Abstract: A boat and propulsion system especially useful for shallow water operation. A boat, such as a flat bottom fishing boat, is provided with a lowered transom and a platform attached to the transom which extends upwardly at an angle along the sides of the boat to define a well area which receives and drains any backwash. An air cooled internal combustion engine is provided with a straight propeller shaft and propeller attached thereto. A motor plate rigidly attached to the engine may be removably mounted on a swivel-hinge assembly mounted on the platform to allow double axis movement of the engine and propeller in relation to the platform. This provides for a thrusting position with the propeller in the water and a neutral position with the propeller held above the water. A control handle may be removably connected to the motor plate to provide one handed steering and throttle control by the operator.

Abstract: A transverseless ship has at least its side portions and bottom portion comprised of a double hull construction which comprises an inner hull plating and an outer hull plating connected together only by transverse bulkheads and a plurality of connecting longitudinal members fixed to the bulkheads. The bottom portion of the ship has a space defined by at least two optionally selected connecting longitudinal members and divided by a partition into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The upper chamber is adapted in its entirety to pass a fluid therethrough. With this structure, external forces acting on the ship are delivered from the connecting longitudinal members to the transverse bulkheads to prevent the inner and outer platings from buckling. The absence of reinforcing transverse members intersecting the connecting longitudinal members assures automatic welding operation with greatly improved efficiency.

Abstract: A ship having at least its side portions and bottom portion comprised of a double hull construction consisting of an inner hull plating and an outer hull plating connected together solely, except for transverse bulkheads disposed in spaced apart relation in the lengthwise direction of the ship, by a plurality of connecting longitudinals fixed to the bulkheads, at least one of the connecting longitudinals having anti-buckling means extending in the lengthwise direction thereof and tripping means extending in the widthwise direction thereof. According to this arrangement, external forces exerted on the ship may be transmitted through the connecting longitudinals to the transverse bulkheads so that the inner and outer hull platings may be protected from buckling. The absence of transverses crossing the longitudinals considerably facilitates the automatization of welding operation.

Abstract: To join together at least two light dividing walls, resisting tensile forces and possibly curved, recourse is had to a plurality of fastenings (4,5) each extending radially in at least one direction from a pivot (6), the pivots of these fastenings being stacked axially along the axis L corresponding to the line of intersection of the mean surfaces of the dividing walls and the contiguous fastenings of the stack being oriented so that they extend alternately along said mean surfaces. The fastenings thus joined together at the level of the pivots form discontinuous wall portions whose roots are mutually imbricated, to which wall portions the dividing walls are then butt-jointed, themselves formed by parallel skins bonded to these wall portions and in which the intermediate space is filled in with foam.

Abstract: An inflatable boat has a pair of elongated inflatable side portions extending lengthwise of the boat, disposed within an envelope that can be opened and closed by longitudinally-extending openings on its outer side, to permit insertion and removal of inflatable chambers. The margins of the envelope openings are maintained closed by interfitting loops, each loop receiving a slotted pin with the head and tail of the pin projecting from opposite sides of the loop, so that the pins of the loops associated with one margin of the opening interfere with the heads and tails of the pins projecting from the loops associated with the other margin of the opening, thereby to hold the margins together. A rigid panel at the stern of the boat supports an outboard motor, and is detachably secured between the side members by special screw assemblies. At the prow of the boat, relatively vertically swingable panels provide a deck in one position and the support for a short ladder in another position.