Water vehicles

A water vehicle comprising:

• an elongated hull member having a bow section, a stern section and a central section therebetween, said stern section having a transom at the aft end therof for receiving an outboard engine, said central section having a seat on the top surface thereof, said bow section being wider than said central section and having a lower surface defining a planing surface for supporting the bow section at high speeds, said bow section joining said central section so as to provide foot rests for an operator,
• handlebar means on the forward portion of said hull member, said handlebar means including means coupleable to an outboard engine mounted on said transon so as to rotate said engine in a direction generally opposite the rotation of said handlebar means, said handlebar means further including throttle control means coupleable to the throttle control of an outboard engine for controlling the power setting of said engine in response to the rotation of one of the hand grips on said handlebar means,
• a pair of outrigger means for providing flotation to said vehicle, said outrigger means being disposed on each side of the aft portion of said vehicle and connected to said hull member, said outrigger means each having lower surfaces defining planing surfaces;
• and
• support means for engaging the water and for providing a support force aft of the center of gravity of the vehicle when said vehicle is propelled at a suitably high speed so as to support said stern section above the surface of the water, said planing surface on said bow section comprising the primary vehicle support forward of the center of gravity of said vehicle when said stern section is being support above the surface of the water.

A water vehicle comprising:

• a hull member having a bow section, a stern section and a central section therebetween, said central section having a means for accommodating at least one passenger, said bow section having a lower surface defining a planing surface, said planing surface giving the primary support to said bow section when said vehicle is traveling at a substantial speed;
• a pair of flotation means for providing flotation to said vehicle, said flotation means being disposed on each side of the aft portion of said vehicle and connected to said hull member, the lower surface of each of said flotation means defining a planing surface;
• and
• support means for engaging the water and for providing a support force aft of the center of gravity of the vehicle when said vehicle is propelled at a suitably high speed so as to support said stern section and said flotation means above the surface of the water.

A water vehicle comprising:

• an elongated hull member having a bow section, a stern section and a central section therebetween, said stern section having a transom at the aft end thereof for receiving an outboard engine, said central section having a seat on the top surface thereof, said bow section being wider than said central section and having a lower surface defining a planing surface, said planing surface being the primary support for said bow section at high speeds, said bow section joining said central section so as to provide foot rests for an operator;
• handlebar means on the forward portion of said hull member, said handlebar means including means coupleable to an outboard engine mounted on said transom so as to rotate said engine in a direction generally opposite the rotation of said handlebar means, said handlebar means further including throttle control means coupleable to the throttle control of an outboard engine for controlling the power setting of said engine in response to the rotation of one of the hand grips on said handlebar means;
• a pair of outrigger means for providing flotation to said vehicle, said outrigger means being disposed on each side of the aft portion of said vehicle and connected to said hull member, said outrigger means having lower surfaces defining planing surfaces, said outrigger means being connected to and spaced apart from said hull member by wing-like members having the lower aft portion thereof joining said hull member adjacent the bottom of said hull member at an upper region thereof so as to be normally disposed above the surface of the water when the vehicle is at rest and when traveling at low speeds, said forward edge and said lower aft portion being separated by the lower surfaces of said wing-like members thereby defining planing surfaces;
• said wing-like members having a substantially swept-back planform;
• the lower surface of said outrigger means being a lateral continuation of the contour of sid lower surface of said wing-like members;
• and
• support means for engaging the water and for providing a support force aft of the center of gravity of the vehicle, said support means having a hydrofoil support member projecting downward and forward from the lower surface of each of said outrigger means, with a hydrofoil adjacent the lower end of each of said hydrofoil support members, said bow planing surface providing stability for said hydrofoil means about the pitch axis when said vehicle is moving at substantial speed.