls permanently fixed at distal ends to port and starboard gunwales of the hull. The bow, stern, and midship portions are configured as a tri-fold, such that the bow portion and the stern portion of the kayak are foldable toward each other to overlap the midship portion of the hull when collapsed.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes a duct, a propeller, a central shaft, and a plurality of fins. The duct includes a circular hole. The propeller is located in the circular hole. The propeller includes a boss and a plurality of blades radially extending from the boss. The central shaft rotatably supports the propeller. The plurality of fins radially extend from the central shaft and connect the central shaft and the duct. The plurality of fins define an airfoil profile.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a folding propeller (1) for a boat, e.g. for a sailboat or a multihull yacht, where said folding propeller (1) comprises a hub (2) for directly or indirectly fastening at a driveshaft connected to a motor, where said folding propeller (1) further comprises at least three individual blades (3), where each of said blades (3) comprises a blade root (4) arranged to pivot around a separate pivot pin (9), at said hub (2) in order to be either in a first and operative position, where the blade (3) is pointing mainly in a radial direction, or in a second and inoperative position, where the blade (3) is pointing mainly in an axial direction, where said pivot pin (9) comprises a first and second end (20, 21), where said hub (2) comprises a cut out (19) for each of said blade roots (4), and further comprises a set of holes (10) for installing said pivot pins (9).

Abstract: Described herein are examples of stiffening shafts, which in some cases are adapted to couple to a marine vessel. An exemplary stiffening shaft can be used to extend a motor from the marine vessel or be used as a shallow water stick anchor. The exemplary stiffening shafts can include a plurality of linked vertebrae stacked to form a column and at least one inelastic tension element threaded longitudinally through the plurality of vertebrae. The shaft can have a flexible configuration when the at least one tension element is released and a stiffened linear configuration when the tension element is tensed to react to torque and bending moments. Alternatively, the stiffening shaft can be used as a shallow water stick anchor for a marine vessel by piercing the bottom of a marine environment (e.g., a sea bed, a lake bed, a river bed, etc.).

Abstract: Various embodiments of a sailing vessel are disclosed configured to reduce a heeling moment acting on the sailing vessel as a wind acts on a sail of the sailing vessel. Generally, a mast of the sailing vessel is allowed to cant to leeward, thus reducing the heeling moment.

Abstract: A sensor platform is provided with a rigid hull having a planar shape having a bow, stern, a port and a starboard side. The platform includes an inflatable perimeter tube having sides extending along a perimeter of the hull. A tow connection is at the bow and rigid control surfaces are at the stern. A planar sensor array is disposed within the platform. The planar sensor array includes inflatable sensor panels attached to the port and a starboard side of the perimeter tube. Each of the inflatable sensor panels has a plurality of sensors embedded with electrical conductors for power and data transfer. A manifold disposed within the platform operationally connects to the inflatable perimeter tube and the inflatable sensor panels. An electrical controller disposed within the platform connects to the sensors and the manifold.

Abstract: A watercraft with a hull assembly and a mat storage system coupled to the hull assembly. The hull assembly may have a mat compartment with the mat storage system configured to move the mat between a stored position, in which at least a portion of the mat is positioned in the mat compartment, and a deployed position. The mat compartment may be positioned beneath at least a portion of a floor of the hull assembly. The hull assembly may have a cover positioned adjacent the mat compartment and moveable between a closed position, in which it covers at least a portion of the mat compartment, and an open position. The mat storage system may have a motor that is configured to move the mat to a stored position.

Abstract: A gyroscopic boat roll stabilizer for a boat comprises a gimbal, having a gimbal axis, an enclosure mounted to the gimbal and configured to precess about a gimbal axis, a flywheel assembly rotatably mounted inside the enclosure for generating a torque that is applied to counter a rolling motion of the boat, and a braking system for controlling precession of the enclosure.