Water-jet propulsion unit for vessels

A water-jet propulsion unit for a vessel which comprises water duct means having inlet means and an outlet nozzle means variable between a horizontal rearward orientation and a vertical downward orientation, and power-driven impeller means disposed in said duct means for forcing water from the inlet means to said outlet nozzle means, said outlet nozzle means comprising an upper nozzle element means having opposite side edges and a lower nozzle element means also having opposite side edges, said upper and lower nozzle element means being disposed with the side edges on one nozzle element means in slidable engagement with the side edges on the other nozzle element means, said upper nozzle element means and said lower nozzle element means being of cross-sectional configurations to define a closed area between them, one of said nozzle element means being mounted for swingable movement about a horizontal axis, resilient means for biasing the other nozzle element means into slidable engagement with said one nozzle element means at the side edges so that when said one nozzle element means is moved from a horizontal position to a vertical position the other said nozzle element means is slidable moved to a position staggered with respect to said one nozzle element means to provide a vertically directed outlet nozzle means.