Techniques for thruster system control for a pontoon boat or other watercraft. A thruster system may comprise a plurality of thrusters used to control movement of the pontoon boat in addition to an outboard prime mover. The thrusters may be fixed and/or steerable thrusters. In examples, the thrusters may be retracted based on identifying a condition in which the thrusters may be damaged. The thrusters may be deployed based on identifying a condition in which the thrusters may be used to recharge an associated energy source. User input to control the thrusters may be adapted to account for external forces acting on the pontoon boat. A user interface is provided with which to control the thruster system, via which an operator manipulates a movement intent line to control the thruster system. The user interface may further comprise obstacle indicators, thereby enabling the operator to maneuver the pontoon boat accordingly.

A propulsion device for marine vessel. A base is configured to be coupled to the marine vessel, the base having sides that extend downwardly from the marine vessel. A propulsor is pivotally coupled to the base and pivotable into and between a deployed position and a stowed position. The propulsor comprises a propeller having a hub with blades extending away therefrom. The propulsor is configured to propel the marine vessel in water when in the deployed position by rotating the propeller. An alignment device aligns the blades of the propeller between the sides of the base when the propulsor is in the stowed position.

A device for coupling a propulsor to a marine vessel. A rail is configured for attachment to the marine vessel. A carriage is moveable relative to the rail into first and second positions. A shaft has a first end pivotally coupled to the marine vessel and a second end for coupling to the propulsor. An actuator is configured to pivot the shaft relative to the marine vessel to thereby move the propulsor into and between stowed and deployed positions. A lock is manually operable to fix the carriage in the first position in which the actuator prevents manual pivoting of the shaft and alternatively in the second position in which the shaft is permitted to be manually pivoted.

A hydrofoil system provides lift to a motor-powered displacement hull without raising the hull out of the water. The hydrofoil system includes a pair of laterally opposed forward hydrofoil wings positioned respectively on the first pontoon and second pontoon forward a center of gravity of the hull. The forward hydrofoil wings extend laterally inboard and downwards towards each other. The hydrofoil system also includes a pair of laterally opposed aft hydrofoil wings positioned near the stern of the hull on the first pontoon and second pontoon respectively. The aft hydrofoil wings extend laterally inboard towards each other and have an upper surface with convex curvature that extends from the respective first pontoon or second pontoon to an inboard terminal end thereof.

The present invention provides a floater structure. The floater structure is used for bearing the tower of wind turbines, especially for the offshore wind turbines. The floater structure is constructed via a main column, two off columns and a pontoon. The off column is connected to any other main column and the off column via a horizontal bracing, and the pontoon is connected to the main column and the two off columns. The shape of the pontoon is triangle, and three corners of the triangle are round corners, polygon corners, or the combinations thereof.

A watercraft has an unsealed hull that is permeable such that, in use, water flows at least partly into an internal volume of the hull. The hull has at least one hull panel having inner and outer panel surfaces. At least one buoyant element is disposed within the internal volume of the hull. A conduit extends within the internal volume of the hull and defines at least one outlet for discharging water therethrough. An inlet connector of the conduit is configured to be connected to an external water source in order to supply water to the conduit. In response to the external water source being connected to the inlet connector, water flows through the conduit, out of the at least one outlet of the conduit, and onto at least a portion of at least one of the inner panel surface and the at least one buoyant element for rinsing thereof.

A gate system for a pontoon boat is provided. The gate system may comprise a gate, a guide, and a guide interface member.

A bearing device of a floating power station includes a supporting component and operation and maintenance passages formed by multiple operation and maintenance floating bodies arranged in sequence. Two adjacent rows of the operation and maintenance passages are connected by the supporting component, and an electrical device mounting position for mounting an electrical device is provided on the supporting component. In the bearing device for the floating power station provided according to the present application, the two adjacent rows of the operation and maintenance passages are connected by the supporting component, and the electrical device is mounted on the electrical device mounting position of the supporting component, that is, the mounting of the electrical device is not affected by a space between the two adjacent operation and maintenance passages, thereby the versatility of the bearing device provided according to the present application is improved.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a sailing vessel that can substantially obviate the heeling problem experienced by classical sailboats. During navigation, the sailing vessel is driven forward by an aerodynamic force exerted by wind on the sail, and balanced by a hydrodynamic force exerted by water on a float on the stern of the sailing vessel, the aerodynamic force and the hydrodynamic force being parallel or substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sailing vessel.

A pontoon boat includes port and starboard pontoons and cross members connecting the pontoons. A shock absorber may be installed at each point of connection of the pontoons to the cross members. A cross member may be embodied as a double-webbed beam having first and second parallel flanges and first and second webs disposed between and connected to the flanges. Each pontoon may include a two-stage lifting strake having a first surface and a second surface inclined from the first surface.