Motorboat propeller guard for improved performance

In combination with a motorboat including a motor, a propeller operatively connected to said motor, a lower housing with opposite leading and trailing edges and terminating in a vertically disposed skeg, said propeller being mounted on said lower housing adjacent said trailing edge and above said skeg, and a pair of horizontally disposed cavitation plates having forward and rearward ends extending laterally from said lower housing and above said propeller, a propeller guard comprising:

• a rigid U-shaped sleeve having a forward end and opposite rearwardly extending legs and an elongated U-shaped channel formed therein, said channel having a closed forward end and open rearward ends which extend at least to the rearward ends of said cavitation plates, said open rear ends of said channels having an effective width therebetween substantially equal to the maximum combined width of said pair of cavitation plates whereby said sleeve is adapted to slide rearwardly into position with said legs extending on each side of said lower housing and with said cavitation plates received within said channel until said forward end of said sleeve engages said leading edge of said lower housing to thereby prevent rearward movement of said guard;
• means for closing said open rearward ends of said channel and thereby prevent forward movement of said sleeve, said means including a latch pivotal about a horizontal axis connected to said sleeve and fastening means releasably extending through said latch and said sleeve to secure said latch to said sleeve,
• a propeller shield having open inlet and outlet ends and being attached to said sleeve for encircling said propeller and thereby protecting said propeller from contact with foreign objects.

In combination with a motorboat including a motor, a propeller operatively connected to said motor, a lower housing with opposite leading and trailing edges and terminating in a vertically disposed skeg, said propeller being mounted on said lower housing adjacent said trailing edge and above said skeg, and a pair of horizontally disposed cavitation plates having forward and rearward ends extending laterally from said lower housing and above said propeller, a propeller guard comprising:

• a rigid U-shaped sleeve having a forward end and opposite rearwardly extending legs and an elongated U-shaped channel formed therein, said channel having a closed forward end and open rearward ends which extend at least to the rearward ends of said cavitation plates, said open rear ends of said channels having an effective width therebetween substantially equal to the maximum combined width of said pair of cavitation plates whereby said sleeve is adapted to slide rearwardly into position with said legs extending on each side of said lower housing and with said cavitation plates received within said channel until said forward end of said sleeve engages said leading edge of said lower housing to thereby prevent rearward movement of said guard;
• means for closing said open rearward ends of said channel and thereby prevent forward movement of said sleeve;
• a propeller shield having open inlet and outlet ends and being attached to said sleeve for encircling said propeller and thereby protecting said propeller from contact with foreign objects, and
• a gridwork releasably mounted over said outlet end of said shield to further protect said propeller from contact with foreign objects, a hinge means for pivotally connecting said gridwork to said shield, said hinge positioned at the bottom of said shield and gridwork for pivoting said gridwork from a closed upstanding vertical position, rearwardly and downwardly.