A boat includes a planing hull, a propeller, a main rudder, and a pair of flanking rudders. The planing hull has port and starboard sides, a transom, a hull bottom, and a centerline running down the middle of the boat, halfway between the port and starboard sides. The propeller is positioned forward of the transom and beneath the hull bottom. The main rudder is positioned aft of the propeller. The main rudder has a rotation axis about which the main rudder rotates. The flanking rudders are positioned forward of the propeller. One of the flanking rudders is positioned on the port side of the centerline, and the other flanking rudder is positioned on the starboard side of the centerline.

A power steering system for a marine steering includes a hydraulic cylinder, an actuator block that is mounted on an outer end of a ram of the cylinder, and valving. In one embodiment, the valving is located in the hydraulic cylinder and includes at least one flow limiting valve that, through an initial portion of a stroke thereof, limits fluid flow rates through the valve to a generally constant, relatively low level. This limits the rate of extension or retraction of the ram out of or into the barrel and prevents valve chatter. In another embodiment the valving includes ball-type check valves that are located within the actuator block and that are actuated by a rocker arm assembly in the actuator block.

A trimmable rudder system for a marine vessel such as a planing power boat, the system including a pair of rudder assemblies, each of which includes a rudder blade movably coupled to the hull by way of a ball-and-socket joint. Each rudder assembly includes a rudder shaft that extends from the rudder blade through the ball-and-socket joint and can be rotated for rotating the rudder blade to steer the power boat. Each rudder shaft may be operably coupled to a pair of actuators configured to control trim and camber positions of the rudder blade so that the pair of rudder blades can collectively achieve a desired hull trim change, including listing control and planing control of the power boat. Steering position, trim position, and camber position of the rudder blades may be simultaneously changed.

A trimmable rudder system for a marine vessel such as a planing power boat, the system including a pair of rudder assemblies, each of which includes a rudder blade movably coupled to the hull by way of a ball-and-socket joint. Each rudder assembly includes a rudder shaft that extends from the rudder blade through the ball-and-socket joint and can be rotated for rotating the rudder blade to steer the power boat. Each rudder shaft may be operably coupled to a pair of actuators configured to control trim and camber positions of the rudder blade so that the pair of rudder blades can collectively achieve a desired hull trim change, including listing control and planing control of the power boat. Steering position, trim position, and camber position of the rudder blades may be simultaneously changed.

A boat includes a planing hull, a propeller, a main rudder, and a pair of flanking rudders. The planing hull has port and starboard sides, a transom, a hull bottom, and a centerline running down the middle of the boat, halfway between the port and starboard sides. The propeller is positioned forward of the transom and beneath the hull bottom. The main rudder is positioned aft of the propeller. The main rudder has a rotation axis about which the main rudder rotates. The flanking rudders are positioned forward of the propeller. One of the flanking rudders is positioned on the port side of the centerline, and the other flanking rudder is positioned on the starboard side of the centerline.

A hand-operated piston pump includes a drive shaft and a rotor mounted in a housing case, the rotor having axial compression chambers, a piston biased by an elastic member sliding in each compression chamber and having a projecting end that engages a cam track; a fluid reservoir in the housing case; a valve plate downstream of the rotor having conduits for a pressurized fluid that communicate with conduits in walls of the compression chambers, the valve plate being non-rotatably mounted below the housing case and communicating with conduits that carry the pressurized fluid to and from a consuming unit through an interposed check valve inserted in a corresponding valve body, the valve body having an upper flange with fluid supply and return channels communicating with the fluid conduits of the valve plate. The valve plate floats relative to the upper flange and is separated therefrom by a separating member.

A hand-operated piston pump includes a drive shaft and a rotor mounted in a housing case, the rotor having axial compression chambers, a piston biased by an elastic member sliding in each compression chamber and having a projecting end that engages a cam track; a fluid reservoir in the housing case; a valve plate downstream of the rotor having conduits for a pressurized fluid that communicate with conduits in walls of the compression chambers, the valve plate being non-rotatably mounted below the housing case and communicating with conduits that carry the pressurized fluid to and from a consuming unit through an interposed check valve inserted in a corresponding valve body, the valve body having an upper flange with fluid supply and return channels communicating with the fluid conduits of the valve plate. The valve plate floats relative to the upper flange and is separated therefrom by a separating member.

In a ship steering system for an out-drive device including: an out-drive device; a hydraulic actuator configured to turn the out-drive device; a hydraulic controller configured to control the hydraulic actuator; a ship steering device configured to instruct a traveling direction to the hydraulic controller; and an emergency ship steering device capable of at least instructing the out-drive device to turn, the emergency ship steering device is capable of controlling the hydraulic actuator without involving the hydraulic controller.

In a ship steering system for an out-drive device including: an out-drive device; a hydraulic actuator configured to turn the out-drive device; a hydraulic controller configured to control the hydraulic actuator; a ship steering device configured to instruct a traveling direction to the hydraulic controller; and an emergency ship steering device capable of at least instructing the out-drive device to turn, the emergency ship steering device is capable of controlling the hydraulic actuator without involving the hydraulic controller.

A steering system for a marine vessel comprises a helm, a control head, and a joystick. The helm and control head may respectively provide user inputted steering commands and user inputted shift and throttle commands on a first CAN network. The joystick and the control head may respectively provide user inputted steering commands and user inputted shift and throttle commands on a second CAN network. The helm may provide user inputted steering commands on the first CAN network. The control head may provide user inputted shift and throttle commands on the second CAN network. The joystick may provide user inputted steering commands and user inputted shift and throttle commands on either the first CAN network or the second CAN network.