Small planing watercraft
AssigneeYamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorFutaki Yoshiki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A small planing watercraft can have a hull, an engine, and a steering assembly. The steering assembly can be configured to be translatable in the fore and aft direction, as well as pivotable about a generally horizontal axis so as to provide more flexibility in accommodating different. Optionally, a watercraft can include moveable members on a bottom surface of the hull so as to change a turning characteristic of the watercraft.
Claims19
A steering system for a small planing watercraft having a hull and a steering pole repositionable by a rider in accordance with his or her own physique or posture, the steering system comprising an engaging portion provided on each side of a forward end portion of the steering pole and an engaged portion provided on the upper forward portion of the hull in the fore to aft direction of the hull, the engaged portion being engageable with the engaging portion such that the steering pole is translatable in the fore to aft direction of the hull.
A small planing watercraft comprising a watercraft body, a plurality of mounting recesses disposed at boundary portions in a rear part of a watercraft body between sides and a bottom thereof, and a plurality of auxiliary bodies mounted to respective mounting recesses, and at least one lifting mechanism configured to change a vertical position of the auxiliary bodies, the auxiliary bodies defining at least part of a planing surface of the watercraft body when the auxiliary bodies are held at lowered positions.
A watercraft comprising a hull, a propulsion unit supported by the hull, the hull including at least one member having a downwardly facing surface defining at least a portion of a planing surface of the hull during planing mode operation of the watercraft, at least a portion of the at least one member being mounted so as to be moveable such that the portion of the planing surface can be moved in a generally vertical direction.
The watercraft according to claim 18 additionally comprising an operator-actuatable input device configured to allow an operator of the watercraft to adjust the vertical position of the portion of the planing surface.
A watercraft comprising a hull, a propulsion unit supported by the hull, the hull including at least one member having a downwardly facing surface defining at least a portion of a planing surface of the hull during planing mode operation of the watercraft, and means for adjusting the vertical position of the portion of the planing surface during operation o the watercraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.