A marine vessel having a propeller that provides propulsive force to the marine vessel, and a course control system. The course control system includes a course changing mechanism that changes a course of the marine vessel, and a controller configured or programmed to detect a sudden movement of the marine vessel originating from broaching caused by a following wave of the marine vessel, and upon detecting the sudden movement of the marine vessel originating from the broaching, control a rotation rate of the propeller and/or cause the course changing mechanism to change the course of the marine vessel.

A water engagement actuator system and device comprising a rotary actuator connected to a support structure adapted to be connected to a marine vessel is provided. The rotary actuator includes a driven shaft and a undriven slave shaft disposed opposite the driven shaft. The rotary actuator further comprises at least one pair of bearings enclosed within a clean sealed environment; water engagement device having an arced blade connected to the driven shaft; at least one encoder disposed in a space separating the undriven slave shaft from the driven shaft. A controller is communicatively connected to the rotary actuator to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engagement device is automatically moved to a position between a retracted position and a deployed position in order to provide dynamic active control of the marine vessel. The rotary actuator is further configured to absorb any hydrodynamic drag load generated from the marine vessel with no more than two rotary shaft seals and counteract any unintended disturbance by automatic deployment of the arced blade—at 100 mm/s or more—into the water and provide dynamic active control of a marine vessel.

Various embodiments are disclosed for a stepped cambered planing hull for a boat including a swept back cambered planing surface having a non-linear distribution of camber. The non-linear distribution of camber along the swept back cambered planing surface may enable stepped cambered planing hulls having high deadrise (i.e., greater than 15 degrees). The stepped cambered planing hull may include a shaped hydrofoil that generates further hydrodynamic lift by piercing the free surface wake produced by the swept back cambered planing surface. The stepped cambered planing hull may have external bottom surfaces adapted at the after-body and transom to accommodate a distinctive profile of the free surface wake produced by the swept back cambered planing surface. The stepped cambered planing hull may include an adjustable interceptor blade to regulate hydrodynamic lift at low speeds or to ensure an optimal dynamic trim angle in a wide range of speeds.

A recreational sport boat includes a hull, having starboard and port sides and a transom, and a pair of wake-modifying devices positioned aft of the transom. One of the wake-modifying devices is positioned on a port side of the boat's centerline and another of the wake-modifying devices is positioned on a starboard side of the boat's centerline. Each wake-modifying device includes a plate-like member and at least one downturned surface at a trailing portion of the plate-like member. Each wake-modifying device is pivotable between a non-deployed position and a deployed position about a pivot axis that is horizontal or inclined no more than about 35° from horizontal. When a wake-modifying device is in the deployed position, the downturned surface is lower than it is in the non-deployed position so as to be able to modify the boat's wake.

A dynamic active control system (DACS) configured for: (1) total vessel pitch axis control by fast symmetric deployment of water engagement devices (WEDs) or controllers, coupled with engine trim adjustments; (2) total roll and heading control by differentially deploying WEDs to counter rolling motions while simultaneously adjusting engine steering position to counter the steering moment associated with WED delta position; and (3) adjustment of the engine steering angle to counter yaw moments produced by gyroscopic stabilization systems.

A method and apparatus for adding buoyancy to the transom of a boat by attaching buoyant material to the trim tabs, or to the planing surface of the trim tab, or constructing the trim tab itself of buoyant material. The buoyancy can be used to correct listing of a boat, or compensate for outboard engines that are unable to clear the water line when tilted up, or generally raise the stern of the boat while at rest. Buoyancy can be added to conventional trim tab plates or added to vertically extending interceptor blade type trim tabs. The invention also proposes a method by which trim tabs can be attached to the transom or the “step” or “pocket” above by a fixed or manually adjustable linkage, such as with a turnbuckle or jack screw or through-bolted perforated rods.

A posture control system for a hull, and a marine vessel including the posture control system, allows crew members to fish more comfortably and includes a posture control tab attached to a stern of the hull to control a posture of the hull, a driver to drive the posture control tab, and a controller to control the driver. When it is determined that the hull has changed to a fishing mode, the controller causes the driver to raise the posture control tab to a predetermined position.

A trim tab for a ship comprises a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is swingably mounted to a rear portion of a ship body. The second portion extends from the first portion and curves in a swing direction away from the ship body.

The invention relates to a propeller arrangement in a cathodic protection system for a marine vessel with a marine propulsion system, which cathodic protection system comprises a direct current power source with a positive terminal. The propulsion system comprises at least one driveline housing at least partially submerged in water; a torque transmitting drive shaft extending out of the driveline housing; and at least one propeller mounted on the drive shaft. According to the invention, the at least one propeller is electrically isolated from its drive shaft. Each electrically isolated propeller is electrically connected to a slip ring connector, which slip ring connector is in electrical connection with the positive terminal. The invention further relates to a vessel provided with such a propeller arrangement.

A posture control system for a hull includes a movable posture control plate. An outboard motor is attached to the hull and is movable with respect to the hull. A controller is configured or programmed to control movement of the posture control plate and movement of the outboard motor so as to control the posture of the hull.