Multiple hull air ride boat

In an improved boat having supporting gas cushions disposed in catamaran-like sidehulls with said catamaran-like sidehulls in mechanical communication with a connecting hull structure, said supporting gas cushions supplied with pressurized gas by gas pressurization means, and said supporting gas cushions pressurized at sufficient presure to support a majority of boat weight, the improvement comprising:

• a recess in each catamaran-like sidehull with said recesses at least partially restraining the pressurized gas cushions, and lower water contacting surfaces of said catamaran-like sidehulls that both bound the recesses and diverge further, when the supporting gas cushions are pressurized at a sufficient pressure to support a majority of boat weight, from vertical centerline planes of said catamaran-like sidehulls going aft from proximal forward portions of said recesses and said lower water contacting surfaces of the catamaran-like sidehulls, after diverging, then become substantially more parallel to the vertical centerline planes of the sidehulls over at least portions of their aft sections.

In an improved boat having supporting gas cushions disposed in catamaran-like sidehulls with said catamaran-like sidehulls in mechanical communication with connecting hull structure, said supporting gas cushions supplied with pressurized gas by gas pressurization means, and said supporting gas cushions pressurized at sufficient pressure to support a majority of boat weight, the improvement comprising:

• a center bow that extends forwardly of upper forward portions of said catamaran-like sidehulls with said center bow in mechanical communication with the connecting hull structure, said connecting hull structure extending from proximal an upper forward portion of said catamaran-like sidehulls to proximal an upper forward portion of said center bow thereby forming a boat shape with a substantially pointed bow as defined by deck lines of said boat as seen in a top plan view of said boat and said catamaran-like sidehulls have recesses in their undersides for restraining at least part of said pressurized supporting gas cushions, and wherein at least one of said catamaran-like sidehull recesses enlarges going aft from its forward portions.

In an improved boat having supporting gas cushions disposed in catamaran-like sidehulls with said catamaran-like sidehulls in mechanical communication with connecting hull structure, said supporting gas cushions supplied with pressurized gas by gas pressurization means, and said supporting gas cushions pressurized at sufficient pressure to support a majority of boat weight, the improvement comprising:

• each of said catamaran-like sidehulls having, at least in part, a substantially single bow with said catamaran-like sidehulls, at least in part, being lower than the connecting hull structure, said connecting hull structure having a wetdeck on its underside with said wetdeck extending a majority of a distance between the catamaran-like sidehulls, and said catamaran-like sidehulls having recesses in their undersides for restraining at least part of said pressurized supporting gas cushions with a recess in one of said catamaran-like sidehulls, over at least a portion of its longitudinal length, enlarging in width going aft from its forward portions as seen in a horizontal water contacting plane of said boat when said boat is operating in a calm sea with the gas cushions pressurized to a sufficient pressure to support a majority of boat weight.

In an improved boat having supporting gas cushions disposed in catamaran-like sidehulls with said catamaran-like sidehulls in mechanical communication with a connecting hull structure, said supporting gas cushions supplied with pressurized gas by gas pressurization means, and said supporting gas cushions pressurized at sufficient pressure to support a majority of boat weight, the improvement comprising:

• a first forward movable seal that is movable relative to the boat with said first forward movable seal disposed, at least partially, between substantially parallel internal surfaces of a catamaran-like sidehull and a recess in said catamaran-like sidehull that at least partially restrains the catamaran-like sidehull's pressurized supporting gas cushion and said recess enlarges aft of the catamaran-like sidehull's substantially parallel internal surfaces.

In an improved boat having supporting gas cushions disposed in catamaran-like sidehulls with said catamaran-like sidehulls in mechanical communication with connecting hull structure, said supporting gas cushions supplied with pressurized gas by gas pressurization means, and said supporting gas cushions pressurized at sufficient pressure to support a majority of boat weight, the improvement comprising:

• said catamaran-like sidehulls having recesses in their undersides for restraining at least part of said pressurized supporting gas cushions, substantially rigid seal members disposed, at least partially, proximal said catamaran-like sidehull recesses and said substantially rigid seal members' undersides, when viewed in at least one vertical transverse plane of the boat, contain surfaces that are angled to horizontal over a majority of said seal members' width, and wherein at least one of said catamaran-like sidehull recesses enlarges going aft from its forward portions.

In an improved boat having supporting gas cushions disposed in catamaran-like sidehulls with said catamaran-like sidehulls in mechanical communication with connecting hull structure, said supporting gas cushions supplied with pressurized gas by gas pressurization means, and said supporting gas cushions pressurized at sufficient pressure to support a majority of boat weight, the improvement comprising:

• a first and a second recess capable of restraining at least portions of the catamaran-like sidehull's supporting gas cushions in each of the catamaran-like sidehulls, said first and second recesses in each of the catamaran-like sidehulls can be supplied with gases at different pressures by the gas pressurization means to thereby aid in controlling boat motions and one of said recesses in each catamaran-like sidehull enlarges going aft from forward portions of said recesses.

In an improved boat having supporting gas cushions disposed in catamaran-like sidehulls with said catamaran-like sidehulls in mechanical communication with connecting hull structure, said supporting gas cushions supplied with pressurized gas by gas pressurization means, and said supporting gas cushions pressurized at sufficient pressure to support a majority of boat weight, the improvement comprising:

• said catamaran-like sidehulls having recesses in their undersides for restraining at least part of said pressurized supporting gas cushions and wherein at least one of said catamaran-like sidehull recesses enlarges going aft from its forward portions, and vertically oriented vented steps in side surfaces of the catamaran-like sidehulls, said side surfaces of the catamaran-like sidehulls, as viewed in a horizontal plane of said boat, are at least in part closer to a vertical centerline plane of said sidehulls over aft portions than more forward portions of said catamaran-like sidehulls.