An outboard motor includes a duct, a propeller, a central shaft, and a plurality of fins. The duct includes a circular hole. The propeller is located in the circular hole. The propeller includes a boss and a plurality of blades radially extending from the boss. The central shaft rotatably supports the propeller. The plurality of fins radially extend from the central shaft and connect the central shaft and the duct. The plurality of fins define an airfoil profile.

A novel watercraft propulsion device is disclosed that includes multiple propulsive elements improving power and efficiency over prior designs. A self-adjusting variable pitch propeller is combined with a water jet and an exhaust driven turbine to provide optimal thrust and efficiency across the range of engine power, load and watercraft speed. In the preferred embodiment, propulsive elements are axially disposed around a central drive shaft and exhaust port with the combined water jet/exhaust turbine disposed closest to drive shaft and the variable pitch propeller attached to the exterior of the water jet housing. A rotating duct is fixed to the propeller blades and rotates with the blades to reduce cavitation. Combined apparatus provides increased performance and efficiency over all watercraft speeds/load as well as additional safety due to the ducted propeller.

A novel watercraft propulsion device is disclosed that includes multiple propulsive elements improving power and efficiency over prior designs. A self-adjusting variable pitch propeller is combined with a water jet and an exhaust driven turbine to provide optimal thrust and efficiency across the range of engine power, load and watercraft speed. In the preferred embodiment, propulsive elements are axially disposed around a central drive shaft and exhaust port with the combined water jet/exhaust turbine disposed closest to drive shaft and the variable pitch propeller attached to the exterior of the water jet housing. A rotating duct is fixed to the propeller blades and rotates with the blades to reduce cavitation. Combined apparatus provides increased performance and efficiency over all watercraft speeds/load as well as additional safety due to the ducted propeller.

A bracket for mounting a thruster to a boat includes a horizontal neck portion, an upper mounting support portion, a support plate portion that extends downward from the upper mounting support portion, and an enclosure portion. The support plate portion and the rear of the upper mounting support portion form a transom-facing surface in a plane that is at a non-right angle relative to a horizontal plane. The transom-facing surface is angled such that the bottom of the support plate portion is further to the rear of the thruster bracket than the top of the upper mounting support portion in order to match the angle of the transom of a boat to which the thruster bracket is mounted. A thruster is mounted to the thruster bracket at a level where the thruster will be out of the water when the boat is moving fast and up on plane, and will be in the water when the boat is moving very slow.

A bracket for mounting a thruster to a boat includes a horizontal neck portion, an upper mounting support portion, a support plate portion that extends downward from the upper mounting support portion, and an enclosure portion. The support plate portion and the rear of the upper mounting support portion form a transom-facing surface in a plane that is at a non-right angle relative to a horizontal plane. The transom-facing surface is angled such that the bottom of the support plate portion is further to the rear of the thruster bracket than the top of the upper mounting support portion in order to match the angle of the transom of a boat to which the thruster bracket is mounted. A thruster is mounted to the thruster bracket at a level where the thruster will be out of the water when the boat is moving fast and up on plane, and will be in the water when the boat is moving very slow.

An outboard motor includes a duct, a propeller, a central shaft, and a plurality of fins. The duct includes a circular hole. The propeller is located in the circular hole. The propeller includes a boss and a plurality of blades radially extending from the boss. The central shaft rotatably supports the propeller. The plurality of fins radially extend from the central shaft and connect the central shaft and the duct. The plurality of fins define an airfoil profile.

An outboard motor includes a duct, a propeller, a central shaft, and a plurality of fins. The duct includes a circular hole. The propeller is located in the circular hole. The propeller includes a boss and a plurality of blades radially extending from the boss. The central shaft rotatably supports the propeller. The plurality of fins radially extend from the central shaft and connect the central shaft and the duct. The plurality of fins define an airfoil profile.

A propulsion system for a vessel includes an engine propulsion unit that provides a propulsive force to a hull by using an engine as a power source, an electric propulsion unit that provides a propulsive force to the hull by using an electric motor as a power source, a storing mechanism that is displaced from an actuating position to actuate the electric propulsion unit to a storing position to store the electric propulsion unit and performs a storing operation to store the electric propulsion unit, and an interlock controller that interlocks a storing operation of the storing mechanism with generation of a propulsive force by the engine propulsion unit.

A propulsion system for a vessel includes an engine propulsion unit that provides a propulsive force to a hull by using an engine as a power source, an electric propulsion unit that provides a propulsive force to the hull by using an electric motor as a power source, a storing mechanism that is displaced from an actuating position to actuate the electric propulsion unit to a storing position to store the electric propulsion unit and performs a storing operation to store the electric propulsion unit, and an interlock controller that interlocks a storing operation of the storing mechanism with generation of a propulsive force by the engine propulsion unit.

A bracket for mounting a thruster to a boat includes a horizontal neck portion, an upper mounting support portion, a support plate portion that extends downward from the upper mounting support portion, and an enclosure portion. The support plate portion and the rear of the upper mounting support portion form a transom-facing surface in a plane that is generally at a right angle relative to a horizontal plane, within a small range of angles. The transom-facing surface can angled to match the angle of the transom of a boat to which the thruster bracket is mounted. A thruster can be mounted to the thruster bracket at a level where the thruster will be out of the water when the boat is moving fast and up on plane, and will be in the water when the boat is moving very slow.