Circular watercraft

Claim 2

A watercraft including: a hull comprising a first buoyant toroidal pontoon having flexible side walls and a central opening open to the water when the watercraft is situated in a body of water; a rigid deck secured to the top of the first pontoon; a second buoyant toroidal pontoon for auxiliary buoyancy having flexible side walls, a central opening, and a normal outside diameter slightly larger than the normal diameter of the central opening of the first pontoon, said second pontoon being frictionally nested within the central opening of the first pontoon adjacent to and beneath the deck in position normally out of the water when the watercraft is in a body of water and under normal loading conditions and coming into buoyant engagement with the water under abnormal loading conditions tending to lower the deck towards the water.

Claim 3

The watercraft of claim 1 wherein: the first pontoon is inflated with air.

Claim 4

The watercraft of claim 2 wherein: the second pontoon is inflated with air.

Claim 5

The watercraft of claim 1 including: an opening in said deck located over the central opening of the first pontoon and over the central opening of the second pontoon so to be open to the water when the watercraft is situated in a body of water, a motor mount on the deck located adjacent the opening in the deck for mounting of an outboard motor to drive the watercraft, an outboard motor mounted on the motor mount and having a shaft extended through the opening in the deck, and the openings of the first and second pontoons to the water, and seat means secured to the deck proximate the outboard motor for use by a watercraft operator.

Claim 6

The watercraft of claim 4 including: cushion means located on the motor mount to cushion an outboard motor.

Claim 7

The watercraft of claim 1 including: a stabilizer assembly fastened to the rear of said deck and engageable with the water to stabilize the hull when the hull is located in a body of water.

Claim 8

The watercraft of claim 6 wherein: said stabilizer assembly includes a vertical stabilizer and a pair of generally horizontal stabilizers, one of said horizontal stabilizers being located on each side of the vertical stabilizer.

Claim 9

A watercraft including: a hull comprising a first buoyant toroidal pontoon having a central opening; a deck secured to the top of the first pontoon; a second pontoon for auxiliary buoyancy nested within the central opening of the first pontoon adjacent the deck in position normally out of the water when the watercraft is in a body of water and under normal loading conditions whereby under abnormal loading conditions tending to lower the deck towards the water, the second pontoon comes into buoyant engagement with the water; a stabilizer assembly fastened to the rear of said deck and engageable with the water to stabilize the hull when the hull is located in a body of water, said stabilizer assembly including a vertical stabilizer and a pair of generally horizontal stabilizers, one of said horizontal stabilizers being located on each side of the vertical stabilizer; said stabilizer assembly being pivotally assembled to said hull for pivotal movement in a vertical plane and including a pair of buoyant floats, one of said floats being secured on top of each of the horizontal stabilizers.

Claim 10

A watercraft including: a hull comprising a first buoyant toroidal pontoon having a central opening; a deck secured to the top of the first pontoon; a second pontoon for auxiliary buoyancy nested within the central opening of the first pontoon adjacent the deck in position normally out of the water when the watercraft is in a body of water and under normal loading conditions whereby under abnormal loading conditions tending to lower the deck towards the water, the second pontoon comes into buoyant engagement with the water; a stabilizer assembly fastened to the rear of said deck and engageable with the water to stabilize the hull when the hull is located in a body of water, said stabilizer assembly including a vertical stabilizer and a pair of generally horizontal stabilizers, one of said horizontal stabilizers being located on each side of the vertical stabilizer; said stabilizer assembly being pivotally assembled to said hull for pivotal movement in a vertical plane and including a pair of buoyant floats, one of said floats being secured on top of each of the horizontal stabilizers.

Claim 11

The watercraft of claim 8 wherein: said first pontoon has flexible side walls and is inflatable with air.

Claim 12

The watercraft of claim 9 including: a hold-down assembly to bias the stabilizer assembly in engagement with the water including an elongate flexible cable attached at one end to said deck approximate the central opening of the first pontoon, said cable extending under the first pontoon and having an opposite end fastened to the stabilizer assembly.

Claim 13

A watercraft including: a buoyant pontoon type hull with flexible, inflatable side walls and a central opening open to the water when the watercraft is situated in a body of water; a rigid horizontal deck secured to the top of the hull; said deck having an opening located over the central opening of the hull so to be open to the water when the watercraft is situated in a body of water, a motor mount on the deck located adjacent the opening in the deck for mounting an outboard motor to drive the watercraft, an outboard motor mounted on the motor mount and having a shaft extended through the opening in the deck and the central opening in the hull to the water; seat means secured to the deck proximate the outboard motor for use by a watercraft operator; a stabilizer assembly pivotally assembled to the deck and engageable with water in trailing relationship to said hull when the hull is located in a body of water; said stabilizer assembly including horizontal stabilizing means and vertical stabilizing means.

Claim 14

A watercraft including: a buoyant pontoon type hull with flexible, inflatable side walls and a central opening open to the water when the watercraft is situated in a body of water; a rigid horizontal deck secured to the top of the hull; said deck having an opening located over the central opening of the hull so to be open to the water when the watercraft is situated in a body of water, a motor mount on the deck located adjacent the opening in the deck for mounting an outboard motor to drive the watercraft, an outboard motor mounted on the motor mount and having a shaft extended through the opening in the deck and the central opening in the hull to the water; seat means secured to the deck proximate the outboard motor for use by a watercraft operator; a stabilizer assembly pivotally assembled to the deck and engageable with water in trailing relationship to said hull when the hull is located in a body of water; said stabilizer assembly including horizontal stabilizing means and vertical stabilizing means.

Claim 15

A watercraft including: a buoyant pontoon type hull with flexible, inflatable side walls and a central opening; a rigid horizontal deck secured to the top of the hull; a stabilizer assembly pivotally assembled to the deck and engageable with water in trailing relationship to said hull when the hull is located in a body of water; said stabilizer assembly including horizontal stabilizing means and vertical stabilizing means; and floatation units secured to the horizontal stabilizing means.

Claim 16

A watercraft including: a buoyant pontoon type hull with flexible, inflatable side walls and a central opening; a rigid horizontal deck secured to the top of the hull; a stabilizer assembly pivotally assembled to the deck and engageable with water in trailing relationship to said hull when the hull is located in a body of water; said stabilizer assembly including horizontal stabilizing means and vertical stabilizing means; and floatation units secured to the horizontal stabilizing means.

Claim 17

A watercraft including: a buoyant pontoon type hull with flexible, inflatable side walls and a central opening; a rigid horizontal deck secured to the top of the hull; a stabilizer assembly pivotally assembled to the deck and engageable with water in trailing relationship to said hull when the hull is located in a body of water; said stabilizer assembly including horizontal stabilizing means and vertical stabilizing means; and a hold-down assembly to bias the stabilizer assembly in engagement with water including an elongate flexible line secured to the deck proximate the central opening of the hull, extending under a portion of the hull, and attached at the opposite end to the stabilizer assembly.

Claim 18

A watercraft including: a buoyant pontoon type hull with flexible, inflatable side walls and a central opening; a rigid horizontal deck secured to the top of the hull; a stabilizer assembly pivotally assembled to the deck and engageable with water in trailing relationship to said hull when the hull is located in a body of water; said stabilizer assembly including horizontal stabilizing means and vertical stabilizing means; and a hold-down assembly to bias the stabilizer assembly in engagement with water including an elongate flexible line secured to the deck proximate the central opening of the hull, extending under a portion of the hull, and attached at the opposite end to the stabilizer assembly.

Claim 19

The watercraft of claim 12 wherein: said hull includes a first toroidal pontoon, and including a second toroidal pontoon having flexible side walls located within the central opening of the first pontoon in frictional engagement with the side walls thereof in position normally out of the water when the watercraft is in a body of water and under normal loading conditions whereby under abnormal loading conditions tending to lower the deck towards the water, the second pontoon comes into buoyant engagement with the water.

Claim 20

A watercraft including: a buoyant, pontoon type hull including a first toroidal pontoon with flexible, inflatable side walls and a central opening, a second toroidal pontoon having flexible side walls located within the central opening of the first pontoon in frictional engagement with the side walls thereof in position normally out of the water when the watercraft is in a body of water and under normal loading conditions whereby under abnormal loading conditions tending to lower the deck towards the water, the second pontoon comes into buoyant engagement with the water; a rigid horizontal deck secured to the top of the hull; a stabilizer assembly pivotally assembled to the deck and engageable with water in trailing relationship to said hull when the hull is located in a body of water; said stabilizer assembly including a vertical stabilizer, a pair of generally horizontal stabilizers, one of said horizontal stabilizers being located on each side of the vertical stabilizer, a generally horizontal bar secured to the top of the vertical stabilizer at one end and pivotally assembled to the deck at the other end for pivotal movement in a vertical plane.

Claim 21

A watercraft including: a buoyant, pontoon type hull including a first toroidal pontoon with flexible, inflatable side walls and a central opening, a second toroidal pontoon having flexible side walls located within the central opening of the first pontoon in frictional engagement with the side walls thereof in position normally out of the water when the watercraft is in a body of water and under normal loading conditions whereby under abnormal loading conditions tending to lower the deck towards the water, the second pontoon comes into buoyant engagement with the water; a rigid horizontal deck secured to the top of the hull; a stabilizer assembly pivotally assembled to the deck and engageable with water in trailing relationship to said hull when the hull is located in a body of water; said stabilizer assembly including a vertical stabilizer, a pair of generally horizontal stabilizers, one of said horizontal stabilizers being located on each side of the vertical stabilizer, a generally horizontal bar secured to the top of the vertical stabilizer at one end and pivotally assembled to the deck at the other end for pivotal movement in a vertical plane.