Amusement boat ride featuring linear induction motor drive integrated with guide channel structure

An amusement boat ride for transporting passengers across a watercourse comprising, in combination:

• a first launch station disposed adjacent one end of the watercourse;
• a second launch station disposed adjacent an opposite end of the watercourse;
• guide structure submerged in the watercourse and extending from the first launch station to the second launch station;
• a passenger boat movably coupled to the guide structure for forward and return travel across the watercourse;
• linear induction motor drive means including a linear induction stator disposed laterally offset from and in longitudinal alignment with the guide structure;
• and,
• a magnetically conductive reaction plate coupled to the passenger boat, the reaction plate projecting laterally from the passenger boat for electromagnetic coupling with magnetic flux produced by the induction stator as the passenger boat moves along the guide structure.

An amusement boat ride apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a pair of first launch stations disposed adjacent one end of a watercourse;
• a pair of second launch stations disposed adjacent an opposite end of the watercourse;
• a pair of parallel guide structures submerged in the watercourse and extending from the first launch stations to the second launch stations;
• a pair of passenger boats movably coupled to the guide structures for forward and return travel across the watercourse;
• power drive means disposed adjacent the parallel guide structures and movably coupled to the passenger boats for propelling the passenger boats across the watercourse, the power drive means including first and second linear induction motors disposed on laterally opposite sides of each guide structure, each linear induction motor including a linear stator and a linear flux slot extending in parallel with the direction of travel;
• and,
• first and second magnetically conductive reaction plates rigidly coupled to each passenger boat and projecting laterally therefrom for travel through the linear flux slots.