Abstract:
A small watercraft includes expanded storage capacity so as to accommodate more of the type of articles that rider&#39;s typically what to carry on the watercraft. Such articles include, for example, towels, water skis, tow ropes, etc. At least one of the storage compartments on the watercraft is formed by an opening on an upper deck section. A container is affixed to the deck below the opening and has an upper end defined by a flange that extends from walls of the container. The flange is attached to an interior wall of the upper deck section so that the container and the corresponding upper deck section form a storage compartment. The upper end of the container, however, has a larger area than the opening in the deck so as to maximize the storage space within the compartment without weakening the deck and minimizing the area through which water can enter the hull.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [1]    1. 1. Field of the Invention  
           [2]    2. The present invention generally relates to small watercraft. More particularly, the present invention relates to a structure and an arrangement of storage compartments within a hull of a small watercraft.  
           [3]    3. 2. Description of Related Art  
           [4]    4. Personal watercraft have become increasingly popular in recent years. This type of watercraft commonly includes a small hull which mainly comprises a lower hull section and an upper deck section. These small watercraft generally have at least one storage compartment within the hull.  
           [5]    5. The storage compartment is generally a container arranged to lie within the hull of the watercraft. The container commonly has sidewalls and an open top surrounded by a flange. The flange extends from the side walls of the container. The upper deck section of the hull has an opening with a circumferential member. The container is inserted into the opening such that the flange of the container rests atop on the circumferential member of the opening. The container is thus removably supported by the upper deck, and a compartment is defined within the hull below the deck. A lid or hatch is provided to cover the opening of the container. The lid inhibits an influx of water into both the hull and the container. Because the container is removable, the opening on the upper deck section can also be used as an access way into the interior of the hull when internal components of the watercraft require servicing.  
           [6]    6. In prior personal watercraft, the storage compartment thus is simply a container inserted into the opening. The size of the container therefore is limited by the size of the opening formed in the upper deck section. Riders of personal watercraft, however, continue to desire more storage area as these watercraft are being used in more diverse ways. A need therefore exists to provide more storage area on the watercraft.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [7]    7. The present watercraft design provides for enlarged storage capacity without increasing the overall hull design or weakening the hull&#39;s strength. It is appreciated that an enlarged opening in the watercraft bow may reduce the strength of the hull. However, because the front end of the watercraft generally slopes upward on the upper deck section and downward on the lower hull section, unused space usually exists within the interior of the bow. The present watercraft design therefore takes advantage of this space, or other space in the hull, to enlarge the storage compartment space of the watercraft, without weakening the strength of the hull.  
           [8]    8. In one mode, the small watercraft comprises a hull including a lower hull portion and an upper deck. The upper deck has a bow portion and a rider&#39;s area positioned on an aft side of the bow portion. A raised pedestal is provided on the hull in the rider&#39;s area and a seat assembly is supported by the raised pedestal. The seat assembly includes a seat that is configured to accommodate at least one rider. A container is affixed to the upper deck and has an upper perimeter edge. An access opening is formed in the upper deck and opens into the container. A hatch is movably coupled to the upper deck so as to be moved between closed and open positions. In the closed position, the hatch covers the opening. In the opening position, the hatch permits access into the compartment through the opening. The opening has a smaller area than the area defined by the upper perimeter edge of the container so as to inhibit the intake of water into the container while providing a larger storage space than that which would correspond to the footprint of the accessing opening. This also is done without weakening the deck portion.  
           [9]    9. These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [10]    10. These and other features of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings of a preferred embodiment which is intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention, and in which:  
         [11]    11.FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a personal watercraft configured in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating several internal components in phantom;  
         [12]    12.FIG. 2 is a partial side cross-sectional view of a front portion of the watercraft of FIG. 1;  
         [13]    13.FIG. 3 is a partial side cross-sectional view of a rear portion of the watercraft of FIG. 1;  
         [14]    14.FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the watercraft taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 2, illustrating a front storage compartment;  
         [15]    15.FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the rear portion of the watercraft;  
         [16]    16.FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the watercraft taken along line  6 — 6  of FIG. 3;  
         [17]    17.FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the watercraft taken along line  7 — 7  of FIG. 3, illustrating a pair of rear storage compartments;  
         [18]    18.FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the watercraft taken along line  7 — 7  of FIG. 3, illustrating the movement of the covers of the compartments shown in FIG. 7;  
         [19]    19.FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the rear portion of a watercraft, illustrating another embodiment of the rear storage compartment;  
         [20]    20.FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the watercraft of FIG. 9, corresponding to the view illustrated in FIG. 7 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8;  
         [21]    21.FIG. 11 is a side view of a watercraft configured in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, illustrating several inner component in phantom;  
         [22]    22.FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the watercraft of FIG. 11, illustrating several inner component in phantom;  
         [23]    23.FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a hatch of the watercraft of FIG. 11, illustrating an open state of the hatch in phantom;  
         [24]    24.FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the watercraft taken along line  14 — 14  in FIG. 12;  
         [25]    25.FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the watercraft of FIG. 11, corresponding to FIG. 6 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8; and  
         [26]    26.FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the watercraft of FIG. 11, corresponding to FIG. 7 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [27]    27. Although the present invention is illustrated in connection with a personal watercraft, it is understood that the present storage compartment structure and arrangement can be used with other types of watercraft as well. For example, but without limitation, the present storage compartment structure and arrangement can also be used with small jet boats and the like.  
         [28]    28.FIGS. 1-8 illustrate a personal watercraft  10  having several storage compartments in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In general, the watercraft  10  has a bow and a stern. In addition, the watercraft  10  includes a watercraft body  12  comprising a hull  14 . The hull  14  of the watercraft  10  is formed by a lower hull section  16  and an upper deck section  18 . The hull sections  16 ,  18  are formed from a suitable material such as, for example, a molded fiberglass reinforced resin. The lower hull section  16  and the upper deck section  18  are fixed to each other around the gunnel  20  in any suitable manner.  
         [29]    29. As viewed in the direction from the bow to the stern of the watercraft  10 , the upper deck section  18  includes a bow portion, a control portion, and a rider&#39;s area. The bow portion slopes upwardly toward the control portion and includes an opening  22 . The opening  22  is provides access to a front storage compartment  24  formed underneath the bow portion of the upper deck section  18 . The structure and arrangement of the front storage compartment  24  will be described in greater detail below. A hatch or lid  26  covers the opening  22  to inhibit an influx of water into the hull  14  and the front storage compartment  24 , and also slopes upwardly to the control portion.  
         [30]    30. The control portion extends upward from the bow portion and includes a display or meter  28  and a handlebar assembly  30 . The handlebar  30  controls the steering of the watercraft  10  in a conventional manner. The handlebar assembly  30  also carries a variety of controls watercraft controls, such as, for example, a throttle control, a start switch and a lanyard switch.  
         [31]    31. An opening  32  is formed on the upper deck section  18  between the control portion and the rider&#39;s area. A container  34  having an open top  36  surrounded by a flange  38  is inserted into the opening  32  to form a storage compartment  40 . The storage compartment is sized to store small articles A, such as keys, wallets, etc. A cover  42  is provided to close the container  34  and may be connected to the flange  38  of the container  34  with a hinge  44 . The storage compartment  40  may alternatively be implemented in a manner described in detail below.  
         [32]    32. The rider&#39;s area lies behind the control portion and includes a seat assembly  46 . In the illustrated embodiment, the seat assembly  46  has a longitudinally extending straddle-type shape which may be straddled by an operator and by at least one or two passengers. The seat assembly  46 , at least in principal part, is formed by a front seat cushion  48  and a rear seat cushion  50 . The seat assembly  46  is supported by a raised pedestal  52 . The raised pedestal  52  forms a portion of the upper deck section  18 , and has an elongated shape that extends longitudinally along a central portion of the watercraft  10 . Advantageously, the front and rear seat cushions  48 ,  50  are removably mounted on an upper surface  54  of the pedestal  52  and cover at least a substantial portion of an upper end of the pedestal  52  for the comfort of the rider and passenger.  
         [33]    33. An access opening  56  is located on an upper surface  54  of the pedestal  52 . The access opening  56  opens into an engine compartment  58  formed within the hull  14 . The front seat cushion  48  normally covers and seals the access opening  56 . When the front seat cushion  48  is removed, the engine compartment  58  is accessible through the access opening  56 . A pump compartment  59  is located behind the engine compartment  58 .  
         [34]    34. The upper surface  54  of the pedestal  52  extends rearward to the upper deck section  18 . Another opening  60  is located on the upper deck section  18  behind the access opening  56  for the engine compartment  58 . A container  62  having an open top  64  defined by a flange  66  is inserted into the opening  60  to form a storage compartment  68  similar to the compartment  40  between the control portion and the rider&#39;s area. A pair of longitudinal grooves  70  are provided along both sides of the opening  60  for removably receiving the rear seat cushion  50 . The rear seat cushion  50  covers and seals the open top  64  of the container  62 . The storage compartment is sized to receive through its upper end  69  relatively small articles A, such as, for example, cans of beverages, bait, etc. The storage compartment  68  may alternatively be implemented in a manner described in detail below.  
         [35]    35. As best seen in FIG. 6, the upper deck section  18  of the hull  14  advantageously includes a pair of raised bulwarks  72  positioned on opposite sides of the aft end of the upper deck section  18 . The raised bulwarks  72  define a pair of foot step areas  74  that extend generally longitudinally and parallel to the sides of the pedestal  52 . The operator and any passengers sitting on the seat assembly  46  can thus place their feet in the foot step areas  74  with the raised bulwarks  72  shielding the feet and lower legs of the riders. A non-slip mat (not shown) made of, for example, rubber or a synthetic material, desirably covers the foot step areas  74  to provide increased grip and traction for the operator and the passengers.  
         [36]    36. With reference to FIG. 3, the rear portion of the foot step areas  74  end by a pair steeply slanted walls  76  which form a portion of the upper deck section  18  at about the center of the rear seat cushion  50 . As shown in FIG. 3, a cushion pad  78  configured to support a lower leg of a passenger is attached to each of the slanted walls  76 . A drain tube  80  extends from a hole or an inlet  82  on the bottom of the slant wall  76 . The drain tube  80  connects the foot step area  74  to a deck area  75  on the hull  14  of the watercraft  10  behind the seat assembly.  
         [37]    37. The upper deck section  18  extends horizontally from the top of the slant wall  76  and includes two further openings  84  at both sides of the rear seat cushion  50 . The openings  84  provide access to a rear storage compartment  86  arranged underneath the upper deck section  18 . The structure and arrangement of the rear storage compartment  86  will be described in greater detail below. A lid or cover  88  closes the opening  84  to inhibit an influx of water into the hull  14  and the rear storage compartment  86 . Two bars  90  are arranged between the rear seat cushion  50  and the covers. The bars  90  provide a grasping location for passengers.  
         [38]    38. A slant wall  92  behind the rear seat cushion  50  has a pair of drain tube holes  82  on the bottom. As mentioned above, the drain tubes extend rearwardly from inlets arranged within the foot step areas  74 . The upper deck section  18  terminates at the riding floor  94  which extends rearward of the slant wall  92 . The drainage tube holes  82  are positioned higher than the inlets when a keel line of the watercraft is level; however, when the watercraft is up on plane, the inlets lie above the drainage tube holes  82  to allow water to flow from the foot wells to deck area  75  of the watercraft.  
         [39]    39. The engine compartment  58  is defined within a central portion of the hull. The engine compartment  58  is normally substantially sealed so as to enclose an engine  94  of the watercraft  10 . Enclosing the engine  94  serves to protect the engine from splashing created when maneuvering the watercraft  10 .  
         [40]    40. The lower hull section  16  is designed such that the watercraft  10  planes or rides on a minimum surface area of the aft end of the lower hull section  16  in order to optimize the speed and handling of the watercraft  10  when up on plane. For this purpose, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the lower hull section  16  generally has a V-shaped configuration formed by a pair of inclined sections  96  that extend outwardly from the keel line  98  to outer chins  100  at a dead rise angle. The inclined sections extend longitudinally from the bow toward the transom of the lower hull  16  and extend outwardly to side walls  102  of the lower hull  16 .  
         [41]    41. The side walls  102  are substantially upstanding near the stern of the lower hull  16  and smoothly blend towards the longitudinal center of the watercraft  10  near the bow. The lines of intersection between the inclined section  96  and the corresponding side wall  102  form the outer chines  100  of the lower hull section  16 . The lower hull  16  can also include additional chines between the keel line and the outer chines  100  for improved handling, as is known in the art.  
         [42]    42. In the illustrated embodiment, a jet pump unit  104  propels the watercraft  10 . The jet pump unit  104  is mounted within a tunnel of the lower hull section  16  in a known manner. An intake duct  106  of the jet pump unit  104  defines an inlet opening  108  and a gullet or channel  110 . The gullet  110  leads to an impeller housing  112  in which an impeller  114  of the jet pump operates. A portion of the impeller housing  112  defines a pressurization chamber and delivers a pressurized water flow to a discharge nozzle  116 .  
         [43]    43. A steering nozzle  118  is supported at a downstream end of the discharge nozzle  116  by a pair of vertically extending pivot pins (not shown). In an exemplary embodiment, the steering nozzle  118  has an integral lever on one side that is coupled to the handlebar  30  assembly through, for example, a bowden-wire actuator, as known in the art. In this manner, the operator of the watercraft  10  can effect directional changes of the watercraft  10  through selectively directing the steering nozzle  118 .  
         [44]    44. A ride plate (not shown) covers a portion of the gullet or channel  110  behind the inlet opening  108  to substantially enclose the jet pump unit  104 . In this manner, the inlet opening  108  is closed to provide a planing surface for the watercraft  10 .  
         [45]    45. An impeller shaft  120  drives the impeller  114  within the impeller housing  112 . The aft end of the impeller shaft  120  is suitably journalled for rotation within the compression chamber of the housing in a known manner. The impeller shaft  120  extends in the forward direction and is coupled to an output shaft of the engine  94 .  
         [46]    46. The engine  94  powers the impeller shaft  120 . The engine  94  is positioned within the engine compartment  58  and is mounted primarily beneath the front seat cushion  48 . Vibration absorbing engine mounts  122  secure the engine  94  to the lower hull  16 . The engine  94  is desirably mounted in approximately a central portion of the watercraft  10 .  
         [47]    47. The engine  94  advantageously includes a plurality of in-line cylinders and operates on a four-cycle principle; however, it this type of engine is merely exemplary. The present watercraft can employ other type of engine configurations and operate on other principles (e.g. two cycle, crankcase compression) as well. The engine  94  is positioned such that the row of cylinders lies parallel to a longitudinal axis  124  of the watercraft  10 , running bow to stern. Although not illustrated, the engine  94  and associated systems or components (such as an induction system  125 , a fuel supply system, an exhaust manifold  126 , etc.) interconnect with one another within the engine compartment  58 .  
         [48]    48. In the illustrated embodiment, exhaust gas from the engine  94  are discharged to the water near the steering nozzle  118  through an exhaust system  127 . The exhaust system  127  includes the exhaust manifold  126 , which is connected to the engine  94 , and an expansion chamber  128  which communicates and receives exhaust gases from the exhaust manifold  126 . A suitable opening loop cooling system may cool the exhaust manifold and the expansion chamber, as known in the art. The jet pump unit  104  can supply cooling water to the cooling system in a conventional manner.  
         [49]    49. The expansion chamber in turn communicates with a water trap  132 . At least a portion of the cooling water is introduced between the expansion chamber and the water trap for silencing purposes as known in the art. The water trap  132  inhibits the backflow of cooling water toward the expansion chamber  128 . An exhaust pipe  130  connects the water trap  132  to a discharge opening. In the illustrated embodiment, as seen in FIGS. 3, 7 and  8 ) the exhaust pipe  130  extends over the tunnel and the jet propulsion unit  104  to further inhibit the influx of water into the exhaust system.  
         [50]    50. A fuel tank  134  is located in front of the engine  94  generally below the control portion of the upper deck section  18 . A fuel guide tube  136  having an fuel inlet  138  at an end extends upwardly toward from the fuel tank  134 . The fuel inlet  138  of the fuel guide  136  is fit to an opening formed bow portion of the upper deck section  18  of the watercraft  10 . A cap  140  covers the fuel inlet  138  and the opening.  
         [51]    51. With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and  4 , a container  142  is located under the opening  22  formed on the bow portion of the upper deck section  18 . The container  142  has an open top defined by a circumferential flange  144  extending from walls of the container  142 . The flange  144  defines an upper outer periphery of the container  142  and an upper perimeter edge  144   a . Since the bow portion slopes upwardly toward the control portion, the walls of the container  142  may not have the same height. In the illustrated embodiment, the front wall is shorter than the rear wall and the side walls taper in height between the front and rear walls. The bottom surface  143  of the container  144  desirably is flat.  
         [52]    52. The flange  144  of the container  142  is attached to an interior wall of the upper deck section  18  surrounding the opening  22 . A sealing sheet  146  (FIG. 4) is pressed over the interface between the flange  144  and the deck inner surface to provide watertight attachment. The container  142  and the sealing sheet  146  are advantageously made of the same material as the hull sections  14 .  
         [53]    53. In the illustrated embodiment, as seen in FIG. 2, the container  142  is configured to have a width W 1  of the open top in the longitudinal direction  124  larger than a width w 1  of the opening  22  in the same direction. Further, as seen in FIG. 4, the container  142  has a width W 2  of the open top in a lateral direction  148  larger than a width w 2  of the opening  22  in the same direction. Advantageously, the width of the open top of the container  142  is larger than the width of the opening  22  on the bow portion of the upper deck section  18  in every horizontal direction.  
         [54]    54. A circumferential area  150  of the opening  22  is surrounded by the flange  144  of the container  142  by the attachment of the container  142  to the interior wall of the bow portion of the upper deck section  18 . This circumferential area  150  and the container  142  in turn defines a space which is the front storage compartment  24 . Advantageously, the container  142  is as large as the interior space within the hull  14 , in which the container  142  is placed, allows. In this manner, the small watercraft  10  can has a larger storage compartment within the hull  14 .  
         [55]    55. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper deck  18  has a upwardly protruded portion which includes the opening  22 . The upwardly protruded portion  152  advantageously corresponds to the circumferential area  150  surrounded by the flange  144  of the container  142  as well illustrated in FIG. 4. This protruded portion  152  gives a larger space to the front storage compartment  24  and places the hatch  26  and opening  22  high up on the deck, away from the water surface of the body of water in which the watercraft is operated.  
         [56]    56. Partitions (not shown) may be placed within the storage compartment  24  to facilitate accommodation of small articles. The partitions can be vertical or horizontal. Advantageously, such partitions are removably located within the storage compartment  24 .  
         [57]    57. The hatch  26  is configured to releasably cover the opening  22  on the bow portion of the upper deck section  18 . Advantageously, a hinge  154  connects a lower end of the hatch  26  to the upper deck  18 . In order to inhibit an influx of water into the front storage compartment  24 , a seal member  156  is provided around either of the opening or a corresponding portion of the hatch  154 .  
         [58]    58. The hatch  26  has an airtight hollow space  158 . Because the hatch  26  is located in the top center portion of the watercraft  10  in the lateral direction  148  (i.e., located near the longitudinal axis of the watercraft), the hollow space  158  of the hatch  26  eases righting watercraft  10  when inverted. The hollow space  158  advantageously has the largest vertical thickness near the longitudinal axis of the watercraft.  
         [59]    59. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, a drain opening  160  is provided on the bottom of the container  142  to drain water in case water comes into the container  142 . A drain plug  162  closes the drain opening  160 .  
         [60]    60. In the illustrated embodiment, an opening  164  is also formed on a wall of the container  142  to provide access into the interior space within the hull  14  for servicing components within the hull  14 . For instance, the access opening  164  provides access to the instrument display  28  of the watercraft. A lid or cover  166  normally closes the opening  164 . Advantageously, the opening  164  is on the rear wall of the container  142  which is closer to the control portion than the other walls. Thus, when servicing a components of the control portion, a hand can reach to the component through the opening  164 , as shown in phantom in FIG. 2.  
         [61]    61. With reference now to FIGS. 1, 3,  5 ,  7 , and  8 , the upper deck section  18  includes two openings  84  near the aft end of the pedestal. A container  168  is placed under each of the openings  84 . The pair of the opening  84  and container  168  are advantageously mirror images with each other. Therefore, the following description of one will be understood as applying to both, unless indicated otherwise.  
         [62]    62. The container  168  has an open top defined by a circumferential flange  170  that extends from walls of the container  168 . Because the upper deck section  18  slopes upwardly from the gunnel  20  toward the center of the watercraft  10  in the lateral axis  148 , the walls of the container  168  may not have the same height. That is, an outer side wall may be lower than an inner side wall, and the fore and aft walls taper in height between the inner and outer side walls.  
         [63]    63. The flange  170  of the container  168  is configured to be attached to the interior wall of the upper deck section  18  that surrounds the opening  84 . The flange  170  of the container  168 , which is attached to the side  172  of the upper deck  18 , extends at an acute angle relative to the rear wall of the container  168 . A sealing sheet  146  is pressed over the joint between the container  168  and the inner surface of the upper deck to provide a watertight attachment. The container  168  and the sealing sheet  146  are advantageously made of the same material as the hull sections.  
         [64]    64. In the illustrated embodiment, the container  168  is configured to have a width W 3 , as measured at its upper end in the longitudinal direction  124 , which is larger than a width w 3  of the opening  84  in the same direction. Further, the container  168  has a width W 4 , again measured at its upper end in a lateral direction  148 , which is larger than a width w 4  of the opening  84  in the same direction. Advantageously, the width of the upper opening of the container  168  is larger than the width of the opening  84  in every horizontal direction.  
         [65]    65. A circumferential area  114  of the opening is surrounded by the flange  170  of the container  168  when the container  168  is attached to the interior wall of the upper deck section  18 . This circumferential area  174  and the container in turn define a space which comprises the rear storage compartment  86 . Advantageously, the container  168  is as large as the hull interior space, in which the container  168  is placed, allows. In this manner, the small watercraft  10  can have a large rear storage compartment  86  within the hull.  
         [66]    66. The cover or lid  88 , which closes the opening  84 , is connected to the upper deck  18  by a hinge  176  near the side  172  of the watercraft  10  so that the passenger who is holding onto the bars  90  can easily open the lid  88  as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 7. In order to inhibit an influx of water into the rear storage compartment  86 , a seal member  178  is provided around either of the opening  84  or a corresponding portion of the lid  88 . The lid  88  also has an airtight hollow space  180  similar to the hatch  26  described above. Advantageously, the vertical thickness of the hollow space  180  gets larger toward the center portion of the watercraft  10  in the lateral direction  148  so that the watercraft  10  can righted easier when inverted.  
         [67]    67. A drain opening  182  is provided on the bottom of the container  168  to drain water in case water comes into the container  168 . A drain plug  184  closes the drain opening  182 . In the illustrated embodiment, the storage compartment  68 , which is located beneath the rear seat cushion  50 , is arranged between the two rear storage compartments  86  and stores relatively small articles.  
         [68]    68.FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate another structure and arrangement of a rear storage compartment  186  in accordance with another embodiment of the present watercraft hull design. The front half of the watercraft desirably is configured in accordance with the foregoing description. In this embodiment, a single storage compartment  186  is defined rather than two, as in the above-described embodiment. The two openings  84  therefore open into a single large container  188  that defies the rear storage compartment  186 . The container  188  is attached to the inner surface of the upper deck in the manner described above.  
         [69]    69. Advantageously, a width W 5  of the container in the lateral direction  148  is substantially same as the width of the upper deck section  18  of the watercraft  10  while the width w 4  of the two openings  84  remain the same as the above embodiment. Thus, the width of the container is substantially wider than the width of either opening  84 , and, in the illustrated embodiment, is wider than the combined widths of the openings  84 . The large container  188  may not allow the tall and narrow arch of the second exhaust tube  130  as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 7, and thus the second exhaust tube  130  may be located under the container  188  in the manner as shown in phantom in FIG. 10. That is, the exhaust pipe  130  extends from an upper side of the water trap  132 , passes over the top of the tunnel, and then depends downward on the opposite side of the tunnel where it terminates at the discharge end of the exhaust system.  
         [70]    70. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom of the container includes a relatively large drain opening  190  which is closed by a drain plug  192 . The relatively large drain opening  190  is arranged to be used as an access to the jet pump unit  104  for servicing.  
         [71]    71.FIGS. 11-16 illustrates a personal watercraft  10  having several storage compartments in accordance with an additional preferred embodiment of the watercraft design. Like elements are referred by like numerals, and the foregoing description of like components between the two embodiments should be understood to apply to the present embodiment unless indicated otherwise.  
         [72]    72. With reference to FIGS. 11, 12, and  13 , an opening  22  is formed on the bow portion of the upper deck section  18 . A container  142  having an open top is attached to an interior surface of the upper deck section  18 , which surrounds the opening  22 , to define a front storage compartment  24 .  
         [73]    73. The container  142  is configured to have a width W 1 , as measured at its upper end and in the longitudinal direction  124 , which is larger than a width w 1  of the opening  22  in the same direction. Further, the container  142  has a width W 2  at its upper end as measured in a lateral direction  148  which is larger than a width w 2  of the opening  22  in the same direction. Advantageously, the width of the open top of the container  142  is larger than the width of the opening  22  on the bow portion of the upper deck section  18  in every horizontal direction.  
         [74]    74. A hatch  26  is mounted on the upper deck section  18  to releasably close the opening  22 . A hinge  154  connects a lower end of the hatch  26  to the upper deck section  18 . In the illustrated embodiment, the hatch  26  is much longer than the width w 1  of the opening  22  in the longitudinal direction and covers a significant portion of the bow of the upper deck section  18 . In FIG. 13, an open state of the hatch  26  is illustrated in phantom.  
         [75]    75. A rib  194  protrudes from a lower surface of the hatch  26  to contact a circumference of the opening  22 . A seal member  156  is provided on either of the circumference of the opening or a distal portion of the rib  194  of the hatch  26  to inhibit an influx of water into the front storage compartment  24 . As illustrated in FIGS. 12, 13, and  14 , the hatch  26  also covers the fuel inlet  138  of the fuel guide  136 . The hatch  26  also defines a closed space filled with air as described in the above embodiment.  
         [76]    76. With reference to FIGS. 11, 12,  15 , and  16 , two openings  84  are provided at both sides of the riding floor  75  on the upper deck section  18 . A container  168  is located under each opening  84 . The pair of the opening  84  and the containers  168  are advantageously mirror images with each other. The following description of one therefore applies equally to both, unless indicated otherwise.  
         [77]    77. The container  168  has an open top defined by a circumferential flange  170  that extends from walls of the container  168 . Some portion of the container flange  170  is configured to be attached to the interior wall of the upper deck section  18 . The other portion of the container flange  170  is configured to be attached to the lower hull and upper deck sections  16 ,  18  at the gunnel  20 , which makes the attachment of the container  168  strong and further the strength of the corresponding gunnel  20 . A sealing sheet  146  overlies the joint to provide watertight attachment. The container  168  and the sealing sheet  146  are advantageously made of the same material as the hull sections  16 ,  18 .  
         [78]    78. A circumferential area of the opening  84  is surrounded by the flange  170  of the container  168 . The circumferential area the container  168  define a rear storage compartment  86 . As some portion of the container flange  170  forms gunnel  20 , the interior space of the bulwark  72  also constitutes a part of the rear storage compartment  86  as illustrated in FIG. 15. Further, the container  168  extends to the interior space of the hull  14  under the foot steps  74  along the longitudinal axis  124  to provide a larger rear storage compartment  86  within the hull  14  as illustrated in FIG. 15. By using these spaces, the rear storage compartment  86  may accommodate relatively long articles, such as, for example, a water ski  196 , fishing equipment, etc.  
         [79]    79. A width W 6  of the open top of the container  168  in the longitudinal direction  124  is much larger than a width w 6  of the opening  84  in the same direction. Further, a width W 7  of the container&#39;s open top in a lateral direction  148  larger than a width w 7  of the opening  84  in the same direction. Advantageously, the width of the open top of the container  168  is larger than the width of the opening  84  in every horizontal direction.  
         [80]    80. The cover or lid  88 , which closes the opening  84 , is connected to the upper deck  18  by a hinge  176  near the side  172  of the watercraft  10 . A seal member  178  may be provided around either of the opening  84  or a corresponding portion of the lid  88 . Advantageously, the cover  88  slopes upwardly toward the center of the watercraft  10  in the lateral axis  148  so that the watercraft  10  can easily recover even when it is turned over.  
         [81]    81. As common to the embodiments described above, the storage compartments within the hull of the watercraft are arranged in a manner maximizing storage capacity while maintaining or enhancing the structural strength of the watercraft body. The arrangement and structure of the storage compartments also helps right the watercraft when inverted.  
         [82]    82. Although this invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is intended to be defined only by the claims that follow.