Patent Publication Number: US-7708609-B2

Title: Watercraft reverse gate operation

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE 
   The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/871,698 filed on Dec. 22, 2006, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to watercraft having a reverse gate and methods of operating the reverse gate. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In jet propelled watercraft, such as personal watercraft or jet boat, the watercraft can be propelled in reverse by lowering a reverse gate behind the output of the water jet thus redirecting the jet toward the front of the watercraft which creates a thrust in the reverse direction. The reverse gate is actuated by a hand activated lever which, when pulled, lowers the reverse gate in front of the water jet. The lever is placed near the driver&#39;s area but the driver must let go of the steering mechanism in order the grasp the reverse lever. Therefore, the driver must drive with only one hand on the steering mechanism while actuating the lever. Also, in some cases they must momentarily divert their attention when reaching for the reverse lever. On some watercraft, the reverse lever is on the same side of the watercraft as the throttle operator which forces the driver to release the throttle operator to activate the reverse gate lever. 
   In most jet propelled watercraft, the engine and jet propulsion system are connected directly to each other via at least one shaft. This arrangement causes the jet propulsion system to always provide some forward thrust, even when the engine is idling, because the shaft is still rotating. This results in the watercraft moving forward even though the driver is not actuating the throttle lever. One possible solution consists in providing a clutch between the engine and the jet propulsion system, however this can prove to be mechanically complex in view of the limited area available in the engine compartment of these vehicles. 
   Also, as in most watercraft, jet propelled watercraft are not usually provided with means for actively decelerating the watercraft. The driver must therefore plan ahead of time to decelerate, and eventually stop, the watercraft as they need to do so by letting the vehicle decelerate on its own. 
   Therefore, there is a need for a way to activate the reverse gate of a jet propelled watercraft which allows the driver of the vehicle to keep both hands on the steering mechanism. 
   There is also a need for a way to decelerate a jet propelled watercraft. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate at least some of the inconveniences present in the prior art. 
   It is also an object of the present invention to provide a jet propelled watercraft having a lever which when actuated causes a reverse gate to move from a first stowed position to a second position without further driver intervention and controls a speed of rotation of the engine in order to decelerate the watercraft without further driver intervention. 
   It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of controlling a jet propelled watercraft where actuating a lever causes a reverse gate to move from a first stowed position to a second position without further driver intervention and controls a speed of rotation of the engine in order to decelerate the watercraft without further driver intervention. 
   It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of controlling a jet propelled watercraft where turning a helm assembly when a speed of rotation of the engine is below a steering assist speed causes a reverse gate to move from a first stowed position to a second position without further driver intervention and then controls a speed of rotation of the engine in order to decelerate the watercraft without further driver intervention. 
   In one aspect, the invention provides a method of controlling a watercraft. The watercraft has a hull, a deck disposed on the hull, a seat disposed on the deck, an engine compartment defined between the hull and the deck, an engine disposed in the engine compartment, an electronic control unit, a jet propulsion system connected to the hull and operatively connected to the engine, a throttle operator for controlling the engine, a lever, and a reverse gate operatively connected to the hull, the reverse gate being movable between a first stowed position and a second position in which the reverse gate redirects a jet of water expelled from the jet propulsion system, the reverse gate being in operative connection with the lever. The method comprises actuating the lever, controlling a speed of rotation of the engine to be at or below a reverse gate actuation speed in response to the actuation of the lever, moving the reverse gate to the second position in response to the actuation of the lever without further driver intervention once the speed of rotation of the engine is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed, and controlling the speed of rotation of the engine in order to decelerate the watercraft in response to the actuation of the lever and the reverse gate moving to the second position without further driver intervention. 
   In an additional aspect, controlling a speed of rotation of the engine in order to decelerate the watercraft includes increasing the speed of rotation of the engine above the reverse gate actuation speed. 
   In a further aspect, the method further comprises adjusting the second position of the reverse gate without further driver intervention. 
   In an additional aspect, controlling the speed of rotation of the engine comprises adjusting a position of a throttle valve of the engine. 
   In a further aspect, controlling the speed of rotation of the engine comprises adjusting at least one of an ignition timing and an injection timing of the engine. 
   In an additional aspect, the method further comprises sensing a position of the throttle operator, adjusting a position of a throttle valve of the engine based on the position of the throttle operator when the lever is not actuated, generating a signal when the lever is actuated, and adjusting the position of the throttle valve of the engine based on the signal when the lever is actuated. 
   In a further aspect, the method further comprises sensing a speed of the watercraft, and moving the reverse gate to a neutral position in which the reverse gate redirects a jet of water expelled from the jet propulsion system so as to maintain the watercraft in position when the speed of the watercraft is near or at zero without further driver intervention. 
   In another aspect, the invention provides a watercraft having a hull and a deck is disposed on the hull. An engine compartment is defined between the hull and the deck. An engine is disposed in the engine compartment. A throttle body has a throttle valve and is in fluid communication with the engine. A jet propulsion system is connected to the hull and is operatively connected to the engine. An electronic control unit (ECU) is associated with the watercraft for controlling at least an operation of the engine. A throttle operator is movable between an idle position and an actuated position and is in electronic communication with the ECU. A throttle valve actuator is operatively connected to the throttle valve and is in electronic communication with the ECU. An engine speed sensor senses a rotational speed of the engine and is in electronic communication with the ECU. A reverse gate is operatively connected to the hull. The reverse gate is movable between a first stowed position and a second position in which the reverse gate redirects a jet of water expelled from the jet propulsion system. A reverse gate actuator is operatively connected to the reverse gate for moving the reverse gate between the first stowed position and the second position, and is in electronic communication with the ECU. A lever is associated with the watercraft and is in electronic communication with the ECU. The ECU sends a first signal to the throttle valve actuator in response to the actuation of the lever such that a speed of rotation of the engine is controlled to be at or below a reverse gate actuation speed. The ECU sends a second signal to the reverse gate actuator to move the reverse gate to the second position in response an actuation of the lever once the speed of rotation of the engine is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed. The ECU sends a third signal to the throttle valve actuator in response to the actuation of the lever such that actuating the lever results in a controlled deceleration of the watercraft once the reverse gate is in the second position. 
   In an additional aspect, the watercraft also has a handlebar. The throttle operator is disposed on the handlebar. The throttle operator is selected from a group consisting of a thumb-actuated throttle lever, a finger-actuated throttle lever, and a twist grip. 
   In a further aspect, the reverse gate actuator is an electric actuator. 
   In an additional aspect, the reverse gate actuator is a hydraulic actuator. 
   In a further aspect, the controlled deceleration is proportional to a degree of actuation of the lever. 
   In an additional aspect, the watercraft also has a watercraft speed sensor for sensing the speed of the watercraft and being in electronic communication with the ECU. 
   In another aspect, the invention provides a method of controlling a watercraft. The watercraft has a hull, a deck disposed on the hull, a seat disposed on the deck, a helm assembly disposed on the deck, an engine compartment defined between the hull and the deck, an engine disposed in the engine compartment, an electronic control unit, a jet propulsion system connected to the hull and operatively connected to the engine, a throttle operator for controlling the engine, and a reverse gate operatively connected to the hull, the reverse gate being movable between a first stowed position and a second position in which the reverse gate redirects a jet of water expelled from the jet propulsion system, the reverse gate being in operative connection with the lever. The method comprises turning the helm assembly beyond a predetermined angle, determining if a speed of rotation of the engine is below a steering assist speed, controlling the speed of rotation of the engine to be at or below a reverse gate actuation speed in response to the helm assembly being turned beyond the predetermined angle and the speed of rotation of the engine being below the steering assist speed, moving the reverse gate to the second position in response to the helm assembly being turned beyond the predetermined angle without further driver intervention once the speed of rotation of the engine is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed, and controlling the speed of rotation of the engine in order to decelerate the watercraft in response to helm assembly being turned beyond the predetermined angle and the reverse gate moving to the second position without further driver intervention. 
   In an additional aspect, controlling a speed of rotation of the engine in order to decelerate the watercraft includes increasing the speed of rotation of the engine above the reverse gate actuation speed. 
   In a further aspect, controlling the speed of rotation of the engine comprises adjusting a position of a throttle valve of the engine. 
   In an additional aspect, controlling the speed of rotation of the engine comprises adjusting at least one of an ignition timing and an injection timing of the engine. 
   For purposes of this application, the terms “without further driver intervention” mean that once a driver has done a first action, the remaining action(s) occur(s) as a result of that first action and do not require any additional actions on the part of the driver in order to occur. For example, in one of the embodiments described herein, once the driver moves the throttle operator to an idle position, the reverse gate of the watercraft moves from a first stowed position to a second position without the driver having to do anything more than moving the throttle operator, and therefore the reverse gate moves without further driver intervention. It should be understood that “without further driver intervention” does not exclude the possibility that the driver could intervene, but rather that it means that should the driver not intervene, the remaining action(s) will nonetheless occur as a result of a first action being performed by the driver. It should also be understood that actions which occur “without further driver intervention” could only do so under some circumstances and may require driver intervention in other circumstances. 
   Also, for purposes of this application, the terms “controlled deceleration” mean a gradual reduction in speed compared to an uncontrolled deceleration which may result in an abrupt reduction in speed which could cause the driver of the watercraft to lose control of the watercraft. 
   Embodiments of the present invention each have at least one of the above-mentioned objects and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have all of them. It should be understood that some aspect of the present invention that have resulted from attempting to attain the above-mentioned objects may not satisfy these objects and/or may satisfy other objects not specifically recited herein. 
   Additional and/or alternative features, aspects, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a better understanding of the present invention, as well as other aspects and further features thereof, reference is made to the following description which is to be used in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where: 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of a personal watercraft in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of the watercraft of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of the watercraft of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a back view of the watercraft of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the hull of the watercraft of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view, taken from a front, left side, of a jet boat in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view, taken from a rear, left side, of the jet boat of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of a jet propulsion system nozzle and reverse gate assembly where the reverse gate is mounted on the nozzle assembly with the reverse gate in a stowed position; 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of the jet propulsion system nozzle and reverse gate assembly of  FIG. 8  with the reverse gate in a neutral position; 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view, taken from a right side, of a transom of a watercraft illustrating a reverse gate mounted to the hull and in a stowed position; 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view, taken from a left side, of the transom of  FIG. 10  with the reverse gate in a reverse position; 
       FIG. 12  is a schematic representation of the various sensors and watercraft components present in a watercraft in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 13A  is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the watercraft components present in a watercraft in accordance with other objects of the present invention; 
       FIG. 13B  is a schematic representation of an alternative embodiment of the watercraft components of  FIG. 13A ; and 
       FIG. 13C  is a schematic representation of another alternative embodiment of the watercraft components of  FIG. 13A . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The general construction of a personal watercraft  10  in accordance with this invention is shown in  FIGS. 1-5 . The following description relates to one way of manufacturing a personal watercraft. Obviously, those of ordinary skill in the watercraft art will recognize that there are other known ways of manufacturing and designing watercraft and that this invention would encompass these other known ways and designs. 
   The watercraft  10  of  FIG. 1  is made of a hull  12  and a deck  14 . The hull  12  buoyantly supports the watercraft  10  in the water. The deck  14  is designed to accommodate a rider and, in some watercraft, one or more passengers. The hull  12  and deck  14  are joined together at a seam  16  that joins the parts in a sealing relationship. Preferably, the seam  16  comprises a bond line formed by an adhesive. Of course, other known joining methods could be used to sealingly engage the parts together, including but not limited to thermal fusion, molding or fasteners such as rivets or screws. A bumper  18  generally covers the seam  16 , which helps to prevent damage to the outer surface of the watercraft  10  when the watercraft  10  is docked, for example. The bumper  18  can extend around the bow, as shown, or around any portion or all of the seam  16 . 
   The space between the hull  12  and the deck  14  forms a volume commonly referred to as the engine compartment  20  (shown in phantom). The engine compartment  20  accommodates an engine  22 , as well as a muffler, tuning pipe, gas tank, electrical system (battery, electronic control unit, etc.), air box, storage bins  24 ,  26 , and other elements required or desirable in the watercraft  10 . 
   As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the deck  14  has a centrally positioned straddle-type seat  28  positioned on top of a pedestal  30  to accommodate multiple riders in a straddling position. As seen in  FIG. 2 , the seat  28  includes a first, front seat portion  32  and a rear, raised seat portion  34 . The seat  28  is preferably made as a cushioned or padded unit, or as interfitting units. The first and second seat portions  32 ,  34  are removably attached to the pedestal  30  by a hook and tongue assembly (not shown) at the front of each seat and by a latch assembly (not shown) at the rear of each seat, or by any other known attachment mechanism. The seat portions  32 ,  34  can be individually tilted or removed completely. Seat portion  32  covers an engine access opening defined by a top portion of the pedestal  30  to provide access to the engine  22  ( FIG. 1 ). Seat portion  34  covers a removable storage box  26  ( FIG. 1 ). A “glove compartment” or small storage box  36  is provided in front of the seat  28 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 4 , a grab handle  38  is provided between the pedestal  30  and the rear of the seat  28  to provide a handle onto which a passenger may hold. This arrangement is particularly convenient for a passenger seated facing backwards for spotting a water skier, for example. Beneath the handle  38 , a tow hook  40  is mounted on the pedestal  30 . The tow hook  40  can be used for towing a skier or floatation device, such as an inflatable water toy. 
   As best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the watercraft  10  has a pair of generally upwardly extending walls located on either side of the watercraft  10  known as gunwales or gunnels  42 . The gunnels  42  help to prevent the entry of water in the footrests  46  of the watercraft  10 , provide lateral support for the riders&#39; feet, and also provide buoyancy when turning the watercraft  10 , since personal watercraft roll slightly when turning. Towards the rear of the watercraft  10 , the gunnels  42  extend inwardly to act as heel rests  44 . A passenger riding the watercraft  10  facing towards the rear, to spot a water-skier for example, may place his or her heels on the heel rests  44 , thereby providing a more stable riding position. Heel rests  44  could also be formed separately from the gunnels  42 . 
   Located on both sides of the watercraft  10 , between the pedestal  30  and the gunnels  42  are the footrests  46 . The footrests  46  are designed to accommodate the riders&#39; feet in various riding positions. To this effect, the footrests  46  each have a forward portion  48  angled such that the front portion of the forward portion  48  (toward the bow of the watercraft  10 ) is higher than the rear portion of the forward portion  48 . The remaining portions of the footrests  46  are generally horizontal. Of course, any contour conducive to a comfortable rest for the riders could be used. The footrests  46  are covered by carpeting  50  made of a rubber-type material, for example, to provide additional comfort and traction for the feet of the riders. 
   A reboarding platform  52  is provided at the rear of the watercraft  10  on the deck  14  to allow the rider or a passenger to easily reboard the watercraft  10  from the water. Carpeting or some other suitable covering may cover the reboarding platform  52 . A retractable ladder (not shown) may be affixed to the transom  54  to facilitate boarding the watercraft  10  from the water onto the reboarding platform  52 . 
   Referring to the bow  56  of the watercraft  10 , as seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the watercraft  10  is provided with a hood  58  located forwardly of the seat  28  and a helm assembly  60 . A hinge (not shown) is attached between a forward portion of the hood  58  and the deck  14  to allow hood  58  to move to an open position to provide access to the front storage bin  24  ( FIG. 1 ). A latch (not shown) located at a rearward portion of hood  58  locks hood  58  into a closed position. When in the closed position, hood  58  prevents water from entering front storage bin  24 . Rearview mirrors  62  are positioned on either side of hood  58  to allow the rider to see behind the watercraft  10 . A hook  64  is located at the bow  56  of the watercraft  10 . The hook  64  is used to attach the watercraft  10  to a dock when the watercraft  10  is not in use or to attach to a winch when loading the watercraft  10  on a trailer, for instance. 
   As best seen in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5 , the hull  12  is provided with a combination of strakes  66  and chines  68 . A strake  66  is a protruding portion of the hull  12 . A chine  68  is the vertex formed where two surfaces of the hull  12  meet. The combination of strakes  66  and chines  68  provide the watercraft  10  with its riding and handling characteristics. 
   Sponsons  70  are located on both sides of the hull  12  near the transom  54 . The sponsons  70  have an arcuate undersurface that gives the watercraft  10  both lift while in motion and improved turning characteristics. The sponsons  70  are fixed to the surface of the hull  12  and can be attached to the hull  12  by fasteners or molded therewith. It is contemplated that the position of the sponsons  70  with respect to the hull  12  may be adjustable to change the handling characteristics of the watercraft  10  and accommodate different riding conditions. Trim tabs, which are commonly known, may also be provided at the transom and may be controlled from the helm  60 . 
   As best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the helm assembly  60  is positioned forwardly of the seat  28 . The helm assembly  60  has a central helm portion  72 , that is padded, and a pair of steering handles  74 , also referred to as a handlebar. One of the steering handles  74  is provided with a throttle operator  76 , which allows the rider to control the engine  22 , and therefore the speed of the watercraft  10 . The throttle operator  76  can be in the form of a thumb-actuated throttle lever (as shown), a finger-actuated throttle lever, or a twist grip. The throttle operator  76  is movable between an idle position and multiple actuated positions. In a preferred embodiment, the throttle operator  76  is biased towards the idle position, such that, should the driver of the watercraft  10  let go of the throttle operator  76 , it will move to the idle position. The other of the steering handles  74  is provided with a lever  77  used by the driver to decelerate the watercraft  10  as described in greater detail below. 
   As seen in  FIG. 2 , a display area or cluster  78  is located forwardly of the helm assembly  60 . The display cluster  78  can be of any conventional display type, including a liquid crystal display (LCD), dials or LED (light emitting diodes). The central helm portion  72  has various buttons  80 , which could alternatively be in the form of levers or switches, that allow the driver to modify the display data or mode (speed, engine rpm, time . . . ) on the display cluster  78  or to change a condition of the watercraft  10 , such as trim (the pitch of the watercraft  10 ). 
   The helm assembly  60  is provided with a key receiving post  82  located near a center of the central helm portion  72 . The key receiving post  82  is adapted to receive a key (not shown) that starts the watercraft  10 . As is known, the key is typically attached to a safety lanyard (not shown). It should be noted that the key receiving post  82  may be placed in any suitable location on the watercraft  10 . 
   Returning to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the watercraft  10  is generally propelled by a jet propulsion system  84 . As is known, the jet propulsion system  84  pressurizes water to create thrust. The water is first scooped from under the hull  12  through an inlet  86 , which has an inlet grate (not shown in detail). The inlet grate prevents large rocks, weeds, and other debris from entering the jet propulsion system  84 , which may damage the system or negatively affect performance. Water flows from the inlet  86  through a water intake ramp  88 . The top portion  90  of the water intake ramp  88  is formed by the hull  12 , and a ride shoe (not shown in detail) forms its bottom portion  92 . Alternatively, the intake ramp  88  may be a single piece or an insert to which the jet propulsion system  84  attaches. In such cases, the intake ramp  88  and the jet propulsion system  84  are attached as a unit in a recess in the bottom of hull  12 . 
   From the intake ramp  88 , water enters a jet pump (not shown). The jet pump is located in a formation in the hull  12 , referred to as the tunnel  94 . The tunnel  94  is defined at the front, sides, and top by the hull  12  and is open at the transom  54 . The bottom of the tunnel  94  is closed by the ride plate  96 . The ride plate  96  creates a surface on which the watercraft  10  rides or planes at high speeds. 
   The jet pump includes an impeller (not shown) and a stator (not shown). The impeller is coupled to the engine  22  by one or more shafts  98 , such as a driveshaft and an impeller shaft. The rotation of the impeller pressurizes the water, which then moves over the stator that is made of a plurality of fixed stator blades (not shown). The role of the stator blades is to decrease the rotational motion of the water so that almost all the energy given to the water is used for thrust, as opposed to swirling the water. Once the water leaves the jet pump, it goes through a venturi  100 . Since the venturi&#39;s exit diameter is smaller than its entrance diameter, the water is accelerated further, thereby providing more thrust. A steering nozzle  102  is pivotally attached to the venturi  100  so as to pivot about a vertical axis  104 . The steering nozzle  102  could also be supported at the exit of the tunnel  94  in other ways without a direct connection to the venturi  100 . Moreover, the steering nozzle  102  can be replaced by a rudder or other diverting mechanism disposed at the exit of the tunnel  94  to selectively direct the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system  84  to effect turning. 
   The steering nozzle  102  is operatively connected to the helm assembly  60  preferably via a push-pull cable (not shown) such that when the helm assembly  60  is turned, the steering nozzle  102  pivots. This movement redirects the pressurized water coming from the venturi  100 , so as to redirect the thrust and steer the watercraft  10  in the desired direction. Optionally, the steering nozzle  102  may be gimbaled to allow it to move around a second horizontal pivot axis (as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 ). The up and down movement of the steering nozzle  102  provided by this additional pivot axis is known as trim and controls the pitch of the watercraft  10 . 
   When the watercraft  10  is moving, its speed is measured by a speed sensor  106  attached to the transom  54  of the watercraft  10 . The speed sensor  106  has a paddle wheel  108  that is turned by the water flowing past the hull  12 . In operation, as the watercraft  10  goes faster, the paddle wheel  108  also turns faster. An electronic control unit (ECU)  200  ( FIG. 12 ) connected to the speed sensor  106  converts the rotational speed of the paddle wheel  108  to the speed of the watercraft  10  in kilometers or miles per hour, depending on the rider&#39;s preference. The speed sensor  106  may also be placed in the ride plate  96  or at any other suitable position. Other types of speed sensors, such as pitot tubes, and processing units could be used, as would be readily recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art. Alternatively, a global positioning system (GPS) unit could be used to determine the speed of the watercraft  10  by calculating the change in position of the watercraft  10  over a period of time based on information obtained from the GPS unit. 
   The watercraft  10  is provided with a reverse gate  110  which is movable between a first stowed position where it does not interfere with the jet of water (indicated by arrows  85 ) being expelled by the jet propulsion system  84  and a plurality of positions where it redirects the jet of water  85  being expelled by the jet propulsion system  84 . As seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , it is contemplated that the reverse gate  110  could be mounted directly on the jet propulsion system  84  so as to move with the steering nozzle  102  as it turns and trims. Details of this arrangement can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,623 B2, issued Mar. 18, 2003, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. In  FIG. 8 , the reverse gate  110  is in a stowed position. In  FIG. 9 , the reverse gate  110  is in a neutral position where it redirects the jet of water  85  downwardly. Since the thrust generated by the redirected jet of water  85  when the reverse gate  110  is in the neutral position does not have a horizontal component, the watercraft  10  will not be accelerated or decelerated by the thrust and will stay in position if it was not moving prior to moving the reverse gate  110  in the neutral position. As seen in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , it is also contemplated that the reverse gate  110  could be pivotally attached to the sidewalls of the tunnel  94 . In  FIG. 10 , the reverse gate  110  is in a stowed position. In  FIG. 11 , the reverse gate  110  is in a reverse position as it redirects the jet of water  85  towards the front of the watercraft  10 , thus causing the watercraft  10  to move in a reverse direction. Other ways of operatively mounting the reverse gate  110  to the hull  12  are also contemplated. The operation of the reverse gate  110  is discussed in greater detail below. 
   The general construction of a jet boat  120  in accordance with this invention is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The following description relates to one way of manufacturing a jet boat. Obviously, those of ordinary skill in the jet boat art will recognize that there are other known ways of manufacturing and designing jet boats and that this invention would encompass these other known ways and designs. 
   For simplicity, the components of the jet boat  120  which are similar in nature to the components of the personal watercraft  10  described above will be given the same reference numeral. It should be understood that their specific construction may vary however. 
   The jet boat  120  has a hull  12  and a deck  14  supported by the hull  12 . The deck  14  has a forward passenger area  122  and a rearward passenger area  124 . A right console  126  and a left console  128  are disposed on either side of the deck  14  between the two passenger areas  122 ,  124 . A passageway  130  disposed between the two consoles  126 ,  128  allows for communication between the two passenger areas  122 ,  124 . A door  131  is used to selectively open and close the passageway  130 . At least one engine (not shown) is located between the hull  12  and the deck  14  at the back of the boat  120 . The engine powers the jet propulsion system (not shown) of the boat  120 . The jet propulsion system is of similar construction as the jet propulsion system  84  of the personal watercraft  10  described above, and will therefore not be described again. A reverse gate  110  is operatively mounted to the hull  12 . The reverse gate  110  is of similar construction as the reverse gate  110  of the personal watercraft  10  described above, and will therefore not be described again. In a preferred embodiment, the boat  120  has two engines and two jet propulsion systems each provided with a reverse gate  110 . The engine is accessible through an engine cover  132  located behind the rearward passenger area  124 . The engine cover  132  can also be used as a sundeck for a passenger of the boat  120  to sunbathe on while the boat  120  is not in operation. A reboarding platform  52  is located at the back of the deck  14  for passengers to easily reboard the boat  120  from the water. 
   The forward passenger area  122  has a C-shaped seating area  136  for passengers to sit on. The rearward passenger area  124  also has a C-shaped seating area  138  at the back thereof. A driver seat  140  facing the right console  126  and a passenger seat  142  facing the left console  124  are also disposed in the rearward passenger area  124 . It is contemplated that the driver and passenger seats  140 ,  142  can swivel so that the passengers occupying these seats can socialize with passengers occupying the C-shaped seating area  138 . A windshield  139  is provided at least partially on the left and right consoles  124 ,  126  and forwardly of the rearward passenger area  124  to shield the passengers sitting in that area from the wind when the boat  120  is in movement. The right and left consoles  126 ,  128  extend inwardly from their respective side of the boat  120 . At least a portion of each of the right and the left consoles  126 ,  128  is integrally formed with the deck  14 . The right console  126  has a recess  144  formed on the lower portion of the back thereof to accommodate the feet of the driver sitting in the driver seat  140  and an angled portion of the right console  126  acts as a footrest  146 . A foot pedal  147  is provided on the footrest  146 . The function of the foot pedal  147  is described in greater detail below. The left console  128  has a similar recess (not shown) to accommodate the feet of the passenger sitting in the passenger seat  142 . The right console  126  accommodates all of the elements necessary to the driver to operate the boat. These include, but are not limited to, a helm assembly in the form of a steering wheel  148 , a throttle operator  76  in the form of a throttle lever, and an instrument panel  152 . The instrument panel  152  have various dials indicating the watercraft speed, engine speed, fuel and oil level, and engine temperature. The speed of the boat  120  is measured by a speed sensor (not shown) which can be in the form of the speed sensor  106  described above with respect to the personal watercraft  10  or a GPS unit or any other type of speed sensor which could be used for marine applications. It is contemplated that the elements attached to the right console  126  could be different than those mentioned above. The left console  128  incorporates a storage compartment (not shown) which is accessible to the passenger sitting the passenger seat  142 . 
   Turning now to  FIG. 12 , additional components of both the personal watercraft  10  and the jet boat  120  will be described. Although  FIG. 12  illustrates a throttle operator  76  mounted to the handlebar like in the watercraft  10 , it should be understood that a throttle operator  76  of the type used in the jet boat  120  is contemplated. Similarly, although the lever  77  is illustrated as being mounted to the handlebar, it is contemplated that a foot pedal, such as the foot pedal  147  of the jet boat  120 , which can be considered as a foot actuated lever, could be used. In the personal watercraft  10 , the foot pedal would be located in one of the footrests  46 . 
   A throttle operator position sensor  202  senses a position of the throttle operator  76  and sends a signal representative of the throttle operator position to the ECU  200 . Depending on the type of throttle operator  76 , the throttle operator position sensor  202  is generally disposed in proximity to the throttle operator  76  and senses the movement of the throttle operator  76  or the linear displacement of a cable connected to the throttle operator  76 . The throttle operator position sensor  202  is preferably in the form of a magnetic position sensor. In this type of sensor, a magnet is mounted to the throttle operator  76  and a sensor chip is fixedly mounted in proximity to the magnet. As the magnet moves, due to movement of the throttle operator  76 , the magnetic field sensed by the sensor chip varies. The sensor chip transmits a voltage corresponding to the sensed magnetic field, which corresponds to the position of the throttle operator  76 , to the ECU  200 . It is contemplated that the sensor chip could be the one mounted to the throttle operator  76  and that the magnet could be fixedly mounted in proximity to the sensor chip. The throttle operator position sensor  202  could also be in the form of a rheostat. A rheostat is a resistor which regulates current by means of variable resistance. In this case, the position of the throttle operator  76  would determine the resistance in the rheostat which would result in a specific current being transmitted to the ECU  200 . Therefore, this current is representative of the position of the throttle operator  76 . It is contemplated that other types of sensors could be used as the throttle operator position sensor  202 , such as a potentiometer which regulates voltage instead of current. It is also contemplated that the throttle operator position sensor  202  could be in the form of a switch which would be in one of an “on” and an “off” position when the throttle operator  76  is in the idle position and would be in the other of the “on” and the “off” position when the throttle operator  76  is in any position other than the idle position (i.e. an actuated position). 
   Similarly, a lever position sensor  204  senses a position of the lever  74  and sends a signal representative of the lever position to the ECU  200 . The lever position sensor  204  can be of any of the types of sensors described above with respect to the throttle operator positions sensor  202 . 
   A steering position sensor  203  senses an angle by which the helm assembly is turned and sends a signal representative of that angle to the ECU  200 . The steering position sensor  203  can be of any type. Examples of such sensors are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,371, issued Aug. 6, 2002, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   An engine speed sensor  206  senses a speed of rotation of the engine  22  and sends a signal representative of the speed of rotation of the engine  22  to the ECU  200 . Typically, an engine, such has engine  22 , has a toothed wheel disposed on and rotating with a shaft of the engine  22 , such as the crankshaft or output shaft. The engine speed sensor  206  is located in proximity to the toothed wheel and sends a signal to the ECU  200  each time a tooth passes in front it. The ECU  200  can then determine the engine rotation speed by calculating the time elapsed between each signal. The speed of rotation of the engine  22  can be used by the ECU  200  to calculate the engine torque. 
   A watercraft speed sensor  208  senses the speed of the watercraft and sends a signal representative of the speed of the watercraft to the ECU  200 . The ECU  200  sends a signal to a speed gauge located in the display cluster  78  ( FIG. 2 ) of the personal watercraft  10  or in the instrument panel  152  of the jet boat  120  such that the speed gauge displays the watercraft speed to the driver of the watercraft. The vehicle speed sensor  208  can be of any type, such as the speed sensor  106  or the GPS unit described above. 
   Based on at least the signal received from the throttle operator position sensor  202 , the ECU  200  controls the operation of the engine  22 . One or more of the signals received from the lever position sensor  204 , the steering position sensor  203 , the engine speed sensor  206 , and the watercraft speed sensor  208  can also be used by the ECU  200  to control the operation of the engine  22 . The ECU  200  controls the operation of the engine  22 , and therefore the speed of rotation of the engine  22 , by sending signals to a throttle valve actuator  210 , an ignition system  212  of the engine  22 , and an injection system  214  of the engine  22 . The throttle valve actuator  210  is preferably an electric motor, such as a servo motor. The throttle valve actuator  210  is connected to the valve of the throttle body  216  of the engine  22 . Based on the signal from the ECU  200 , the throttle valve actuator  210  changes a degree of opening of the throttle valve so as to control the flow of air to the engine  22 . A throttle valve position sensor (not shown) could be provided to send a feedback signal indicative of the position of the throttle valve to the ECU  200 . The signal from the ECU  200  to the ignition system  212  controls the ignition timing. The signal(s) from the ECU  200  to the injection system  214  controls the injection timing and the quantity of fuel being injected per injection event. It is contemplated that the engine  22  may be provided with a carburetor instead of the throttle body  216  and would therefore not require an injection system  214 . It is believed that the way in which the degree of opening of the throttle valve, the ignition timing, the injection timing, and the quantity of fuel being injected affect the speed of rotation of the engine  22  are well understood by those skilled in the art of engines and will therefore not be described. 
   It is contemplated that the throttle operator  76  could be mechanically connected to the throttle valve, by a push-pull cable for example, in which case the throttle valve actuator  210  could be omitted. In this case, the ECU  200  would send signals to the ignition system  212  and injection system  214  based on the signals from at least one of the engine speed sensor  206  and the throttle valve position sensor described above. 
   The ECU  200  also sends a signal to a reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  between a stowed position ( FIGS. 8 and 10 ) and a position in which the reverse gate  110  redirects the jet of water  85  expelled from the jet propulsion system  84  ( FIGS. 9 and 11 ), as will be described in greater detail below. The reverse gate actuator  218  can be in the form of an electric actuator, an hydraulic actuator, or any other type of actuator suitable for moving the reverse gate  110  and maintaining it in position. 
   In a first aspect, when the driver of the watercraft moves the throttle operator  76  to an idle position, the throttle operator position sensor  202  sends a signal indicative of that position to the ECU  200 . The driver can move the throttle operator  76  by actively moving it from an actuated position to the idle position, as would be the case in the jet boat  120 , or by simply releasing the throttle operator  76 , as would be the case in of the personal watercraft  10  which has a throttle operator  76  which is biased towards the idle position. Once it receives the signal indicative of the idle position of the throttle operator  76 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  and/or the ignition system  212  and/or the injection system  214  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  such that it is at or below a predetermined speed (i.e. if the engine speed is already below the predetermined speed, no action is necessary). For purposes of this application, this predetermined speed will be referred to as the reverse gate actuation speed. The reverse gate actuation speed is a speed of the engine above which the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system would be too high to lower the reverse gate  110  (i.e. attempting to do so would make it go back to the stowed position due to the thrust or the handling of the watercraft could be compromised), or would make such the lowering of the reverse gate  110 . The reverse gate actuation speed will vary from one type of watercraft to the other as it is dependent on the features of the jet propulsion system (dimensions, impeller and stator shape and size) as well as the geometry and size of the reverse gate  110 . Also, once it receives the signal indicative of the idle position of the throttle operator  76 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate to a neutral position after the engine speed is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed. This occurs without any further driver intervention. The driver simply has to move the throttle operator  76  to the idle position for the reverse gate  110  to be moved to the neutral position. 
   In a first embodiment, the neutral position is a predetermined position where the reverse gate  110  redirects the jet of water  85  expelled from the jet propulsion system  84  downwardly, as shown in  FIG. 9 , such that the thrust generated by the redirected jet of water  85  has no horizontal components. Therefore, a watercraft which is at rest when the throttle operator  76  is in the idle position will remain in position. 
   In a second, embodiment the ECU  200  uses the signal from the watercraft speed sensor  208  in addition to the signal from the throttle operator position sensor  202  to determine the position of the reverse gate  110  when the throttle operator  76  is in the idle position. By using the watercraft speed sensor  208 , the ECU  200  will send a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to a “neutral” position which has a rearward thrust component if the watercraft is moving forwardly and which has a forward thrust component if the watercraft is moving rearwardly such that the watercraft speed becomes or remains near or at zero. It is contemplated that the ECU  200  could send signals to the throttle valve actuator  210 , the ignition system  212 , and the injection system  214  to adjust the speed of rotation of the engine  22  in order to control the amount of thrust generated. The type of speed sensor  208  used will affect the result on the movement (or lack thereof) of the watercraft in the second embodiment. If the speed sensor  208  measures the speed of the watercraft relative to the water in which it is, as would be the case with the speed sensor  106  using the paddle wheel  108 , then the neutral position will be determined such that the watercraft remains in position relative to the water, which means that if there is a water current, the watercraft will move together with the current. If the speed sensor  208  measures the absolute speed of the watercraft (i.e. relative to a stationary object), as would be the case with a GPS unit, then the neutral position will be determined and constantly adjusted such that the watercraft remains in position regardless of water currents. It is contemplated that the reverse gate  110  could be moved to the neutral position described above only after the speed of rotation of the engine  22  or the speed of watercraft is below a predetermined threshold. 
   When the driver moves the throttle operator  76  from the idle position to an actuated position, the signal received from the throttle operator position sensor  202  by the ECU  200  causes the ECU  200  to send a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the stowed position ( FIGS. 8 and 10 ). This occurs without any further driver intervention. The driver simply has to move the throttle operator  76  to an actuated position for the reverse gate  110  to be moved to the stowed position. 
   In a second aspect, when the driver of the watercraft actuates the lever  77 , the lever position sensor  204  sends a signal indicative of that position to the ECU  200 . Once it receives the signal indicative of the actuation of the lever  77 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  and/or the ignition system  212  and/or the injection system  214  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  such that it is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed described above. The ECU  200  also sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate to a position in which the reverse gate  110  redirects the jet of water  85  being expelled from the jet propulsion system  84  at least in part towards the front of the watercraft, as shown in  FIG. 11 , once the engine speed is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed. Also, upon receiving the signal indicative of the actuation of the lever  77 , and once the reverse gate actuator  218  has moved the reverse gate  110  to the position in which the reverse gate  110  redirects the jet of water  85 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  and/or the ignition system  212  and/or the injection system  214  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  such that the thrust generated by the redirected water jet  85  will result in a controlled deceleration of the watercraft, which may include increasing the engine speed above the reverse gate actuation speed. The speed of rotation of the engine  22  is adjusted throughout the controlled deceleration. It is contemplated that the speed of rotation of the engine  22  could be controlled so as to provide thrust in bursts. It is contemplated that the position of the reverse gate  110  could be also be adjusted throughout the controlled deceleration. This occurs without any further driver intervention. The driver simply has to move the lever  77  to an actuated position for the controlled deceleration to be initiated. 
   It is contemplated that the ECU  200  could use the signal obtained from the watercraft speed sensor  208  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  so as to obtain a controlled deceleration. Alternatively, it is contemplated that an accelerometer (not shown) could be used instead of or in addition to the watercraft speed sensor  208  to provide a signal to the ECU 200  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  so as to obtain a controlled deceleration. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the degree and/or the rate of deceleration during the controlled deceleration is proportional to the degree of actuation of the lever  77 . 
   It is contemplated that in watercraft where the ECU  200  receives a signal indicative of the position of the throttle operator  76 , as in  FIG. 12 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  to adjust a position of the throttle valve based on the sensed position of the throttle operator  76  when the lever  77  is not actuated, and will ignore the signal from the throttle operator position sensor  202  when the lever  77  is actuated and will instead generate a signal to control the position of the throttle valve such that a controlled deceleration of the watercraft is obtained as described above. 
   It is also contemplated that when the watercraft speed sensed by the speed sensor  208  is at or near zero that the ECU  200  would send a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the neutral position described above. 
   In another aspect, when the driver of the watercraft turns the helm assembly beyond a predetermined angle, the steering position sensor  203  sends a signal indicative of that angle to the ECU  200 . Once it receives the signal indicative of the steering angle, the ECU  200  determines if the engine speed is below a steering assist speed. The steering assist speed is an engine speed below which steering of the watercraft would be difficult due to the lack of thrust. Depending on the watercraft, the steering assist speed may be higher or lower than the reverse gate actuation speed. If the helm assembly is turned beyond the predetermined angle and the engine speed is below the steering assist speed, the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  and/or the ignition system  212  and/or the injection system  214  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  such that it is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed described above. The ECU  200  also sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate to a position in which the reverse gate  110  redirects the jet of water  85  being expelled from the jet propulsion system  84  at least in part towards the front of the watercraft, as shown in  FIG. 11 , once the engine speed is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed. Once the reverse gate actuator  218  has moved the reverse gate  110  to the position in which the reverse gate  110  redirects the jet of water  85 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  and/or the ignition system  212  and/or the injection system  214  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  such that the thrust generated by the redirected water jet  85  will result in a controlled deceleration of the watercraft, which may include increasing the engine speed above the reverse gate actuation speed. The speed of rotation of the engine  22  is adjusted throughout the controlled deceleration. It is contemplated that the speed of rotation of the engine  22  could be controlled so as to provide thrust in bursts. It is contemplated that the position of the reverse gate  110  could be also be adjusted throughout the controlled deceleration. This occurs without any further driver intervention. 
   Turning now to  FIGS. 13A to 13C , another aspect of the invention will be described. As previously described, the jet boat  120  is provided with a foot pedal  147  and, as previously mentioned, the personal watercraft  10  could also be provided with a similar foot pedal disposed in one of the footrests  46 . As shown in  FIGS. 13A to 13C , the foot pedal  147  is operatively connected to the reverse gate  110 . When the foot pedal  147  is not actuated, the reverse gate  110  is in the stowed position. When the foot pedal  147  is actuated, the reverse gate  110  moves to a position in which the jet of water  85  expelled by the jet propulsion system  84  is redirected. In a preferred embodiment, the position of the reverse gate  110  is proportional to the degree of actuation of the foot pedal  147 .  FIG. 13A  illustrates an embodiment where the foot pedal  147  is operatively connected to the reverse gate  110  via a mechanical actuator  220 .  FIG. 13B  illustrates an embodiment where the foot pedal  147  is operatively connected to the reverse gate  110  via a hydraulic actuator  222 .  FIG. 13C  illustrates a preferred embodiment where the ECU  200  first receives a signal indicative of the position of the foot pedal  147 . The ECU  200  then sends a signal to an electric motor  224  to move the reverse gate  110  to a position based on the signal indicative of the position of the foot pedal  147 . 
   Modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiments of the present invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art. The foregoing description is intended to be exemplary rather than limiting. The scope of the present invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.