Patent ID: 6431927
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: B63H

Abstract:
A watercraft propulsion system for propelling a boat such as a high speed planing boat through and over water in which the boat has an inboard engine and a connecting power supply drive shaft extending through the transom of the boat to an outboard end comprising,a propeller shaft extending rearwardly of said boat having a propeller secured to its rearward end, an intermediate connecting shaft connected at one end to said outboard end of said drive shaft and at its other end to the forward end of said propeller shaft, the connections at said outboard end of said drive shaft and said other end of said connecting shaft being universal joint connections, an over-beam assembly extending from a support means at the stem of said boat over the exterior portion of said drive shaft as well as said intermediate shaft and said propeller shaft, said support means for said over-beam assembly comprising a vertically oriented support rod fixedly mounted to the stem of said boat, said propeller shaft extending through a support housing therefore connected to said overlying over-beam assembly, said support means for said over-beam assembly being arranged to permit lateral movement of the end of said over-beam assembly to either side of said boat with said vertically oriented support rod as a pivot therefore, whereby said boat can be steered by selectively positioning said over-beam assembly to one side or the other side with resulting corresponding lateral angular movement of said propeller shaft and the propeller thereon.