Ships – Boats – boat component – or attachment – Boarding aids
Patent
1997-09-15
1999-06-29
Avila, Stephen
Ships
Boats, boat component, or attachment
Boarding aids
441 80, B63B 1700
Patent
active
059153288
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to boat hulls and in particular relates to boat hulls which can be used for recreational purposes or working purposes.
The invention has application to vessels having a planing or displacement hull and which are intended to be propelled across the surface of the water by any suitable propulsion means which can include a motor driven propeller, a water jet or the wind
In particular the invention relates to an improvement to boat hulls which is intended to facilitate access to and from the vessel, out of and into the water respectively, by both personnel and equipment.
2. Description of the Background Art
According to conventional design the gunwale of a boat is spaced some distance from the surface of the water in order to prevent the deck from being flooded when the boat is in motion and/or in rough seas. Therefore when a person such as a diver wishes to enter the water from a boat it is necessary that they jump or fall from the gunwale of the vessel into the water. If a person wishes to enter the water in a controlled manner it is necessary that they do so in a manner which will not cause the boat to tip or capsize. If a person attempts to enter the water by lowering themself over the side of the vessel or attempts to enter the vessel over the side of the vessel there is a very strong likelihood that they will cause the vessel to tip and become unstable. In addition due to the height of the gunwale from the surface of the water it is very difficult for a swimmer and in particular a scuba diver to enter the vessel unaided. Therefore it is usual to provide a platform or ladder at the stern of the vessel which will enable persons to controllably lower themselves into the water from the stern of the vessel and to climb into the vessel from the water without causing the vessel to tip adversely. However, it is generally undesirable to have people in the water at the stern of the vessel due to the presence of the propeller. A further difficulty with conventional hull designs arises in circumstances where access is required of objects which are in the water and which require servicing or lifting into the vessel such as fishing nets, fish traps, craypots, buoys and like articles, since they usually at some time have to be lifted up and over the gunwales. This action can cause injury to the operator and cause the boat to tip or become unstable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a boat hull which will achieve all of the desired ride characteristics of a conventional boat hull when in motion but when stationary can facilitate access into and from the water without creating undue instability of the vessel.
Accordingly the invention resides in a boat hull having a bow, a stern, a bottom extending between the bow and stern, a deck and a space under the deck between the bow, stern and bottom which provides buoyancy for the hull, the space above the deck being bounded by bulwarks which surround the deck, at least one panel located to one side of the hull which is hingedly supported about an axis substantially parallel with the deck to be movable between a first position at which the panel forms a portion of the side of the hull and at least a portion of the panel forms a part of a bulwark and a second position at which it extends outwardly from the side of the deck, and is rigidly retained in the second position, said panel being buoyant.
According to a preferred feature of this invention the buoyancy of the panel is greater in the region of the gunwale.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention the at least one panel comprises at least one pair of panels where the panels of each pair are supported at opposite sides of the hull in opposed relation to each other.
According to a further feature the hinged connection between the panel and the hull is closely adjacent the deck.
According to a further preferred feature the at least one panel is at least partially immersed in the water when
REFERENCES:
patent: 5537949 (1996-07-01), Blevins et al.
Avila Stephen
Norpac Services Limited
Rowan Rosalie Jean
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