Abstract: A floating dock preferably comprised of at least two elongated panels and derives its transverse load supporting strength from flotation tubs at the lower side of the dock. The deck portion of the dock is assembled from aluminum extrusions, preferably without welds. The dock assembly involves a minimum of parts and minimal assembly time. In typical sizes, e.g., about 6 feet in width and 20 to 40 feet in length, the dock units can be prefabricated at a plant and shipped by truck to the point of use.

Abstract: An amphibious vehicle has a land mode and a water mode wherein in the land mode the front end and the rear end angles of inclination are reduced to minimize the damage to the landscape of the earth's terrain. The amphibious vehicle comprises first and second pontoons, each having a bottom curved surface wherein the bottom curved surface has a knuckle-like point for facilitating turning thereabout.

Abstract: A trolling motor mount with a first plate hingedly connected at its front to the bottom of the boat transom, a second plate or a continuation of the first plate is connected to and extends rearwardly of the rear of the first plate at a predetermined substantial angle to the plane of the first plate. Fasteners are provided to attach a trolling motor to the underside of the second plate. Pivot brackets connect an electrically actuatable piston to the first plate and the top of the boat transom, the first plate being operable by the piston to a first position in the water to serve as a trim tab with the second plate and trolling motor extending upwardly out of the water, the first plate being operable to a second lower position in the water with the second plate and underlying trolling motor being immersed at an approximately horizontal trolling position below cavitation level in the water.

Abstract: A water craft or land vehicle is stabilized against rolling and pitching forces by a mass or masses rotating about a vertical axis. The mass or masses are distributed along the vertical axis so that the center of the overall mass lies on the roll and pitch axes so that resistance to roll and pitch is exerted without precession. The gyro is gimballed along two axes which coincide with the roll and pitch axes. A stop mechanism allows a free pitching and rolling through a small angle before gyro resistance is met. Hydrofoils may be extended and retracted under pitch and roll signals from the gyro for extra stability.

Abstract: A buoyant aquatic life-saving assembly including a portable waist belt having a plurality of storage pouches in which rescue gear is stored and from which the gear may be released during emergencies. At least one storage pouch houses an inflatable life belt designed to encircle an individual during water rescue and which incorporates a lift harness and a second pouch contains a throw line adapted to allow both fixed anchoring of the rescue gear or casting of the inflatable life belt. In a preferred embodiment, one or more storage pouches are on the buoyant waist encircling belt for storing additional rescue equipment.

Abstract: A protection bar for the front edge of the lower housing portion of a drive housing of the boat motor comprises an elongate bar with a grooved rear edge friction fit on the front edge of the housing and the front edge of the scag plate. The top end of the bar is bolted to the flange coupling between the upper and lower housing portions. The lower end is bolted to the scag plate by a pair of side mounting plates and a cross bolt. The bar follows the shape of the front edges of the housing and the scag plate. The protection bar absorbs impacts to prevent damage to the cast housing portions.

Abstract: A device and methods to incrementally tension a line. The fixed end of the line is secured to a load and the free end is wrapped one-and-a-half times around and terminating between a pair of essentially parallel hooks that have the freedom to converge in the gap. When the line is tensioned by applying a force to the device, the hooks are pulled together arresting the movement of the line. The device is then displaced a distance which constitutes one incremental pull. The tensioned line is then cleated off or the load otherwise secured and the device can then be returned to its starting point. The hooks, now relaxed, allow for the accumulated slack to be pulled through them by tensioning the free portion of the line. The process can be repeated until the desired tension is accumulated or the load displaced the required distance. When no more incremental.pi. pulls are required and there is no tension in the line, the line can be easily slipped off the hooks.

Abstract: A vessel in single-hull form is described for sweeping marine mines, which comprises its own remote-controlled motion drive and means for triggering remote-controlled detonators of the marine mines, in particular means including an electromagnet core for producing an electromagnetic field, in which at least one of the two side outlet ends of the electromagnet core extending substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the vessel is downwardly inclined in relation to the verticals.

Abstract: A trim tab which is attached to the transom of a boat and which has a hydraulic ram which can adjust the angle that the trim tab assumes with respect to the surface of the water. In addition, the body of the tab is hydrodynamically shaped to provide very little drag.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a fresh water flushing device for a marine engine system in a boat for use whether the boat is in or out of the water. The system comprises a valve enables water to be dispensed to the various locations and various components of a marine engine system to provide for fresh water fluid flow within the engine.

Abstract: A twin-hulled boat (1) is constructed from three individual parts being two parallel, relatively narrow and relatively long hulls (2) each individually connected, at releasable joints (13,9), to a central, rigid bridge section (3), and separable, upon release of the joints (13,9) into three individual parts. Each hull (2) has a bow section (4) and a stern section (5). The hulls (2) have virtually flat bottoms (6) apart from the bow sections (4). The releasable joints are two-part metal-to-metal friction joints with one-part (13) of each of said joints located within, and at a lateral side of, said central bridge section (3), and the other part (9) of each of said joints located at inner gunwales (21) of each hull (2), with, for each of said joints, individual independent, screw-incorporating means (26),(24),(27),(29), (33) operable on both parts (13,9) of each joint to urge the parts (13,9) of each said joint together into tight frictional engagement with one another.

Abstract: A floating boat lift for raising a boat out of and securing same above a body of water. This boat lift consists of two float supported frames which are held parallel and separated by two parallel lift bars which are held parallel and separated by a pair of support bunks and, or, two crossed spacing members. The lift bars are attached to the float supported frames through the use of a pair of 7-link mechanisms on each end of each of the lift bars. These mechanisms, referred to as cascaded four bars in the following sections, are positioned such that the lift bar are between a pair on each end of the lift bars.

Abstract: An oarlock of the invention is attached to a boat for supporting an oar. The oarlock is basically formed of an oar supporting member, a pivot part, and a bolt for assembling the oar supporting member and the pivot part. The oar supporting member is formed of one clamping plate which is shaped into a cylindrical oar holder part and a rectangular lower part with a rectangular opening at the bottom thereof. The pivot part is formed of a top portion with a through hole and a pin. When the oar supporting member and the pivot part are assembled, the bolt is inserted into through holes of the oar supporting member and a through hole of the pivot part. When the oar held in the oar supporting member is moved up or down, one of the side edges of the top portion hits a corresponding edge of the rectangular opening, so that the pivotal movement of the oar can be desirably restricted within a certain range.

Abstract: A structural deck (1) has watertight flotation (2, 16, 18, 20) and structural resistors (8) to movement in water and wave-resistance. Wave-resistance also is resistant to movement in water. Railing sections (11) which are convertible to ladders, steps (13) and ramps (22) are provided in addition to fixed railing (10) and drop-down or removable railing as desired. Furnishing and fixtures for swimming, diving, fishing, eating, entertainment and weather protection (25, 26, 27) can be attached as desired. Powered propulsion (4, 5, 21, 23, 24) is provided for slow and convenient movement for repositioning in bodies of water. Construction can be sectional (17, 18, 20) for convenient assembly and disassembly.

Abstract: A riser buoy (36) supports a plurality of risers (19) and is releasably docked within a generally cylindrical turret (20) of a floating storage vessel (10) at a location above the sea level (12) to provide dry access to quick disconnect/connect mating couplings (32, 40) on the turret (20) and riser buoy (36). A weight (58) connected by anchor chain (44) to riser buoy (36) is connected at its upper end to a retrieval line (60) which is controlled by a winch (62). Riser buoy (36) upon disconnection from vessel (10) is positioned at a predetermined submerged water depth below tanker traffic and high wave loads. Riser buoy (36) is docked within turret (20) independently of positioning means such as anchor chains (17) between the sea bed and the turret, or a thrusting positioning system including thrusters (16) of the vessel.

Abstract: An emergency flotation device securable about the wrist of a user that includes a bracelet assembly including an upper bracelet member and a lower bracelet member that are attached by a flexible bracelet member hinge, that are pivotable into a closed position forming a wrist receiving opening, and that are securable in the closed position by a bracelet member latch; a scored flotation balloon retaining membrane positioned over a flotation balloon deployment window of the upper bracelet member; a valve assembly having a valve intake, a valve outlet and a manually activated valve positioned between the valve intake and the valve outlet; a resilient bladder filled with a pressurized acid solution; a flexible connecting tube in connection between the resilient bladder and the valve intake; an inflatable flotation balloon positioned within the flotation balloon receiving compartment of the upper bracelet member, the inflatable flotation balloon having a balloon chamber having a supply of carbon dioxide generating

Abstract: A flushing system accessory comprises a one-piece connector and a lubricating-fluid vessel. The connector has a threaded first intake port connected to the lubricating-fluid vessel. The connector also includes a threaded second intake port which is connected to a water supply hose. The connector further includes a threaded outlet port sized for connection to a boat motor flushing aid. The one-piece connector has an end carrier chamber which is divided by a partition wall into a first passageway and a second passageway. The intake and outlet ports are in fluid communication with the interior chamber. Lubricating fluid, supplied by the lubricating-fluid vessel, and water, supplied by a water supply hose, enter through a first and second intake port, respectively. They then pass through the connector outlet port and into an attached boat motor flushing aid.

Abstract: A flotation supplement to a personal flotation device. The flotation supplement has an inflatable buoyancy chamber mountable upon a buoyant life vest. An air storage container is coupled to the inflatable buoyancy chamber to inflate the buoyancy chamber. The buoyancy chamber is laterally offset upon the life vest to provide asymmetric supplemental buoyancy. When not in use, the inflatable buoyancy chamber is stored in its deflated position and releasably restrained to the life vest.

Abstract: An ergonomically improved kayak paddle and a method for making the same is provided which improves the overall strength of the paddle while substantially reducing hand and arm fatigue for a user. The kayak paddle utilizes non-concentric gripping regions between a substantially longitudinal shaft and paddle blade sections. The gripping regions are interconnected to the shaft at non-abrupt predetermined angles of curvature and in a geometric configuration which reduces structural stress and fatigue at critical portions of the paddle while allowing a paddler to orient the paddle by touch alone.

Abstract: This invention relates to a fold-able panel as keel stabilizer for small boats of up to 20 feet in length approximately during trolling speeds of up to ten miles per hour approximately, such that the same motor can be used for trolling as well as higher speed point to point travel. More particularly it relates to adding a fold-able panel along the side of the boat closer to the transom. The panel when opened or unfolded extends below the bottom of the boat and provides stabilization during trolling. The fulcrum of the panels is generally above the water-line.