PERSONAL WATERCRAFT

Abstract

A personal watercraft comprises a hull assembly and a deck. The hull assembly includes a hull and a liner. The hull has an outer peripheral support portion. The outer peripheral support portion has a first section with a first upper surface and a second section with a second upper surface. The liner has an outer ledge portion adhesively attached to the first upper surface of the first section of the outer peripheral support portion such that the outer ledge portion does not overlap the second upper surface of the second section of the outer peripheral support portion. The deck is provided to the hull assembly in a watertight manner. The first upper surface is located at a height position that is different from a height position of the second upper surface with respect to a vertical direction.

Claims

1. A personal watercraft comprising: a hull assembly including a hull having an outer peripheral support portion, the outer peripheral support portion having a first section with a first upper surface and a second section with a second upper surface, and a liner having an outer ledge portion adhesively attached to the first upper surface of the first section of the outer peripheral support portion such that the outer ledge portion does not overlap the second upper surface of the second section of the outer peripheral support portion; and a deck provided to the hull assembly in a watertight manner, the first upper surface being located at a height position that is different from a height position of the second upper surface with respect to a vertical direction.

2. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the height position of the second upper surface is located closer to a height position of an upper surface of the outer ledge portion than to the height position of the first upper surface with respect to the vertical direction.

3. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the hull assembly and the deck are fastened to each other at first and second fastening portions that are provided at the first section and the second section, respectively.

4. The personal watercraft according to claim 3, wherein the height position of the first upper surface at the first fastening portion is different from the height position of the second upper surface at the second fastening portion with respect to the vertical direction.

5. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, further comprising a frame member disposed between the hull assembly and the deck.

6. The personal watercraft according to claim 5, wherein the frame member extends completely around an outer periphery of the hull assembly.

7. The personal watercraft according to claim 5, further comprising at least one first fastener extending through the hull, the liner, the frame member and the deck at the first section to fasten the hull, the liner, the frame member and the deck together.

8. The personal watercraft according to claim 5, further comprising at least one second fastener extending through the hull, the frame member and the deck at the second section to fasten the hull, the frame member and the deck together.

9. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the hull includes a nozzle accommodation portion at a center rear section of the personal watercraft.

10. The personal watercraft according to claim 9, wherein the second section is located at the nozzle accommodation portion.

11. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the first section includes a first lateral rear section and a second lateral rear section that are laterally spaced apart from each other, and the second section is disposed between the first lateral rear section and the second lateral rear section.

12. The personal watercraft according to claim 11, wherein the outer ledge portion extends along the first lateral rear section to a first end edge of the outer ledge portion and extends along the second lateral rear section to a second end edge of the outer ledge portion, and the second section is located adjacent to the first and second end edges of the outer ledge portion via first and second gap portions, respectively.

13. The personal watercraft according to claim 12, wherein the outer peripheral support portion further has first and second transition sections that connect the first and second lateral rear sections to the second section, respectively, the first and second transition sections being located at the first and second gap portions, respectively.

14. The personal watercraft according to claim 12, further comprising first and second filler materials disposed within the first and second gap portions, respectively, to seal the first and second gap portions in a watertight manner, respectively.

15. The personal watercraft according to claim 14, wherein the first and second filler materials are made of adhesive.

16. The personal watercraft according to claim 12, further comprising a pair of first rear fasteners extending through the hull, the liner and the deck at the first and second lateral rear sections, respectively, to fasten the hull, the liner and the deck together.

17. The personal watercraft according to claim 16, wherein the first rear fasteners each have a bolt that includes a non-threaded portion that is at least partially disposed within through-holes of the hull, the liner and the deck and a threaded portion that is connected to the non-threaded portion and is at least partially disposed outside the through-holes of the hull, the liner and the deck.

18. The personal watercraft according to claim 16, further comprising at least one second rear fastener extending through the hull and the deck at the second section to fasten the hull and the deck together, the first gap portion being disposed between one of the first rear fasteners and the at least one second rear fastener, and the second gap portion being disposed between the other one of the first rear fasteners and the at least one second rear fastener.

19. The personal watercraft according to claim 18, wherein the at least one second rear fastener includes a pair of second rear fasteners, the first gap portion is disposed between the one of the first rear fasteners and one of the second rear fasteners, the second gap portion is disposed between the other one of the first rear fasteners and the other one of the second rear fasteners, and the first and second gap portions are filled with adhesive, respectively.

20. The personal watercraft according to claim 18, wherein the at least one second rear fastener has a bolt that includes a non-threaded portion that is at least partially disposed within through-holes of the hull and the deck and a threaded portion that is connected to the non-threaded portion and is at least partially disposed outside the through-holes of the hull and the deck.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a left side (port) elevational view of a watercraft in the form of a personal watercraft (PWC) in accordance with one illustrative embodiment;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the personal watercraft illustrated in FIG. 1, with a saddle seat removed from a deck of the personal watercraft;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a left side (port) elevational view of the personal watercraft illustrated in FIG. 1, with portions of a watercraft body broken away to show an engine and a jet propulsion unit;

[0012] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the watercraft body of the personal watercraft illustrated in FIG. 2, illustrating fastening portions for attaching the deck to a hull assembly using fasteners;

[0013] FIG. 5 is an exploded left side (port) elevational view of the personal watercraft illustrated in FIG. 1, illustrating arrangements of the deck and the hull assembly of the personal watercraft;

[0014] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the hull assembly of the personal watercraft;

[0015] FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the hull assembly of the personal watercraft;

[0016] FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an outer shell of the hull assembly illustrated in FIG. 6;

[0017] FIG. 9 is a top plan view of an inner liner of the hull assembly illustrated in FIG. 6;

[0018] FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of the outer shell of the hull assembly illustrated in FIG. 8,

[0019] FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of the hull assembly illustrated in FIG. 6, showing the inner liner is attached to the outer shell;

[0020] FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the hull assembly illustrated in FIG. 6, showing a frame member is attached to the hull assembly;

[0021] FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view of the watercraft body, showing a left lateral side fastening portion and a left center fastening portion; and

[0022] FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view of the watercraft body, showing a right lateral side fastening portion and a right center fastening portion.

[0023] It should be noted that these figures are intended to illustrate the general characteristics of methods, structure and/or materials utilized in certain illustrative embodiments and to supplement the written description provided below. These drawings are not to scale and may not precisely reflect the precise structural or performance characteristics of any given embodiment, and should not be interpreted as defining or limiting the range of values or properties encompassed by illustrative embodiments unless specified. The use of similar or identical reference numbers in the various drawings is intended to indicate the presence of a similar or identical element or feature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the watercraft field from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like similar or identical elements or features, and thus the descriptions of the similar or identical elements or features may be omitted in later embodiments.

[0025] Referring initially to FIGS. 1 to 3, a watercraft 10 is illustrated in the form of a personal watercraft (PWC) in accordance with one illustrative embodiment. While the watercraft 10 is illustrated as a personal watercraft, it will be apparent to those skilled in the watercraft field from this disclosure that the watercraft 10 is not limited to this illustrated configuration of a personal watercraft. The present invention can be provided to other types of watercrafts.

[0026] As seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, the watercraft 10 basically comprises a watercraft body 12 with a hull assembly 18 and a deck 20. The watercraft 10 also comprises a handlebar 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the watercraft 10 further comprises a saddle or straddle seat 24. As seen in FIG. 3, the watercraft 10 comprises an engine 26 and a jet propulsion unit 28. The watercraft 10 also comprises a steering column 30.

[0027] The hull assembly 18 has a front end 18a, a rear end 18b, a first or left (port) side 18c and a second or right (starboard) side 18d. The deck 20 is provided to the hull assembly 18. Preferably, the hull assembly 18 and the deck 20 are integrated to form a unit. In the illustrated embodiment, the hull assembly 18, the deck 20 and the other parts of the watercraft body 12 are made of suitable materials that are typically used in watercrafts for a marine environment. The materials of the hull assembly 18 will be discussed in detail later, but the materials of the deck 20 and the other parts of the watercraft body 12 will not be discussed in detail herein.

[0028] In the illustrated embodiment, the deck 20 is integrally formed as a unit. In particular, the deck 20 can be integrally formed as a one-piece, unitary member with a single deck piece, or can be formed as a multiple-piece member with multiple deck pieces. For example, the deck 20 can be formed as a three-piece member with a bow deck, a middle deck and a rear deck.

[0029] The handlebar 22 is turnably supported on the deck 20. Here, the handlebar 22 is a bar-type steering handle that is turnably disposed relative to the watercraft body 12 for steering the watercraft 10. Specifically, the handlebar 22 has a steering shaft 22a that is turnably supported by the steering column 30. The handlebar 22 is positioned in the center of the watercraft 10 with respect to a lateral direction D1 of the watercraft 10. The handlebar 22 is disposed in front of the saddle seat 24.

[0030] The saddle seat 24 is supported by the deck 20. The saddle seat 24 is detachably attached to the deck 20 by fasteners in a conventional manner. The saddle seat 24 is positioned in the center of the watercraft 10 with respect to the lateral direction D1 and supported by a seat support portion 32 of the deck 20. The saddle seat 24 is also disposed on the deck 20 at a rearward location of the handlebar 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the saddle seat 24 includes a first or front seating portion 24a and a second or rear seating portion 24b. The front seating portion 24a forms an operator or driver seat of the watercraft 10. The rear seating portion 24b is located higher than the front seating portion 24a and forms a passenger seat of the watercraft 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the saddle seat 24 is detachably mounted to the deck 20 for accessing an interior area or space of the watercraft body 12 between the hull assembly 18 and the deck 20, in which the engine 26 and the jet propulsion unit 28 are disposed. In particular, as seen in FIG. 2, the deck 20 includes an access opening 34 for accessing the interior space of the watercraft body 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the saddle seat 24 is removably coupled to the deck 20 to overlie the access opening 34. Thus, the access opening 34 is accessible or exposed while the saddle seat 24 is removed from the deck 20, as seen in FIG. 2.

[0031] As seen in FIG. 3, the engine 26 and the jet propulsion unit 28 are disposed on the hull assembly 18. In particular, the engine 26 is provided between the hull assembly 18 and the deck 20 and the jet propulsion unit 28 is mounted to the hull assembly 18. A fuel tank (not shown) is also disposed on a front portion of the hull assembly 18 inside of the watercraft body 12. Since the engine 26, the jet propulsion unit 28 and the fuel tank are conventional parts of a personal watercraft, these conventional parts will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein.

[0032] The jet propulsion unit 28 is also a conventional device in the watercraft field, and thus the jet propulsion unit 28 will be only briefly discussed and illustrated herein. The jet propulsion unit 28 is positioned in the center of the watercraft 10 with respect to the lateral direction D1 of the watercraft 10. Basically, the jet propulsion unit 28 includes a housing 28a, an impeller 28b and a steering nozzle 28c. The housing 28a is mounted on the hull assembly 18. The housing 28a has a water inlet and a water outlet. The impeller 28b is rotatably mounted inside the housing 28a between the water inlet and the water outlet. The steering nozzle 28c is pivotally mounted relative to the housing 28a at a location rearward of the water outlet. The steering nozzle 28c is operatively connected to the handlebar 22 in a conventional manner such as using cables and/or linkages. The impeller 28b of the jet propulsion unit 28 is operatively connected to a drive shaft of the engine 26. In this way, rotation of the drive shaft by the engine 26 rotates the impeller 28b inside the housing 28a. This rotation of the impeller 28b sucks water into the housing 28a via the water inlet and then forces the water at a higher velocity from the housing 28a through the steering nozzle 28c via the water outlet.

[0033] The steering column 30 rotatably supports the steering shaft 22a of the handlebar 22. The steering column 30 is fixedly coupled to a steering support 36 of the deck 20 in front of the saddle seat 24.

[0034] As seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the deck 20 includes left and right side walls 38 and 40 that partially define left and right footwells 42 and 44 (e.g., footrests), respectively, that are designed to accommodate the feet of a person riding the watercraft 10, such as a driver, a passenger, etc. The left and right side walls 38 and 40 generally vertically extend from bottom surfaces 42a and 44a of the footwells 42 and 44, respectively. Thus, the left and right footwells 42 and 44 are arranged to sandwich the seat support portion 32 of the deck 20 in the lateral direction D1 of the watercraft 10.

[0035] The watercraft body 12 includes a widthwise space 50 that is located rearward of the steering column 30. In particular, the widthwise space 50 is formed between the saddle seat 24 and the steering column 30 with respect to the longitudinal direction D2 of the watercraft 10. The widthwise space 50 extends completely through in the lateral or widthwise direction D1 of the watercraft 10 such that the widthwise space 50 is accessible from both lateral sides of the watercraft 10. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the widthwise space 50 forms a lateral pass-through opening. However, the widthwise space 50 is not limited to this configuration as long as the widthwise space 50 extends in the lateral direction D1. For example, the number and the locations of openings of the widthwise space 50 are arbitrary. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the widthwise space 50 can be a space that is closed or covered at least in the vertical direction. In particular, the widthwise space 50 can be a space that is closed or covered at least in the vertical direction by the watercraft body 12.

[0036] Referring further to FIGS. 5 to 14, the watercraft body 12 will be discussed in more detail. As seen in FIG. 5, the hull assembly 18 includes an outer shell 52 (e.g., a hull) and an inner liner 54 (e.g., a liner). The outer shell 52 and the inner liner 54 are fixedly coupled together as a unit. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner liner 54 is fitted inside the outer shell 52 and fastened to the outer shell 52 with adhesive, and/or other fastening manner. Thus, the outer shell 52 defines an exterior of the hull assembly 18 of the watercraft 10, while the inner liner 54 defines an interior of the hull assembly 18 or an interior of the interior space of the watercraft 10. In some cases, the hull assembly 18 is merely referred to as a hull. Furthermore, in some cases, the outer shell 52 can be merely referred to as a hull, and the inner liner 54 can be merely referred to as a liner. The outer shell 52 and the inner liner 54 are made of fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) or other suitable materials that are typically used in watercrafts for a marine environment. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer shell 52 and the inner liner 54 are made of the same material. However, the outer shell 52 and the inner liner 54 can be made of different materials.

[0037] As also seen in FIG. 5, the watercraft 10 further comprises an outer packing or frame member 56 disposed between the hull assembly 18 and the deck 20. As also seen in FIG. 6, the frame member 56 extends completely around an outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18. The frame member 56 is provided to seal between the hull assembly 18 and the deck 20 to maintain the water integrity of the watercraft 10. In particular, the frame member 56 is provided to prevent water from entering the interior space of the watercraft body 12 between the hull assembly 18 and the deck 20. Thus, the deck 20 is provided to the hull assembly 18 in a watertight manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the frame member 56 is made of suitable sealing materials that are typically used in watercrafts for a marine environment. In the illustrated embodiment, the frame member 56 is made of rubber materials, such as nitrile rubber, silicone rubber, neoprene, etc., for example.

[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, the frame member 56 includes four packings or frame pieces. Specifically, the frame member 56 includes a bow packing 56a, a rear packing 56b and a pair of side packings 56c. The bow packing 56a extends along a front portion of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18. The rear packing 56b extends along a rear portion of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18. The side packings 56c extends along opposite side portions of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18 between the bow packing 56a and the rear packing 56b. In the illustrated embodiments, the bow packing 56a and the side packings 56c are arranged relative to each other such that opposite ends of the bow packing 56a and front ends of the side packings 56c meet and abut seamlessly, respectively. Furthermore, the rear packing 56b and the side packings 56c are arranged relative to each other such that opposite ends of the rear packing 56b and rear ends of the side packings 56c meet and abut seamlessly, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the frame member 56 includes four packings. However, the frame member 56 is not limited to this configuration. The frame member 56 can be integrally formed as a one-piece, unitary member, or can be independently formed as a multiple-piece member with multiple packings, such as two-piece member, three-piece member, or more than four-piece member, as needed and/or desired.

[0039] As seen in FIGS. 5 to 8, the outer shell 52 includes a shell main body 59 and an outer peripheral support portion 60. The shell main body 59 forms a hull surface of the hull assembly 18 that comes into contact with the water. The shell main body 59 includes a nozzle accommodation portion 62 at a center rear section of the watercraft 10. The shell main body 59 also includes a housing accommodation portion 64 with a drive shaft insertion opening 66 at the center rear section of the watercraft 10. The nozzle accommodation portion 62 bulges upward from a bottom 52a of the outer shell 52 to define a nozzle accommodation space 62a outside of the outer shell 52. The housing accommodation portion 64 also bulges upward from the bottom 52a of the outer shell 52 in front of the nozzle accommodation portion 62 to define a housing accommodation space 64a outside of the outer shell 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing accommodation space 64a is connected to the nozzle accommodation space 62a. When the jet propulsion unit 28 is mounted to the hull assembly 18, as seen in FIG. 3, the steering nozzle 28c is disposed within the nozzle accommodation space 62a of the nozzle accommodation portion 62. Furthermore, in this case, the housing 28a is disposed within the housing accommodation space 64a of the housing accommodation portion 64 such that the drive shaft of the engine 26 extends through the drive shaft insertion opening 66.

[0040] The outer peripheral support portion 60 extends outward from an upper peripheral edge of the shell main body 59. The outer peripheral support portion 60 extends completely and continuously around an outer periphery of the outer shell 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer peripheral support portion 60 includes a bow section 60a, a rear section 60b and a pair of side sections 60c. The bow section 60a forms the front portion of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18. The rear section 60b forms the rear portion of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18. The side sections 60c forms the opposite side portions of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18 between the bow section 60a and the rear section 60b.

[0041] In the illustrated embodiment, the rear section 60b of the outer peripheral support portion 60 includes a pair of left and right lateral rear sections 68 and 70 (e.g., a first section) and a center rear section 72 (e.g., a second section). In the illustrated embodiment, the left lateral rear section 68 (e.g., the first lateral rear section) and the right lateral rear section 70 (e.g., the second lateral rear section) are laterally spaced apart from each other. The center rear section 72 is disposed between the left lateral rear section 68 and the right lateral rear section 70. In the illustrated embodiment, the center rear section 72 is located at the nozzle accommodation portion 62. In particular, the center rear section 72 extends across a widthwise range of the watercraft 10 in the lateral direction D1 of the watercraft 10 that entirely covers or encompasses the nozzle accommodation portion 62 with respect to the lateral direction D1 of the watercraft 10.

[0042] In the illustrated embodiment, the left and right lateral rear sections 68 and 70 have left and right lateral upper surfaces 68a and 70a (e.g., first upper surfaces), respectively, while the center rear section 72 has a center upper surface 72a (e.g., a second upper surface). In the illustrated embodiment, as well seen in FIGS. 10 to 14, the left and right lateral upper surfaces 68a and 70a are located at a height position that is different from a height position of the center upper surface 72a with respect to a vertical direction of the watercraft 10. Specifically, the center upper surface 72a of the center rear section 72 is offset above the left lateral upper surface 68a of the left lateral rear section 68. Furthermore, the center upper surface 72a of the center rear section 72 is offset above the right lateral upper surface 70a of the right lateral rear section 70.

[0043] In the illustrated embodiment, as well seen in FIGS. 10 to 14, the rear section 60b of the outer peripheral support portion 60 further includes a pair of left and right transition sections 74 and 76 (e.g., first and second transition sections) that connect the left and right lateral rear sections 68 and 70 to the center rear section 72, respectively. In other words, the left transition section 74 is located between the left lateral rear section 68 and the center rear section 72, while the right transition section 76 is located between the right lateral rear section 70 and the center rear section 72. In the illustrated embodiment the left and right transition sections 74 and 76 have inclined upper surfaces 74a and 76a that connect the left and right upper surfaces 68a and the 70a to the center upper surface 72a, respectively.

[0044] As seen in FIGS. 5 to 7 and 9, the inner liner 54 includes a liner main body 78 and an outer ledge portion 80. The liner main body 78 forms an interior surface of the hull assembly 18 that defines the interior space of the watercraft body 12. The liner main body 78 has a first cutout 82 and a second cutout 84 at the center rear section of the watercraft 10. The first cutout 82 is located corresponding to the nozzle accommodation portion 62. The first cutout 82 receives the nozzle accommodation portion 62 therewithin when the inner liner 54 is attached to the outer shell 52. The second cutout 84 is located corresponding to the housing accommodation portion 64. The second cutout 84 receives the housing accommodation portion 64 therewithin when the inner liner 54 is attached to the outer shell 52.

[0045] The outer ledge portion 80 extends outward from an upper peripheral edge of the liner main body 78. The outer ledge portion 80 extends completely and continuously around an outer periphery of the inner liner 54, except for a location where the first cutout 82 is located. Thus, the outer ledge portion 80 has a first or left end edge 86 and a second or right end edge 88 that laterally faces each other via the first cutout 82. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the outer ledge portion 80 includes a bow section 80a, a rear section 80b and a pair of side sections 80c. The bow section 80a forms the front portion of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18. The rear section 80b forms the rear portion of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18. The side sections 80c forms the opposite side portions of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18 between the bow section 80a and the rear section 80b.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the rear section 80b of the outer ledge portion 80 includes a pair of left and right lateral rear sections 90 and 92 having the left and right end edges 86 and 88, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the left lateral rear section 90 and the right lateral rear section 92 are laterally spaced apart from each other via the first cutout 82 therebetween.

[0047] In the illustrated embodiment, the inner liner 54 is attached to the outer shell 52 such that the outer ledge portion 80 of the inner liner 54 overlies the outer peripheral support portion 60 of the outer shell 52. Specifically, the outer ledge portion 80 of the inner liner 54 is adhesively attached to the outer peripheral support portion 60 of the outer shell 52. When the inner liner 54 is attached to the outer shell 52, the bow section 80a of the outer ledge portion 80 overlies the bow section 60a of the outer peripheral support portion 60 and the side sections 80c of the outer ledge portion 80 overlie the side sections 60c of the outer peripheral support portion 60, respectively.

[0048] Furthermore, as well seen in FIG. 11, when the inner liner 54 is attached to the outer shell 52, the left and right lateral rear sections 90 and 92 of the outer ledge portion 80 overlie the left and right lateral rear sections 68 and 70 of the outer peripheral support portion 60, respectively. In other words, the left lateral rear section 90 of the outer ledge portion 80 extends along the left lateral rear section 68 of the outer peripheral support portion 60 to the left end edge 86 of the outer ledge portion 80, while the right lateral rear section 92 of the outer ledge portion 80 extends along the right lateral rear section 70 of the outer peripheral support portion 60 to the right end edge 88 of the outer ledge portion 80. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the left and right lateral rear sections 90 and 92 of the outer ledge portion 80 is adhesively attached to the left and right lateral upper surfaces 68a and 70a of the left and right lateral rear sections 68 and 70, respectively. On the other hand, the outer ledge portion 80 does not overlap the center upper surface 72a of the center rear section 72 of the outer peripheral support portion 60.

[0049] As mentioned above, as well seen in FIGS. 10 to 14, the left and right lateral upper surfaces 68a and 70a are located at the height position that is different from the height position of the center upper surface 72a with respect to the vertical direction of the watercraft 10. Furthermore, the height position of the center upper surface 72a is located closer to a height position of left and right upper surfaces 90a and 92a of the left and right lateral rear sections 90 and 92 of the outer ledge portion 80 (e.g., upper surfaces of the outer ledge portion) than to the height position of the left and right lateral upper surfaces 68a and 70a with respect to the vertical direction of the watercraft 10.

[0050] More specifically, as well seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, the height position of the center upper surface 72a is the same as or is substantially the same as the height position of the left and right upper surfaces 90a and 92a of the left and right lateral rear sections 90 and 92 of the outer ledge portion 80 with respect to the vertical direction of the watercraft 10. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the center upper surface 72a of the center rear section 72 of the outer peripheral support portion 60 and the left and right upper surfaces 90a and 92a of the left and right lateral rear sections 90 and 92 of the outer ledge portion 80 at least partially lie on the same plane or on substantially the same plane. Thus, the rear packing 56c of the frame member 56 can create a tight seal between the hull assembly 18 and the deck 20 along the center upper surface 72a of the center rear section 72 of the outer peripheral support portion 60 and the left and right upper surfaces 90a and 92a of the left and right lateral rear sections 90 and 92 of the outer ledge portion 80.

[0051] As mentioned above, the center upper surface 72a of the center rear section 72 is offset above the left lateral upper surface 68a of the left lateral rear section 68. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the center upper surface 72a of the center rear section 72 is offset above the left lateral upper surface 68a of the left lateral rear section 68 by an amount substantially equal to a thickness of the left lateral rear section 90 of the outer ledge portion 80. Similarly, as mentioned above, the center upper surface 72a of the center rear section 72 is offset above the right lateral upper surface 70a of the right lateral rear section 70. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the center upper surface 72a of the center rear section 72 is offset above the right lateral upper surface 70a of the right lateral rear section 70 by an amount substantially equal to a thickness of the right lateral rear section 92 of the outer ledge portion 80.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, as well seen in FIGS. 11 to 14, the center rear section 72 is located adjacent to the left end edge 86 of the outer ledge portion 80 via a first or left gap portion 94. Similarly, the center rear section 72 is located adjacent to the right end edge 88 of the outer ledge portion 80 via a second or right gap portion 96. In the illustrated embodiment, the left and right transition sections 74 and 76 are located at the left and right gap portions 94 and 94, respectively.

[0053] In the illustrated embodiment, as well seen in FIG. 13, the watercraft 10 further comprises a first or left filler material 104 disposed within the left gap portion 94 to seal the left gap portion 94 in a watertight manner. Similarly, as well seen in FIG. 14, the watercraft 10 further comprises a second or right filler material 106 disposed within the right gap portion 96 to seal the right gap portion 96 in a watertight manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the left and right filler materials 104 and 106 are made of adhesive. In particular, the left and right filler materials 104 and 106 are made of the adhesive that are utilized to adhesively attach the inner liner 54 to the outer shell 52. Thus, the left and right gap portions 94 and 96 are filled with the adhesive, respectively. Of course, the left and right filler materials 104 and 106 are not limited to this. The left and right filler materials 104 and 106 are made of any other suitable scaling materials that are typically used in watercrafts for a marine environment.

[0054] In the illustrated embodiment, as well seen in FIG. 4, the hull assembly 18 and the deck 20 are fastened to each other at a plurality of fastening portions 108 that are provided along the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18 using a plurality of fasteners 110, such as bolts, screws, etc. In particular, as well seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the illustrated embodiment, the hull assembly 18 includes a plurality of through-holes 112 at the fastening portions 108 along the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18. As well seen in FIG. 4, the deck 20 includes a plurality of through-holes 114 at the fastening portions 108 along an outer periphery of the deck 20. The through-holes 112 of the hull assembly 18 and the through-holes 114 of the deck 20 are coaxially arranged relative to each other when the hull assembly 18 is attached to the deck 20. In the illustrated embodiment, as well seen in FIG. 6, the frame member 56 also includes a plurality of through-holes 116 that are coaxially arranged relative to the through-holes 112 and 114 when the frame member 56 is provided between the hull assembly 18 and the deck 20. The fasteners 110 are inserted through the through-holes 112, 114 and 116, respectively, and are fastened to secure the hull assembly 18 to the deck 20 with the frame member 56 disposed therebetween.

[0055] More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, as well seen in FIGS. 6 and 8 to 14, the fastening portions 108 include at least a pair of left and right lateral side fastening portions 108a (e.g., first fastening portions) and a pair of left and right center fastening portions 108b (e.g., second fastening portions). The left and right lateral side fastening portions 108a are provided at the left and right lateral rear sections 68 and 70, respectively, while the left and right center fastening portions 108b are provided at the center rear section 72. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the hull assembly 18 and the deck 20 are fastened to each other at the left and right lateral side fastening portions 108a and the left and right center fastening portions 108b that are provided at the left and right lateral rear sections 68 and 70 and the center rear section 72, respectively. Of course, the fastening portions 108 are not limited to this. The fastening portions 108 can include only one of the left and right lateral side fastening portions 108a at the corresponding one of the left and right lateral rear sections 68 and 70. Also, the fastening portions 108 can include only one of the left and right center fastening portions 108b at the center rear section 72.

[0056] As well seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, the left lateral rear section 68 of the outer shell 52 and the left lateral rear section 90 of the inner liner 54 include fastener holes 68b and 90b, respectively, at the left lateral side fastening portion 108a. The fastener holes 68b and 90b are coaxially arranged relative to each other to form one of the through-holes 112 of the hull assembly 18 when the inner liner 54 is attached to the outer shell 52. Similarly, the right lateral rear section 70 of the outer shell 52 and the right lateral rear section 92 of the inner liner 54 include fastener holes 70b and 92b, respectively, at the right lateral side fastening portion 108a. The fastener holes 70b and 92b are coaxially arranged relative to each other to form one of the through-holes 112 of the hull assembly 18 when the inner liner 54 is attached to the outer shell 52. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the center rear section 72 of the outer shell 52 includes a pair of fastener holes 72b at the left and right center fastening portions 108b, respectively. The fastener holes 72b of the outer shell 52 form a pair of the through-holes 112 of the hull assembly 18.

[0057] As mentioned above, the left and right lateral upper surfaces 68a and 70a are located at the height position that is different from the height position of the center upper surface 72a with respect to the vertical direction of the watercraft 10. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the height position of the left and right lateral upper surfaces 68a and 70a at the left and right lateral side fastening portions 108a is different from the height position of the center upper surface 72a at the left and right center fastening portions 108b with respect to the vertical direction of the watercraft 10.

[0058] Furthermore, the height position of the center upper surface 72a at the left and right center fastening portions 108b is located closer to the height position of the left and right upper surfaces 90a and 92a of the left and right lateral rear sections 90 and 92 of the outer ledge portion 80 at the left and right lateral side fastening portions 108a than to the height position of the left and right lateral upper surfaces 68a and 70a at the left and right lateral side fastening portions 108a with respect to the vertical direction of the watercraft 10. In particular, the height position of the center upper surface 72a at the left and right center fastening portions 108b is the same as or is substantially the same as the height position of the left and right upper surfaces 90a and 92a of the left and right lateral rear sections 90 and 92 of the outer ledge portion 80 at the left and right lateral side fastening portions 108a with respect to the vertical direction of the watercraft 10.

[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, as seen in FIGS. 12 to 14, the fasteners 110 include at least a pair of left and right lateral rear fasteners 110a (e.g., at least one first fastener or a pair of first rear fasteners) and a pair of left and right center rear fasteners 110b (e.g., at least one second fastener or a pair of second rear fasteners).

[0060] The left and right lateral rear fasteners 110a are provided at the left and right lateral side fastening portions 108a, respectively. Specifically, the left lateral rear fastener 110a extends through the fastener holes 68b and 90b of the outer shell 52 and the inner liner 54 at the left lateral side fastening portion 108a, while the right lateral rear fastener 110a extends through the fastener holes 70b and 92b of the outer shell 52 and the inner liner 54 at the right lateral side fastening portion 108a. Thus, the left and right lateral rear fasteners 110a extend at least through the outer shell 52, the inner liner 54 and the deck 20 at the left and right lateral rear sections 68 and 70, respectively, to fasten the outer shell 52, the inner liner 54 and the deck 20 together. In particular, the left and right lateral rear fasteners 110a extend through the outer shell 52, the inner liner 54, the frame member 56 and the deck 20 at the left and right lateral rear sections 68 and 70, respectively, to fasten the outer shell 52, the inner liner 54, the frame member 56 and the deck 20 together.

[0061] In the illustrated embodiment, the left and right lateral rear fasteners 110a each have a bolt 120 that includes a non-threaded portion 120a and a threaded portion 120b. The non-threaded portion 120a is disposed closer to a head of the bolt 120 than the threaded portion 120b is. The non-threaded portion 120a is at least partially disposed within corresponding one of the through-holes 112 of the hull assembly 18, which are formed by the fastener holes 68b and 90b and by the fastener holes 70b and 92b, respectively, and within corresponding one of the through-holes 114 of the deck 20. The threaded portion 120b is connected to the non-threaded portion 120a. The threaded portion 120b is at least partially disposed outside the corresponding one of the through-holes 112 of the hull assembly 18, which are formed by the fastener holes 68b and 90b and by the fastener holes 70b and 92b, respectively, and outside the corresponding one of the through-holes 114 of the deck 20. The head of the bolt 120 is rested on the outer periphery of the deck 20, and the threaded portion 120b of the bolt 120 is threadedly coupled to a nut 121 placed underside of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18. With this configuration, the hull assembly 18, the frame member 56 and the deck 20 can be fastened together.

[0062] The left and right center rear fasteners 110b are provided at the left and right center fastening portions 108b, respectively. Specifically, the left and right center rear fasteners 110b extend through the fastener holes 72b at the left and right center fastening portions 108b, respectively. Thus, the left and right center rear fasteners 110b extend at least through the outer shell 52 and the deck 20 at the center rear section 72 to fasten the outer shell 52 and the deck 20 together. In particular, the left and right center rear fasteners 110b extend through the outer shell 52, the frame member 56 and the deck 20 at the center rear section 72 to fasten the outer shell 52, the frame member 56 and the deck 20 together.

[0063] In the illustrated embodiment, the left and right center rear fasteners 110b each have a bolt 122 that includes a non-threaded portion 122a and a threaded portion 122b. The non-threaded portion 122a is disposed closer to a head of the bolt 122 than the threaded portion 122b is. The non-threaded portion 122a is at least partially disposed within corresponding one of the through-holes 112 of the hull assembly 18, which are formed by the fastener holes 72b, respectively, and within corresponding one of the through-holes 114 of the deck 20. The threaded portion 122b is connected to the non-threaded portion 122a. The threaded portion 122b is at least partially disposed outside the corresponding one of the through-holes 112 of the hull assembly 18, which are formed by the fastener holes 72b, respectively, and outside the corresponding one of the through-holes 114 of the deck 20. The head of the bolt 122 is rested on the outer periphery of the deck 20, and the threaded portion 122b of the bolt 122 is threadedly coupled to a nut 123 placed underside of the outer periphery 58 of the hull assembly 18. With this configuration, the hull assembly 18, the frame member 56 and the deck 20 can be fastened together.

[0064] In the illustrated embodiment, the left gap portion 94 is disposed between the left lateral rear fastener 110a (e.g., one of the first rear fasteners) and the left center rear fastener 110b (e.g., at least one second rear fastener or one of the second rear fastener). The right gap portion 96 is disposed between the right lateral rear fastener 110a (e.g., the other one of the first rear fasteners) and the right center rear fastener 110b (e.g., the at least one second rear fastener or the other one of the second rear fasteners).

[0065] In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term comprising and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, including, having and their derivatives. Thus, as used herein, the singular forms a, an and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Also, the terms part, section, portion, member or element when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which illustrative embodiments of the inventive concepts belong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly-used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0066] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being connected or coupled to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being directly connected or directly coupled to another element, there are no intervening elements present. As used herein the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Additionally, similar words used to describe the relationship between elements or layers should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., between versus directly between, above versus directly above, below versus directly below, adjacent versus directly adjacent, on versus directly on). Thus, components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them unless specified otherwise.

[0067] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, positions and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, positions and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, position or section from another element, component, region, layer, position or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, position or section discussed above could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, position or section without departing from the teachings of illustrative embodiments.

[0068] Spatially relative terms, such as forward, rearward, above, below, beneath, downward, vertical, horizontal, and transverse as well as any other similar spatial terms may be used herein for the ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) of the above embodiments. These terms, as utilized to describe the present invention should be interpreted relative to a watercraft floating in calm water.

[0069] The terms of degree such as substantially, about and approximately as used herein mean an amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.

[0070] While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such feature(s). Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.