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Pontooned watercraftRelated Patent Categories: Ships, Displacement-type Hull (e.g., Specific Aftbody, Etc.), Multiple HullsPontooned watercraft description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070039534, Pontooned watercraft. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to watercraft, and in particular to small watercraft used for fishing, hunting and similar recreation on lakes and streams. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] Small watercraft, for example canoes, kayaks, scows, dories, prams, whaleboats, rafts, rowboats, pontoon boats and inflatable dinghies, help sporting enthusiasts gain access to the great outdoors. The fact that such watercraft exist in so many varieties is evidence of a wide variety of demands placed upon them and a wide variety of design criteria to be balanced. [0005] For fishermen, hunters and others, key criteria include safe buoyancy, high stability, easy embarkation and debarkation, good storage space with easy access, low drag (including snag resistance), high maneuverability, easy transportability, unobstructed equipment use and a low seating position. [0006] Not surprisingly, it is difficult optimize all of these criteria in a single watercraft. For example, inflatable dinghies are highly buoyant and stable, but they also tend to have high drag and low maneuverability. In contrast, canoes have low drag and are highly maneuverable, but they are relatively unstable, particularly during embarkation and debarkation or when reaching over the gunwale. [0007] Pontoon boats, which are typically simple platforms supported above the water on a pontooned frame, have low drag and are reasonably maneuverable; however, the platform carries passengers and equipment high above the water, exposing them to the elements and to view, which can be detrimental for hunting, for example. [0008] Boats with displacement hulls carry passengers and equipment below water level; however, such hulls have relatively higher drag and lower maneuverability. These latter characteristics can be particularly problematic when the boat is to be paddled or rowed or is to be driven with a smaller outboard motor, for example an electric motor. Unfortunately, the lowest-drag shape for a displacement hull, the round bottom hull, is also the least stable and so is generally not suitable for active recreation. [0009] Thus it might be expected that none of the currently existing watercraft either optimizes or strikes a perfect balance between all these criteria. Accordingly, a watercraft that strikes a different balance would usefully satisfy a different combination of such demands. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] It is an object of the present invention to produce a watercraft that provides safe buoyancy, high stability, easy embarkation and debarkation, good storage space with easy access, low drag (including snag resistance), high maneuverability, easy transportability, unobstructed equipment use and a low seating position. [0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a watercraft having a displacement hull and a pontoon attached to the hull. The pontoon desirably has an elongated float and an arm, which is integral with the float and radiating therefrom and which may be buoyant, for attachment to the hull. The hull may have a substantially round bottom and a gunwale and the pontoon may be attached directly to the hull, proximate the gunwale. The continuous surfaces of the hull and the pontoon resist snagging objects, including water plants and sporting tackle. [0012] The bottom of the float may be lower than the bottom of the hull, whereby the watercraft rests on the float when on land, the float raising the bottom of the hull above the land. [0013] The top of the arm may define a substantially flat platform substantially level with the gunwale, whereby the platform provides a step between the float and the gunwale for embarking on or debarking from the watercraft. [0014] The watercraft may further include second, third, and fourth pontoons, disposed proximate the four corners of the hull so as not to obstruct the sides of the watercraft amidships. [0015] Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon considering the following drawings, description, and claims. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0016] The invention will be more fully illustrated by the following detailed description of non-limiting specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures. In the figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0017] FIG. 1 is an oblique top view of a watercraft according to one embodiment of the present invention; [0018] FIG. 2 is an oblique bottom view of the watercraft of FIG. 1; [0019] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the watercraft of FIG. 1; [0020] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the watercraft of FIG. 1; Continue reading about Pontooned watercraft... Full patent description for Pontooned watercraft Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Pontooned watercraft patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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