Abstract: A rudder assembly for a boat including a rudder shaft rotatably mounted to a boat and inclined downwardly and rearwardly. A rudder blade is attached to the lower end of the shaft and a plate is attached to the lower edge of the blade. The inclined shaft permits control of the rudder assembly from the central portion of the boat while allowing the rudder blade to be disposed near the stern for improved control. The plate provides for increasing resistance to the flow of water as the rudder blade is moved to the left or right of the straight-on position.

Abstract: A ship for collecting oil from oil spills floating on the surface of the sea comprising a pair of side hulls forming between them a flow passage through which a stream of oil-laden water will flow when the ship travels through the floating oil on the sea. Between the side hulls, a center hull is provided in which a well is formed having a bottom which opens into the flow passage and through which the oil in the passage may float upwardly to be trapped in the well. A pump is provided to pump the trapped oil from the well. The bottom of the well is below the surface of the sea and the stream is deflected under the bottom by a forwardly-inclined segment extending between the side hulls. A splash plate is provided to overlie the upper end of the segment to direct the upward splashes from the segment over the top edge of the segment into a splash chamber behind the segment. The water and/or oil collected in the splash chamber may flow into the well through a communicating opening.

Abstract: A mount is provided for support from the side of a boat hull at a level spaced above the waterline of the hull when the latter is at rest and an elongated boom is provided having base and free ends with the base end of the boom supported in stationary position from the mount and the free end of the boom projecting outwardly from the corresponding side of the hull. A generally horizontally panel structure is supported from the free end of the boom at a level below the aforementioned waterline and the boom base end and the mount include structure removably supporting the boom from the mount. The mount and boat hull include structure for supporting the mount from the hull for limited angular displacement relative to the hull about selected vertically spaced horizontal axes extending longitudinally of the corresponding side of the boat hull.

Abstract: An auxiliary gas source for blowing a ballast tank of a submarine craft includes a casing with a store for pressure gas, a container for liquid and a gas generator proper into which the liquid can be forced by the gas. The liquid is contained in a flexible bag and the pressure gas acts on the bag from the outside, to be separately discharged as a supplemental supply of gas.

Abstract: A mooring apparatus for ships wherein the mooring cable is fed from a large diameter sheave, said sheave being mounted coaxially with a pinion gear, which in turn meshes with a gear rack. Said gear rack is opposed by a plurality of elastic lines which are anchored to the remote end of a jib. The elastic lines are pretensioned to allow the amount of mooring cable unrolled to vary with such factors as the ship steady drift force, horizontal tower oscillations, etc.

Abstract: Simple and inexpensive steering mechanism for marine craft wherein motion from a manually-operated steering wheel controls a remotely disposed rudder or other steering member. The present invention is characterized by an absence of gear mechanisms after the steering wheel for "stepping-up" the number of revolutions from the steering wheel in order that the steering member may be moved into steering position without requiring an excessive number of steering wheel revolutions. In lieu of such gear mechanism, a pulley-belt device is employed. As in the prior art, the stepped-up revolutions are conventionally fed into a rotatable flexible shaft assembly; and a ball screw cylinder or the like converts the rotary motion of the stepped-up revolutions into linear motion of a member which controls the steering.

Abstract: A cleat having at least two diverging fingers to receive a tossed mooring line and an aperture disposed below the fingers into which the line drops and in which the line is retained by at least one downward projection extending into the aperture.

Abstract: An anchor caddy useful in raising an anchor by translating the force exerted on the anchor line by movement of the boat to a vertical force on the anchor is disclosed. The device can also function having the anchor on a few feet of line extending therefrom, as a sea anchor. The anchor caddy consists of a float adapted to support the anchor and caddy. A pulley and housing therefore are attached to the float and movable deflector plates are pivotally mounted at ends thereof on either side of the pulley housing. The anchor line extends from the anchor, over the pulley, through a releaseable, one way dogging mechanism, mounted within the housing, to the boat. The dogging mechanism, when engaged, will permit the line to pass over the pulley only in the direction of the boat. Force exerted on the line causes the deflector plates to pivot outwardly to about 45.degree. angles with the pulley.

Abstract: An inflatable fluid-filled bladder for covering damaged areas of ship and barge hulls is disclosed. The bladder is lined on one side with a foam material which engages and seals the damaged area of the hull, and is covered on the opposite side with a wire net which positions and holds the bladder against the hull by means of suitable cables and winches. An edge frame to which the wire net is secured is provided around the bladder and an upstanding bracket is secured to the frame. Tension cables connected to the apex of the upstanding bracket exert pressure through the bracket legs to the edge frame to improve the seal between the edge of the patch and the surface of the hull.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving an outboard motor between a storage position adjacent a mother vessel and an operational position on a small boat floating generally adjacent the mother vessel. The apparatus comprises a mount for the outboard motor connectable to the small boat, a lifting arm connectable to the mother vessel at one end and connectable to the mount at the second end, and a mechanism for lifting the lifting arm from a lowered position to a raised position and for lifting the mount from the operational position to the storage position when the mount is connected to the lifting arm.