Abstract: A watercraft hull having a pair of laterally spaced propulsion tunnels located on opposite sides of its keel, with said tunnels being open downwardly towards the water, includes a movably mounted keel section located between said propulsion tunnels to prevent water crossflow between said tunnels and increase dynamic lift on the hull.

Abstract: A stanchion assembly is provided for retaining cargo in a hold from lateral motion, the hold having a deck grid fitting assembly and a ceiling grid fitting assembly. The stanchion assembly includes an elongated beam with a box cross section of two parallel webs and two parallel flanges. The beam is an extrusion of an aluminum or aluminum alloy. The assembly includes upper and lower end caps on the ends of the beam. A spring assembly within the elongated box beam retains the beam in a vertical position within the corresponding fitting on the grid assembly on the deck and the ceiling. The stanchion assembly has a weight no greater than 67 pounds. The stanchion assembly has a length L in the longitudinal direction from a lower end cap to an upper end cap when the spring assembly is uncompressed. The beam has a stiffness capable of resisting a design load applied to one of the webs normal to the longitudinal direction with a deflection no greater than L/90.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes an engine. A cowling body defines an internal cavity in which the engine is enclosed. A partition member divides the internal cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity. The first cavity communicates with outside through a first opening for introducing ambient air into the first cavity. The second cavity encloses the engine therein. The partition member has a second opening through which the air in the first cavity moves to the second cavity. The cowling body and the partition member are made of a nonferrous metal. The partition member is adhered to the cowling body.

Abstract: A rope-severing device includes a first sleeve having a first axis. A second sleeve is provided abutting and slideably oriented with the first sleeve. The second sleeve has a second axis, wherein the first axis and the second axis are at least one of coaxial and parallel. A sharp object is mounted at least partially within the first sleeve.

Abstract: A personal watercraft equipped with an engine cooling system and a cleaning system therefore, including a body 1 including a deck 3 and a hull 2, an engine E accommodated in the interior of the body 1, a cooling system configured to cool the engine E using water taken in from outside the body 1, and a flush pipe 39, one end of which is coupled to the cooling system to guide cleaning water to the cooling system, and an opposite end of the cleaning water supply line has an opening that is formed on the deck 3 of the body 1 and is configured to open outward; and a coupling member 40 is attached to the opening to couple the cleaning water supply line to a cleaning water supply source located outside the body.

Abstract: A nautical light emitting diode (“LED”) safety channel marker that is cylindrical in shape, capable of displaying lighted oceanic regulation symbols on either side, and that at night illuminates the panels that display a red triangle and a green square through the use of LEDs that surround the perimeter of the square and triangle in order to more effectively prevent boats from colliding with the markers during the darkness hours.

Abstract: A deck mounted for installation on the surface of a vessel deck having one or more bolt holes. The apparatus includes one or more base portions, each having a recess region defined by a perimeter wall bounding the perimeter of the base portion. The perimeter walls each have an underside rim. One or more threaded members are provided for insertion through the bolt holes in the vessel deck, and complementary threaded female members are provided, one each to receive and tighten onto a threaded rod. A resilient gasket is disposed in the recess region within the confines of the perimeter wall. The threaded rod passes through the gasket hole, such that when the threaded rods are inserted through the vessel deck, and received by and tightened into the respective threaded female members, the gaskets are displaced and deformed so as to protrude between the underside rims of the perimeter walls and the upper surface of the vessel deck.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for mounting a heavy equipment on a floating ship's hull comprising the following steps: (A) securing the equipment to lifting units adapted to be supported on the sea floor, said lifting units being arranged on either side of the equipment; (B) pressing the lifting units on the sea floor; (C) lifting the equipment to shift the ship's hull beneath the equipment; (D) cause the ship's hull to be engaged beneath the equipment in the space defined between the lifting units; (E) lowering the equipment to set it in supported position on the ship's hull; (F) dismantling the units for lifting the equipment; and (G) connecting the equipment to the ship's hull.

Abstract: An outboard motor has a cowling comprising a top cowl that is removably engagable with a bottom cowl. A mating portion of the top cowl and the bottom cowl is sealed when the top and bottom cowls are engaged so as to prevent or inhibit water from entering the cowling through the mating portion. A splash-proof rib portion is attached to an inner face of the top cowl and extends downwardly preferably around the entire periphery of the top cowl. The depending rib portion is disposed inside of the upper end of the bottom cowl when the top cowl is mounted on the bottom cowl.

Abstract: A floatation system for attachment to a helicopter landing skid includes a girt dimensioned to be attached to a landing skid and a plurality of floats attached to the elongate girt, wherein the plurality of floats are adapted to be converted from a packed configuration to an deployed configuration, and wherein at least one of the plurality of floats extends beneath the elongate girt when the plurality of floats is in the deployed configuration.

Abstract: A retractable U-shaped ladder assembly preferably for a craft such as a watercraft has a rotatably retracted ladder which is attached to the craft by brackets. A torsion spring is used to bias the ladder into the retracted position. While the ladder is in an in-use position, the ladder is locked into place by a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a bent plate which presses against four rings that are fixed to a rod, which rod extends from each bracket. Each ring has a notch that is located in the same position. In the use position, the bent plate will fit into the notches of the rings and lock the step. When the user is finished using the ladder, the user can manually unlock the step by pressing the bent plate. The bent plate moves out of engagement with the notches in the rings, thereby allowing the torsion springs in the brackets to rotate the step to the retracted position.

Abstract: An express docking system and its method of use, wherein the system comprises: an engaging rod assembly comprising an engaging rod subassembly attachable to a boating vessel, wherein the engaging rod subassembly comprises an engaging rod in communication with a main frame; a mooring assembly comprising: a mounting subassembly attached to a dock; a carriage subassembly slidably engaged with the mounting subassembly; an actuating subassembly mounted to the carriage subassembly; and a jaw subassembly comprising a first jaw opposite to a second jaw; wherein the engaging rod is disposable between the first and second jaws.

Abstract: The three-degree of freedom fin apparatus and method described herein is for use on a watercraft (such as a surfboard) and allows adjustment of up to three degrees of freedom, including a translational degree of freedom along a longitudinal axis of the fin structure in the fore and aft direction (longitudinal translation or pitch), a first rotational degree of freedom about the longitudinal axis (roll), and a second rotational degree of freedom about a vertical axis centered at a point on the fin (yaw). Pitch adjustment is made by sliding a base plate and fin assembly along the longitudinal axis. Yaw adjustment is made by moving a front portion of the fin assembly about a yaw pivot point and the rear portion along a yaw track in the base plate. A roll adjustment is made by rotating a fin unit of the fin assembly about the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A liquid containment system for an ocean-going vessel. The liquid containment system includes a tank having converging upper walls. The converging upper walls of the tank contain a substantial portion of the liquid therebetween and reduce the free surface area associated with the liquid. The upper converging walls of the tank extend above the horizontal deck of the vessel, but still allow sufficient deck space for supporting various required equipment. In one embodiment, the liquid containment system is a prismatic membrane tank designed to receive and hold liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Abstract: In an outboard motor steering control system having a plurality of outboard motors each mounted on a stern of a boat by a shaft to be movable by an outboard motor actuator relative to the boat and each having an internal combustion engine and a propeller powered by the engine to propel the boat, a tie-bar motor (actuator) is operated such that the outboard motors can be finely operated synchronously to make desired steering angles finely, i.e., to achieve the desired steering angles in response to a detected rotation angle of a steering wheel. Also outboard motor actuators are individually operated to regulate the relative angles between the outboard motors, thereby enhancing both straight course-holding performance and turning performance.

Abstract: A stackable buoy can be mounted on a U-shaped mounting bracket that can in turn be attached to a panel, such as the inner surface of a boat hull. The buoy includes protrusions molded as part of parallel channels, which receive the two legs of the bracket. Multiple buoys can be stacked one of top of the other. Pockets on each side of the H-shaped buoy are provided for mounting commercially available light sticks.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a surface effect craft comprising a supporting deck structure having two pontoons mounted thereto in catamaran like fashion. A propulsion mechanism is mounted to a rear portion of the deck structure. A lift control member is disposed under the deck structure between the two pontoons. The lift control member is pivotally movable mounted to the front portion of the deck structure. A lift adjust mechanism pivotally moves the lift control member between a first position with the rear end of the lift control member being in close proximity to the surface and a second position with the rear end of the lift control member being in close proximity to the deck structure. Employment of the lift control member enables the craft to achieve surface effect at low speed and, furthermore, allows control of the aerodynamic lift in a wide range from maximum lift to negative lift.

Abstract: An apparatus for towing cargo behind a watercraft that includes a floating assembly for towing behind the watercraft and comprising a frame and at least one floatation device mounted on the frame. The apparatus further includes a linking assembly mounted on the floating assembly for linking the floating assembly to the watercraft. The linking assembly comprises a pair of longitudinal linking elements, with each of the linking elements having a forward end and a rear end. The rearward end of each of the linking elements is mounted on the floating assembly and extends forwardly from the floating assembly for mounting on the watercraft.

Abstract: A foldable paddle blade and shaft comprises a planar elongate polymer plastic substrate with two angularly directioned weakened hinge lines (71) which extend inwardly and angularly from a location at or near one elongate end of the substrate's lateral edges to form a blade with sidewalls (46) and a free terminal end (30). Paralleling weakened hinge lines (72) parallel and traverse the at least three faceted tubular shaft (50),(51). In an alternative embodiment, additional paralleling weakened hinge lines (72),(73) and tabular projections (42) may form a four faceted or square shape tubular shaft (52). The paddle blade's three faceted or more eccentric tubular shaft's shape may be in a triangular, a square, or an open sided c-channel shape. A difference in axis between the paddle blade's planar axis and the shaft's elongate axis further strengthens the overall structure in at least one direction.

Abstract: A flexible fluid containment vessel fabricated out of fabric for transporting and containing a large volume of fluid, particularly fresh water, with the fabric being made from coated thermoplastic yarns or fiber such that its respective sides have coatings so formed thereon that are different from each other or the fabric is coated with voids such that its overall density of the coated fabric is less than 1 g/cm3 allowing it to float.