Abstract:
A sail driven watercraft includes a hull, a deck coupled to the hull, and a mast coupled to the hull to extend upwardly and carry one or more sails. The hull extends downwardly from the deck into water in which the sail driven watercraft floats.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/817,814, filed Apr. 30, 2013, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to watercraft, and particularly to watercraft with a sail and mast where ease of use is valued. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a series of design details which enable easy rigging, sail use, improved stability, and trailering. 
         [0003]    Although wind powered ships, sailboats, and the like have been known for thousands of years, the efficient and safe use of these vessels has required considerable skill and patience. The most easy-to-use designs available today still require significant effort to ready a boat for sailing, especially if it has just been transported by road, often requiring multiple people and special equipment. Once underway, these vessels require considerable strength and skill to properly configure the sails, and generally require the occupants to change positions frequently, due to changing angles of the deck, or to help balance the boat. In addition, sailboats do not allow the mast to be easily lowered on the water, if sailing under low bridges, for example, is required. Furthermore, if the boat is transported by road, an additional, specially designed trailer is needed, requiring the occupants to return to the launch location for further transport. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    According to the present disclosure, a sail driven watercraft includes a hull, a deck coupled to the hull, and a mast coupled to the hull to extend upwardly and carry one or more sails. The hull extends downwardly from the deck into water in which the sail driven watercraft floats. The mast is arranged to locate the sails in wind to cause the sail driven watercraft to move through the water. 
         [0005]    In illustrative embodiments, the sail drive watercraft further includes a mechanism for easy raising or lowing of a mast. The sail driven watercraft further includes a folding deck design that allows for greater stability on the water, and a unique integrated trailer design. 
         [0006]    Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the hulls and deck in an extended position; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the hulls and deck in a contracted position; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the deck and hulls in the extended position; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the deck and hulls in the contracted position; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the deck and hulls in the extended position; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the deck and hulls in the contracted position; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the hull with a mast in a raised position; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the hull with the mast in a lowered position; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a side view of the mast and associated mechanical components in the lowered position; 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the mast and associated mechanical components with the raising cable extended to a sail attaching position; 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast in the lowered position; 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast in the lowered position; 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast in the lowered position and the deck in a contracted position; 
           [0021]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast in the lowered position and the deck in the contracted position; 
           [0022]      FIG. 15A  a top plan view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed; 
           [0023]      FIG. 15B  is a front elevation view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed; 
           [0024]      FIG. 15C  a side elevation view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed 
           [0025]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the entire boat with the integrated trailer function shown in a stowed configuration; 
           [0026]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the entire boat with the integrated trailer function shown with the wheels down and the hitch assembly partly deployed; 
           [0027]      FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the entire boat with the integrated trailer function shown with the wheels down and the hitch assembly fully deployed; 
           [0028]      FIG. 19  is a side view of the entire boat with the mast lowered, the deck contracted, the integrated trailer fully deployed and attached to a tow vehicle; 
           [0029]      FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast lowered, the deck contracted, and the integrated trailer fully deployed; and 
           [0030]      FIG. 21  is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast raised, the deck extended, and the integrated trailed stowed of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]    Referring now to the disclosure in more detail,  FIG. 1  illustrates a boat in an extended configuration of a hull  1 , a deck  2 , and a hinge axis  3  of a folding mechanism that allows the boat to fold in such a way as to significantly reduce the overall width of the boat. The folding can be easily accomplished on the water and allows for the boat to be seaworthy in all positions.  FIG. 2  illustrates the boat in a fully folded (contracted) configuration of deck  2 , hinge arms  4 , and linkage  5 .  FIG. 3  illustrates the boat in a plan view of hinge arms  4 , deck  2 , hinge axis  3 , linkages  5 , structural element  6 , and edge of deck  7 .  FIG. 4  illustrates the boat in a plan view showing the boat in a fully contracted position of decks  2 , hinge arms  4 , linkages  5 , structural element  6 , and edge of deck  7 .  FIG. 5  illustrates the fully extended position of deck  2 , and hinge arms  4 .  FIG. 6  illustrates the boat in a fully contracted position with decks  2  and hinge arms  4  shown. 
         [0032]    In addition to the deck folding mechanism, the current disclosure also includes a folding mast design illustrated in  FIG. 7  comprising of mast beam  8 , pivot point  9 , control cable pulley  10 , and winch  11 . The unique rearward position of the mast allows for this configuration to be practical.  FIG. 8  illustrates the mast in the lowered position with a halyard extension  12 , mast beam  8 , pivot point  9 , structural support  13 , and structural element  14 .  FIG. 9  illustrates further detail of the folding mechanism comprising the pivot point  9 , control cable attachment point  15 , control cable pulley  10 , and winch  11 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 10  illustrates an alternative embodiment where the control cable is also the sail halyard and is led from the winch  11 , to the pulley  10 , to pulley  16 , to pulley  17 , to pulley  18 , to pulley  19 , to pulley  20 , and then can be further extended to provide slack for attaching the sail before hoisting. As the winch is wound, the halyard slack is first taken up, and then the stopper  21  engages the pulley  20  causing the halyard cable to become taunt. As the winch  11  continues to wind, the mast then begins to be rotated up about pivot point  9  and then eventually obtains the position illustrated in  FIG. 7 . Another variation of this design includes routing the halyard cable through the hollow center of the mast. 
         [0034]      FIG. 11  illustrates the boat with the mast  22  in the lowered position, the pivot point  9 , and the control cable  23 .  FIG. 12  illustrates the boat with the mast  22  in the lowered position, the pivot axis  9 , the control cable  23 , and the hinge arm  4 .  FIG. 13  illustrates the boat in the fully contracted position and the mast lowered.  FIG. 14  also illustrates the boat in the fully contracted position with the mast lowered.  FIG. 15A  a top plan view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed.  FIG. 15B  is a front elevation view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed.  FIG. 15C  a side elevation view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed. 
         [0035]      FIG. 16  illustrates the integrated trailer feature of the current disclosure and a door  24  that covers this mechanism.  FIG. 17  illustrates the deployment of this feature. When the trailer function is desired, the door  24  is opened and the trailer arm  25  is deployed to an extended position, leaving an opening in the deck structure  26 .  FIG. 17  also illustrates the integrated highway wheels  27  in the lowered position.  FIG. 18  illustrates the further deployment of the trailer function including the extension of the trailer arm  25  about a trailer axis  30 , the trailer arm wheels  28 , and the hitch receptacle  29 .  FIG. 19  illustrates the boat with the integrated trailer deployed and attached to a tow vehicle.  FIG. 20  also illustrates the current disclosure with the integrated trailer feature fully deployed, and the trailer wheels  27 .  FIG. 21  illustrates the underside of the boat with the deck fully extended, and the highway wheels  27  in the raised position and the pivot axis  31  of the highway wheel lowering mechanism. 
         [0036]    The boat of the present disclosure allows, without limitation, the ability for one person to easily raise or lower the mast on or off the water, avoiding low bridges and/or obstructions above the road. The present disclosure also allows the boat to be significantly extended in width on the water, allowing more space for occupants, and a significantly more stable boat. This allows the boat to be sailed in relatively high winds without the typical heeling angle, and without the need for occupants to change positions in order to better balance the boat. The integrated trailer feature also allows the boat to be sailed to far-away places, and then retrieved from the water with any vehicle and hitch, not requiring a non-integrated trailer be first moved to the retrieval location. Overall the present disclosure allows for significantly greater ease of use compared to previously existing boats. 
         [0037]    While the foregoing written description of the disclosure enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The disclosure should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the disclosure.