Personal watercraft incorporating capsize-recovery facilitating structure, and method of using same

A personal watercraft comprising a vessel body, an engine mounted in the vessel body, and an exhaust system for the engine, wherein the exhaust system comprises:

• a muffler;
• an exhaust pipe connected to the muffler;
• and
• an exhaust port, wherein
• the exhaust pipe extends upwardly from the muffler a short distance and then curves to extend downwardly so as to be formed into a substantially inverted U-shape, wherein during operation of the engine, an exhaust gas in the muffler passes through the inverted-U-shape exhaust pipe and is discharged from the personal watercraft through the exhaust port;
• wherein the muffler is disposed on a first side of the vessel body, and the exhaust port is disposed on a second side of the vessel body opposite the first side;
• wherein the second side of the vessel body has a water-receiving space formed therein which is capable of taking in water, the water-receiving space being submersible under water when the personal watercraft is in an overturned state;
• wherein the vessel body comprises a hull which provides a lower surface of the vessel body, and a deck which provides an upper surface of the vessel body, with respective peripheral edges of the deck and hull being bonded together,
• wherein a substantially horizontal partition is provided extending between the hull and the deck on the second side of the vessel body, the water-receiving space being disposed within the vessel body in a vacancy formed between the hull, the deck and the partition,
• wherein a plate is mounted on an interior surface of the hull, and a plurality of buoyant members are disposed between the plate and the hull, and
• wherein an additional buoyant member is provided on the first side of the vessel body, adjacent to said bonded respective peripheral edges, in a space formed between the deck and the hull.

A method of righting an overturned personal watercraft in a situation where the watercraft has become overturned in a body of water, the personal watercraft comprising a vessel body, an engine mounted in the vessel body, and an exhaust system for the engine, wherein the exhaust system comprises:

• a muffler;
• an exhaust pipe connected to the muffler;
• and
• an exhaust port;
• wherein the exhaust pipe extends upwardly from the muffler a short distance and then curves to extend downwardly so as to be formed into a substantially inverted U-shape, wherein during operation of the engine, an exhaust gas in the muffler passes through the inverted U-shaped exhaust pipe and is discharged from the personal watercraft through the exhaust port;
• wherein the muffler is disposed on a first side of the vessel body, and the exhaust port is disposed on a second side of the vessel body opposite the first side;
• wherein said first and second sides are lateral sides of the vessel body, and
• wherein the second side of the vessel body has a water-receiving space formed therein and capable of taking in water, the water-receiving space being submersible under water when the personal watercraft is in an overturned state,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• a) permitting water to be taken into the water-receiving space of the vessel body;
• b) observing the personal watercraft to determine a lowered side corresponding to the second side of the vessel body;
• and
• c) further lowering the second side of the vehicle body by applying pressure to the exterior of the vessel body to rotate the vehicle body about an axis of the watercraft extending in a longitudinal direction thereof, until the personal watercraft is righted.

A personal watercraft comprising a vessel body, an engine mounted in the vessel body, and an exhaust system for the engine, wherein the exhaust system comprises:

• a muffler;
• an exhaust pipe connected to the muffler;
• and
• an exhaust port, wherein
• the exhaust pipe extends upwardly from the muffler a short distance and then curves to extend downwardly so as to be formed into a substantially inverted U-shape, wherein during operation of the engine, an exhaust gas in the muffler passes through the inverted-U-shaped exhaust pipe and is discharged from the personal watercraft through the exhaust port;
• wherein the muffler is disposed on a first side of the vessel body, and the exhaust port is disposed on a second side of the vessel body opposite the first side;
• and
• wherein the second side of the vessel body has a water-receiving space formed therein which is capable of taking in water, the water-receiving space being submersible under water when the personal watercraft is in an overturned state;
• wherein the vessel body comprises a hull which provides a lower surface of the vessel body, and a deck which provides an upper surface of the vessel body, with respective peripheral edges of the deck and hull being bonded together, and
• wherein a substantially horizontal partition is provided extending between the hull and the deck on the second side of the vessel body, the water-receiving space being disposed within the vessel body in a vacancy formed between the hull, the deck and the partition,
• wherein the deck has a first valveless through hole formed therein at an upper portion of the water-receiving space, and a second valveless through hole formed therein at a lower portion of the water-receiving space, the first and second through holes permitting water to flow to and from the water-receiving space.