Steering and reversing system for a marine jet propulsion unit

A steering and reversing system for a marine jet propulsion unit having at a rear end thereof a stationary jet nozzle (3) which defines a rearwardly extending passage for discharging a water jet rearwardly from the unit,

• characterized in that
• the steering and reversing system comprises two elongate steering and reversing members (4, 5) which are positioned side by side and individually pivotable in opposite directions about upright axes (7, 8) from a non-deflecting position to either of a first deflecting position and a second deflecting position,
• each steering and reversing member (4, 5) comprises a generally upright side panel (11) and a top panel (12) which is generally perpendicular to the side panel and the rear portion of which merges with a downwardly and forwardly curved extension forming a jet reversing scoop,
• each steering and reversing member (4, 5) in the non-deflecting position thereof forms a rearwardly directed extension of the nozzle passage and has its jet reversing scoop laterally offset from the region directly behind the nozzle passage,
• each steering and reversing member (4, 5) in the first deflecting position thereof has the foremost portion of its side panel (11) positioned relative to the nozzle passage and extending rearwardly and laterally outwardly to deflect a portion of the jet from the nozzle passage laterally outwardly, and
• each steering and reversing member (4, 5) in the second deflecting position thereof has its jet reversing scoop at least partly positioned directly behind the nozzle passage to deflect a portion of the jet downwardly and forwardly.