Watercraft adjustable shaft spacing apparatus and related method of operation

A standoff box for a watercraft having an inboard engine, the standoff box comprising:

• a first housing defining an interior, the first housing including a transom facing wall, a first bottom wall and a first rearward wall, the transom facing wall defining an input shaft hole adapted to receive therethrough an input shaft extending from an inboard motor, the bottom wall defining a bottom wall hole;
• a second housing including a second forward wall, and a second rearward wall defining a secondary shaft hole adapted to receive therethrough a secondary shaft extending to an outdrive, the second housing being movably disposed below the first housing;
• and
• a transfer shaft rotatably mounted in the first housing, extending through the bottom wall hole, and extending into the second housing, the transfer shaft disposed transverse to the input shaft when the input shaft is received by the input shaft hole, the transfer shaft configured to rotate in response to rotation of the input shaft, the transfer shaft including a transfer shaft longitudinal axis.

A watercraft comprising:

• a hull including a bow and a stern, with a transom located at the stern;
• a reference line projecting rearward from a lowermost portion of the transom;
• an engine disposed in the hull;
• an input shaft extending away from the engine and outwardly from the transom;
• a first standoff box unit including an interior and a bottom wall, the first standoff box unit being joined with the transom;
• a second standoff box unit joined with and movable relative to the first standoff box unit;
• a transfer shaft rotatably mounted in the interior and rotatably coupled to the input shaft, the transfer shaft further extending into the second standoff box unit;
• a secondary shaft rotatable in response to rotation of the transfer shaft, the secondary shaft disposed in and extending from the second standoff box unit;
• a drive unit joined with the second standoff box unit, the drive unit including a driveshaft rotatably coupled to the secondary shaft, the drive unit including a propeller shaft and a propeller, the propeller shaft rotatably coupled to the driveshaft;
• wherein the drive unit is movable upward and downward with the second standoff box unit while the watercraft is moving through a body of water, and while the propeller is rotating so as to move the propeller shaft relative to the reference line while maintaining the propeller shaft in a fixed angular relationship relative to the reference line.