A pleasure craft comprises forwardly elongated, laterally spaced apart floats; a platform over the floats and attached to them; a seat on the platform, with the platform defining leg spaces for the user; and a power unit carried by the platform forwardly of the seat. The power unit includes a propeller below the platform and generally vertically below a manual control which is above the platform.

An air supported watercraft for transporting cargo is disclosed. The watercraft is supported by lift generated by: a planar surface set at a given angle of attack with respect to the air stream, air foil surfaces, vanes within the water and to some extent by the displacement of water. The control system for maneuvering the watercraft interacts with the water through which the watercraft is traveling. The control system orients the watercraft with respect to the surface of the water, which orient...

A relatively small water craft having a center of gravity and which when in the water, has a draft line. The craft comprises a hull having a fore portion and an aft portion, the fore portion including an engine compartment and two sides and the aft portion including an operator's platform. One of the two sides has motion-resistance means thereon in the area of the draft line when an operator is absent from the platform. The motion resistance means on the one side produces unbalanced resistances ...

A watercraft is disclosed having an upwardly and aftwardly sloping central hull with a plurality of longitudinally-spaced drives located on parallel, distinct, longitudinally-extending axes to provide an efficient propeller arrangement with reduced drag from water turbulence. A pair of pontoons flank the central hull to compensate for the aftwardly-progressive reduction in the central hull displacement due to the upwardly-sloped hull and to provide efficient planing surfaces.

A multipurpose watercraft having spaced bouyant foam-filled pontoons with wide flat bottoms, laterally extending longitudinal stabilizing flanges, and supporting therebetween an open suspended cockpit mid-hull with rear sloping bottom and spaced corner self-bailers spaced above the normal flotation waterline of the craft. A mast is removably inserted in a laterally reinforced mast socket disposed beneath and connecting through a seat in the cockpit.

A watercraft for use in a water sport in which the craft is propelled by a passenger paddling with his hands. The watercraft has a generally flat bottom and is symmetrical, such that the passenger may face either end of the watercraft while paddling. Two pairs of stabilizing indentations are formed in the flat bottom, one pair for receiving the passenger's knees while kneeling and facing one end and the other pair for receiving the passenger's knees while kneeling and facing the other end. When ...

A watercraft having a tunnel hull with an aerodynamic curvilinear lifting surface and a propulsion means forward of the aerodynamic lifting surface. The tunnel preferably longitudinally extends substantially the full length of the boat and receives a continuous air flow derived from the forward motion of the craft which acts on the aerodynamic lifting surface to provide a craft lifting force. The craft may be optionally provided with a second air flow passage for the tunnel which includes an air...

A watercraft with a tunnel providing one or more aerodynamic lifting surfaces, together with stabilizing fins in the form of hydroplanes or hydrofoils, and propulsion means aligned with the stabilizing fins. The combined effect of the lifting surfaces and stabilizing fins lifts the craft to reduce hydrodynamic resistance and provides enhanced roll and pitch stability. In a preferred form, the tunnel has two lifting surfaces in tandem, each surface being curvilinear and sloping downwardly and aft...

A watercraft of the "surf-board" type including an engine driving a propellor, a handle connected to the hull of the craft by elongate tension means to enable the craft user to grasp the handle whilst standing on the hull and means enabling the engine to run for at least a limited period of time following inversion of the craft.

The improved watercraft comprises an underwater pod or pods, that support a pecentage of the displacement of the watercraft at rest. The percentage of displacement produced by the pods could vary widely based upon the purposes of the watercraft and its intended range of uses, i.e., speed, water conditions, cargo, length, etc. The improved watercraft is also comprised of one or more hulls at the surface, which when at rest, displace most of the remainder of the watercraft's total weight. The rest...