Moving mechanism for cruiser arch

A watercraft arch control system, including:

• a first guide member fixed with respect to a watercraft hull and shaped to provide a first guide track having a substantially linear first track section and an adjacent arcuate second track section;
• a second guide member fixed with respect to the watercraft hull and shaped to provide a second guide track having a substantially linear third track section and an adjacent arcuate fourth track section, wherein the second guide member is spaced apart transversely from the first guide member and selectively located with respect to the first guide member to place the first and second guide tracks in substantially parallel and aligned relation;
• a first carriage fixed with respect to a first leg of an arch assembly;
• a second carriage fixed with respect to a second leg of the arch assembly;
• first and second spaced apart coupling elements mounted to the first carriage and contained for reciprocal travel along the first guide track between a retracted position in which the first and second coupling elements are disposed along the first track section, and an extended position in which the first coupling element is disposed along the second track section;
• and
• third and fourth spaced apart coupling elements mounted to the second carriage and contained for reciprocal travel along the second guide track between a retracted position in which the third and fourth coupling elements are disposed along the third track section, and an extended position in which the third coupling element is disposed along the fourth track section;
• wherein the first and second carriages are operable in concert to move the arch assembly between a raised arch working position when the first and second carriages are retracted and a lowered arch clearance position when the first and second carriages are extended;
• and
• wherein a track length of the first and third track sections is selected to provide for extension of each of the first and second carriages at least a predetermined distance from the retracted position before the first and third coupling elements enter the second and fourth track sections, respectively the arch assembly pivoting in a vertical plane between the retracted position in which the legs of the arch assembly are engaged with the hull, and the extended position in which the legs of the arch assembly are spaced apart from the hull.