Patent Publication Number: US-6668742-B2

Title: Personal watercraft with storage tray

Description:
This application relies for priority on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/325,173, entitled “PERSONAL WATERCRAFT WITH STORAGE TRAY,” which was filed on Sep. 28, 2001, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The field of the invention relates to personal watercraft. More specifically, the invention relates to personal watercraft that include a front storage compartment. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     Personal watercraft often include a forward storage compartment that is used to store such items as beverage coolers, extra clothes, fire extinguishers, etc. The forward storage compartment is typically a molded element that is attached to the forward portion of the deck of the personal watercraft. Typically, the storage compartment is covered by a cover or hood that is also attached to the deck. In most cases, the cover includes a hinge, which allows the cover to pivot relative to the deck, providing access to the contents of the storage compartment. 
     Commonly in prior art personal watercraft, the forward storage compartment is constructed so that is offers a relatively large volume, sufficient for storing a large number of items. The forward storage compartment, however, simply is a “bucket” into which items may be placed without regard for any ease of access to those items. While this has satisfied customer demand in the past, little thought was given to a storage compartment that permits at least modest organization of the contents of the storage compartment. Consequently, watercraft riders often have had to rummage through the storage compartment to locate items of interest. 
     Additionally, watercraft, including personal watercraft, often have not been provided with a convenient carry-all to transport multiple items that are stored in the storage compartment. As a result, watercraft riders often have been required to store a rucksack or other suitable carrying device when they wished to transport multiple items in the storage compartment to a location remote from the personal watercraft. 
     The “inconvenience” of the design of prior art storage compartments is made apparent in at least two circumstances. First, the watercraft rider may wish to assemble a meal and transport the meal to a remote location, for example a remote beach. Without a convenient carry-all, the rider must also transport a container, basket, or bag to carry the meal from the watercraft, once he or she reaches the desired destination. Second, after a day of riding a watercraft, riders often prefer to quickly remove their personal belongings from the storage compartment so that those belongings may be stored in the rider&#39;s home, for example. Often, the items stored in the storage compartment are of the type that the rider will want to store in the storage compartment when he or she next desires to ride the watercraft (e.g., a small anchor, a tie rope, etc.). It is inconvenient to have to remove personal belongings from the storage compartment, place them in a bag for storage remotely from the watercraft, only to have to replace the same items in the storage compartment a few days later. 
     A need, therefore, has developed for a watercraft, specifically a personal watercraft, that permits some degree of organization for the items that are stored in the forward storage compartment. 
     A need has also arisen for a convenient carry-all that may be used to transport one or more items from the storage compartment without the need for stowing a separate rucksack or carry-all. 
     As suggested above, the prior art does not address these needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, an aspect of the invention to provide a storage tray that incorporates features to facilitate at least partial organization of the contents stowed within a storage compartment for use with watercraft, including personal watercraft. 
     It is another aspect of the invention to provide a simple, cost effective, storage tray for use with watercraft, including personal watercraft. 
     It is still another aspect of the invention to provide a storage tray that fits conveniently within the front storage compartment of a personal watercraft. 
     It is yet another aspect of the invention to provide a storage tray for use with a personal watercraft that is easily removed from the watercraft and is easily transported. 
     In furtherance of the objects, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a personal watercraft comprising a hull, an engine disposed in the hull, a propulsion unit driven by the engine, and a steering unit to steer propulsion unit. A deck is supported above the hull. The deck has a forward storage compartment. The forward storage compartment includes a peripheral wall extending downwardly toward the hull. The peripheral wall defines the storage compartment interior. The uppermost portion of the peripheral wall defines an opening into the storage compartment interior. A storage tray is supported by the deck. The storage tray is disposed vertically above the forward storage compartment. 
     Other aspects of the invention will be made apparent from the drawings and the description that follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Reference will be made hereinafter to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the present invention discussed herein below, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a cross sectional side view of a personal watercraft containing the storage compartment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is side view of a the storage tray of the present invention positioned within the front storage compartment of the personal watercraft shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of a portion of the watercraft shown FIG. 2 (the enlarge portion being surrounded by circle  2 A), illustrating details of one potential construction of the forward end of the storage tray of the present invention as it is supported by the personal watercraft deck; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of the storage tray of the present invention, also shown disposed within the front storage compartment of the personal watercraft as illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of a portion of the watercraft shown FIG. 3 (the enlarged portion being surrounded by circle  3 A), illustrating details of another construction of the forward end of the storage tray of the present invention as it is supported by the personal watercraft deck; 
     FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a portion of the watercraft shown FIG. 3 (the enlarged portion being surrounded by circle  3 B), illustrating details of the construction of the rearward end of the storage tray of the present invention as it is supported by the personal watercraft deck; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of the storage tray of the present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a front view of the storage tray illustrated in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a top view of the storage tray illustrated in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the personal watercraft of the present invention, illustrating yet another embodiment for the storage compartment therein; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the personal watercraft of the present invention, illustrating a variation of the embodiment of the storage compartment illustrated in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional front view of the personal watercraft of the present invention, illustrating another alternative embodiment for the storage compartment therein; and 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional front view of the personal watercraft of the present invention, illustrating a variation of the embodiment of the storage compartment illustrated in FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 is a side view showing a personal watercraft  10  having a hull  11 , an engine  12  disposed in the hull  11 , and a jet propulsion unit  14  disposed in the rear portion of the hull  11 . The jet propulsion unit  14  is driven by engine  12  via a drive mechanism such as a drive shaft  13 . A steering unit  16  is operatively adapted to position the jet propulsion unit  14  in a manner known in the art to steer the watercraft  10 . While a steering handlebar is illustrated as the steering unit  16 , those skilled in the art would readily appreciate that any alternate steering device, such as a steering wheel, could be substituted therefor without deviating from the scope and content of the present invention. 
     Similarly, as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the propulsion unit  14  depicted in FIG. 1 is merely exemplary of one construction that may be incorporated into the personal watercraft  10  of the present invention. While it is contemplated that the propulsion unit  14  is a jet propulsion drive powered by an internal combustion engine  12 , other types of propulsion units (e.g., propeller-type) and engines (e.g., battery operated, fuel cell, etc.) may be employed without deviating from the scope of the present invention. 
     In addition, it is contemplated that the invention may be used in connection with any type of watercraft, including boats. In other words, while the invention is shown and discussed in connection with the design and construction of a personal watercraft, it is contemplated that the invention could be readily incorporated into the design of a boat or even a land-going vehicle. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 1, the personal watercraft of the present invention includes a deck  20  supported above the hull  11 . A portion of the deck  20  has been removed in this illustration to reveal a forward storage compartment  30 , which is disposed under a hood (or cover)  24 . In the illustrated embodiment, the hood  24  is pivotally connected to the deck  20  through a hinge  25  (illustrated in detail in FIG.  3 ). Accordingly, the hood  24  may be opened and closed in the manner illustrated by arrow  26  to provide access to the forward storage compartment  30 . 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the structure of one embodiment of forward storage compartment  30 . FIG. 2A illustrates one manner in which the forward storage compartment  30  may be connected to the deck  20 . FIG. 2 also shows an embodiment of the storage tray  50  of the present invention. As illustrated, the storage tray  50  is disposed within the upper portion of the interior of the forward storage compartment  30 . 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the personal watercraft  10  showing the forward storage compartment  30 . The forward storage compartment  30  includes a peripheral wall  32  and a closed bottom  34 . The peripheral wall  32  further includes an uppermost portion  36 , which defines the opening into the interior of the storage compartment  30 . 
     An enlarged cross-section of a portion of the uppermost portion  36  of a forward portion of the peripheral wall  32  is shown in FIG.  2 A. As shown in FIG. 2A, the peripheral wall uppermost portion  36  includes a lip  38  which extends inwardly around the perimeter of the forward storage compartment  30 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated, the forward storage compartment  30  is manufactured separately from the deck  20 . In particular, the forward storage compartment  30  is manufactured from polyethylene using known blow molding techniques. The deck  20 , by contrast, is manufactured from fiberglass using known manufacturing techniques. While these differing manufacturing techniques are described in connection with the construction of the personal watercraft  10 , those skilled in the art would readily appreciate that other manufacturing techniques and materials may be used without deviating from the scope of the present invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 2A, the uppermost portion  36  of the storage compartment  30  is attached to the deck  20  preferably through an adhesive  40 . Through the attachment of the storage compartment  30  to the deck  20 , it is contemplated that, at least in the embodiment illustrated, the storage compartment  30  is integrated into the deck  20 . However, as those skilled in the art would readily appreciate, the deck  20  and the storage compartment  30  need not be manufactured separately. It is possible that the deck  20  and the storage compartment  30  may be manufactured from fiberglass as a single, unitary element 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2A, the peripheral wall uppermost portion  36  is attached to the deck  20  proximate to an opening  22  in the deck  20 . The deck includes a lip  23  extending around the perimeter of the opening  22 . The opening into the storage compartment  30 , which is defined by the uppermost portion  36  of the storage compartment peripheral wall  32 , is disposed adjacent to deck opening  22 . Specifically, the uppermost portion  36  of the storage compartment peripheral wall  32  is attached to the lip  23  formed around the deck opening  22 . The lip  38  extending inwardly from the uppermost portion  36  is disposed inwardly of the lip  23 . 
     As is shown in FIG. 2A, the storage tray  50  is supported by the deck  20  adjacent to the location where the uppermost portion  36  of the storage compartment  30  attaches to the deck  20 . Accordingly, the storage tray  50  effectively closes off the opening into the storage compartment  30  by totally occluding the opening into the storage compartment  30 . 
     Returning to FIG. 2, the storage tray  50  is shown disposed in the upper portion of the storage compartment  30 . The storage tray  50  includes a peripheral wall  52  and a closed bottom  54 . An outwardly extending lip  56  is disposed on the tray  50  at the uppermost portion of the peripheral wall  52 . The outwardly extending lip  56  is supported by the deck  20  adjacent to the location where the storage compartment  30  is attached to and is integrated into the deck  20 . 
     The support of the storage tray lip  56  by the deck  20  is best shown in FIG.  2 A. In FIG. 2A, the lip  56  is shown extending outwardly so as to overlap the uppermost portion  36  of the storage compartment peripheral wall  32  and the lip  23 , which extends around the deck opening  22 . The peripheral wall  52  of the storage tray  50  abuts the lip  38  to maintain the storage tray  50  in juxtaposition to the deck  20 . A seal  42  is disposed on the lip  23  around the periphery of the deck opening  22 . The seal  42  prevents water from entering into the interior of the storage compartment  30 . The storage tray lip  56  is supported on the seal  42 . 
     In this embodiment, the seal  42  does not permanently attach the storage tray  50  to the deck  20 . This permits easy removal of the storage tray  50  from the storage compartment  30 . In one embodiment, the seal  42  may comprise a double-sided, non-permanent adhesive. It may also comprise a silicone bead or rubber strip extending around the opening  22 . As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the precise material that comprises the seal  42  is not critical to the construction of the watercraft  10 . To the contrary, any suitable material for the seal  42  may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     The storage tray  50  serves as a closure or cover for the storage compartment  30 . In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the storage tray  50  covers the entirety of the deck opening  22  and the opening into the interior of the storage compartment  30 . Accordingly, the storage tray  50  assists the hood  24  in one of its functions to prevent water from entering into the interior of the storage compartment  30 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a second construction between the storage compartment  30  and the deck  20 . FIGS. 3A and 3B, which are enlarged details of the construction, provide considerable insight into the particular construction of this embodiment. For the most part, FIG. 3 illustrates many of the same elements depicted in FIG.  2 . Variations from the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 are discussed in detail below. 
     Among other features, FIG. 3A illustrates the juxtaposition between the uppermost portion  36  of the storage compartment peripheral wall  32  and the deck  20 . In this embodiment, the storage tray defines an upper lip  100 . The tray lip  100  rests against a trim element  102  that has a downwardly-extending, inner element  104  that covers the connection between the deck  20  and the uppermost portion  36  of the storage compartment peripheral wall  32 . In this embodiment, an adhesive  106  connects the uppermost portion  36  of the storage compartment  30  to the deck  20 . A second adhesive  108  (which may or may not be the same type of adhesive as adhesive  106 ) connects the trim element  102  to the deck  20 . 
     The trim element  102  includes one or more sealing ridges  110 ,  112 ,  114  on its upper surface. The sealing ridges  110 ,  112 ,  114  engage one or more seals  116 ,  118  attached to the undersurface of the cover  24 . As illustrated, the seals  116 ,  118  are deformable to provide a water-tight seal when the cover  24  is closed. While three sealing ridges  110 ,  112 ,  114  are illustrated, those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that only one sealing ridge  110 ,  112 ,  114  is sufficient to provide a water-tight seal. For example, a single-sealing-ridge construction is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 2A, where only one sealing ridge  57  is provided on the lip  56  of the storage tray  50 . Moreover, while two seals  116 ,  118  are illustrated, those skilled in the art should appreciate that only one such seal is need to assist in maintaining the interior of the storage compartment  30  in a water-free condition. In addition, while sealing ridges  110 ,  112 ,  114  and seals  116 ,  118  are shown as one embodiment of the sealing mechanism between the cover  24  and the deck  20 , other arrangements that perform the same function are contemplated to fall within the scope of this invention. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the sealing ridges  110 ,  112 ,  114  are made of a rigid material to sealingly engage the seals  116 ,  118 . As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, the sealing ridges  110 ,  112 ,  114  may be deformable. In addition, while the seals  116 ,  118  are shown attached to the underside of the cover  24 , and the sealing ridges  110 ,  112 ,  114  are shown attached to the deck  20 , the position of these members could be switched. In other words, the sealing ridges  110 ,  112 ,  114  may be attached to the underside of the cover  24  and the seals  116 ,  118  may be attached to the deck  20  without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     FIG. 3B illustrates the sealing engagement between the trim element  102  and the cover  24 . As shown, the sealing structure is the same as that illustrated in FIG. 3A, except that the arrangement is essentially a mirror-image of that shown in FIG.  3 A. The reason for this is simple: the sealing structure extends around the periphery of the opening  22  in the deck  20 . Therefore, the orientation of the sealing structure at the rear edge of the storage compartment  30  is opposite to that at the front edge. 
     FIGS. 4,  5 , and  6  show the storage tray  50  in greater detail. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the storage tray  50  showing the peripheral wall  52 , the closed bottom  54 ,  55 , and the outwardly extending lip  56 , which is disposed at the uppermost portion of the peripheral wall  52 . The lip  56  extends around the perimeter of the storage tray  50 . FIG. 4 also shows that the storage tray  50  includes an integral handle  58 , which extends upwardly from the central portion of the storage tray bottom  54 . The storage tray peripheral wall  52  is shown with a front wall  60 , a back wall  62 , a first side wall  64  and a second side wall  66 . As discussed above, the storage tray  50  is manufactured from known injection-molding techniques. 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 for example, the bottom of the storage tray  50  has two levels  54 ,  55  of differing heights. The levels  54 ,  55  are roughly equidistant from the topmost portion of the storage compartment, which is angled upwardly from the front to the rear. This construction, therefore, facilitates access to the contents of the storage tray  50  regardless of the location of the contents within the tray  50 . In other words, a rider is not presented with a deeper portion of the tray  50  at either the front or the rear (as measured from the top of the storage tray). The lower level  54  is designed to readily accept a beverage cooler therein, if desired. 
     As is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a pocket  70  is provided in the storage tray  50 . The pocket  70  is manufactured from mesh or vinyl (or any other suitable material) and is attached to the back wall  62 . A zipper  72  serves as the closure for pocket  70 . Alternatively, other closures such as hook and loop fasteners and snaps could be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. The pocket  70  can be attached to the storage tray  50  through any suitable means such as the fasteners  73  or through the use of straps or cords. The pocket  70  is illustrated in an exaggerated spaced-apart position relative to the back wall  62  in FIG. 4, so as to reveal the fastener elements  73 . 
     FIG. 6 shows an elastic cord  80  secured to the first side wall  64 . The elastic cord  80  includes a first end  82  disposed in a first indentation  86 , and a second end  84  disposed in a second indentation  88 . A container  90  is secured to the first side wall  64  by the elastic cord  80 . FIG. 6 further shows a storage location  92 , which may be used for a nautical safety kit (whistle, rope, etc). 
     FIG. 6 also depicts a cooler retention channel  81  disposed within the closed bottom  54  of the storage tray  50 . The cooler retention channel  81  is a channel that extends the entire width of the closed bottom  54 . The cooler retention channel  81  includes two tabs  83 ,  85  that extend into the cooler retention channel  81 . 
     The cooler retention channel  81  is designed to accept a standard elastic cord therein. A standard elastic cord, which is more commonly referred to as a bungee cord, typically consists of an elastic cord with hooks affixed at either end. The elastic cord portion of the standard elastic cord is designed to hook under one or both of the tabs  83 ,  85 . The tabs, therefore, retain the elastic cord against the closed bottom  54  of the storage tray  54 . 
     With the elastic cord held under one or both of the tabs  83 ,  85 , the ends with the hooks are left free to extend around an item, such as a cooler, placed within the portion of the storage tray  50  defined by the closed bottom  54 . If the cooler is wide enough to extend nearly the entire width of the closed area  54  of the storage tray  50 , it is contemplated that the elastic cord will be retained by both of the tabs  83 ,  85 . However, if the cooler placed on the closed bottom  54  does not extend the full width of the storage tray  50 , it is contemplated that the elastic cord will be retained by only one of the tabs  83 ,  85 . 
     As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a greater or fewer number of tabs  83 ,  85  may be provided in the closed bottom  54  of the storage tray  50 , if desired. Moreover, while it is contemplated that the tabs  83 ,  85  are integrally molded as a part of the closed bottom  54 , those skilled in the art would readily appreciate that the tabs  83 ,  85  may be replaced by hooks (or other suitable fasteners) without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the particular arrangement of the storage tray  50  depicted in FIGS. 4-6 is merely exemplary of one possible embodiment of the storage tray  50 . Numerous alternative embodiments for the storage tray  50  are contemplated to fall within the scope of the invention. 
     One particular feature of the storage tray  50  that is of particular note is the handle  58  disposed at roughly the center of the storage tray  50 . The handle  58  is positioned at this location so as to be surrounded by the remaining parts of the storage tray  50 . In this manner, the handle  58  is positioned so that the storage tray  50  is balanced when removed from the storage compartment  30 . A balanced tray  50  is more easily transported to a remote location after it has been removed from the storage compartment. Moreover, a centrally-located handle  58  facilitates removal of the tray  50  regardless of the location of the rider in relation to the watercraft  10 . 
     FIGS. 7-10 illustrate four alternate embodiments of the storage compartment  30  shown in FIGS. 1-3. 
     In particular, FIG. 7 illustrates the personal watercraft  10  with an enlarged storage compartment  132 . As shown, the storage compartment  132  extends forwardly and rearwardly of the peripheral wall of the storage tray  50 . While not illustrated, the storage compartment  132  also extends to the port and starboard sides of the storage tray  50 . Of course, as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the storage compartment  132  need not extend from the storage tray  50  in each of the bow, stern, port and starboard directions. Space limitations permitting, the storage compartment  132  could extend in only one or more of the watercraft&#39;s longitudinal and/or latitudinal directions without deviating from the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the storage compartment  132  has side walls  134  and a bottom  136 . The topmost portion of the side walls  134  defines an opening  138  through which the storage tray  50  passes so that at least a part of the storage tray  50  extends into the storage compartment  132 . A seal  140  extends around the periphery of the topmost portion of the side walls  134  adjacent the opening  138 . The seal  140  engages the side walls of the storage tray  50  to create a water-tight seal between the storage tray  50  and the storage compartment  132 . This discourages water from entering the storage compartment  132  during operation of the watercraft  10 . 
     The storage compartment  132  may be affixed to the hull  11  by any conventional fastener. While not limited to a particular fastener, an adhesive is contemplated as one means by which the storage compartment  132  is affixed to the hull  11 . As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, the storage compartment  132  alternatively may be affixed to any number of structures internal to the hull  11  by conventional fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, etc. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates a variation of the storage compartment  132  illustrated in FIG.  7 . In FIG. 8, the storage compartment  142  has side walls  144  that extend from the opening  146  to the hull  11 . As in the previous embodiment, the topmost portions of the side walls  144  are provided with a seal  148  to establish a water-tight seal with the storage tray  50 . As in the previous embodiment, the storage tray  50  is removable from the watercraft  10 . Removal of the storage tray  50  exposes the interior of the storage compartment  142 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the side walls  144  of the storage compartment  142  are rigid and attach to the hull  11  via a conventional fastener such as an adhesive or a sealing compound. The use of an adhesive (or other suitable sealing compound) provides a water-tight seal at the connection point between the side walls  144  and the hull  11  to assure that the interior of the additional storage compartment  142  is maintained in a substantially water-free condition. 
     The storage compartment  142  differs from the storage compartment  132  in that it utilizes the bottom of the hull  11  as part of the storage compartment  142 . Not only does this maximize the space available in the watercraft  10  beneath the storage tray  50 , but the overall weight of the watercraft  10  may be reduced because the storage compartment  142  does not include a separate, bottom wall. 
     While it is contemplated that the side walls  144  are rigid, the side walls  144  of the storage compartment  142  alternatively may comprise a flexible material, such as a flexible plastic sheet. Alternatively, the side walls  144  may be made from a fabric treated to discourage water from passing therethrough so that the interior of the storage compartment  142  is maintained in a substantially water-free condition. While these materials are suggested, those skilled in the art would readily appreciate that there are many other types of flexible, water-repellant materials that may be available for the construction of the side walls  144 . 
     If the side walls  144  are constructed of a flexible material, the walls  144  may be collapsible so that the side walls  144  rest against the bottom of the hull  11  when not engaging the storage tray  50 . In such a case, a support frame  150  (illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 8 to indicate the alternate construction) extends from the hull  11  to the seal  148 . The seal may be disengaged from the frame  150  so that the side walls collapse against the hull  11 . With such a construction, it is possible that the engine  12  and components forward of the engine  12  (such as the fuel tank and the fuel pump, among others) may be more readily accessible for maintenance through the opening  146 . This construction, therefore, may greatly enhance the ability to repair the engine  12  and the peripheral components forward of the engine  12  without having to remove the engine  12  or parts of the engine  12  from the hull  11 . 
     Alternatively, while not illustrated, the side walls  144  of flexible material may be constructed to extend from the hull  11  to the deck  20 . With such a construction, it is contemplated that the side walls  144  could be disengaged from the deck  20  to permit access to the engine  12  and the peripheral components forward of the engine  12  through the opening  146 . 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional front view of the watercraft  10 , illustrating a second way to enhance the storage capacity of the watercraft  10 . In this embodiment, two or more side storage compartments  152 ,  154  are positioned adjacent the port and starboard sides of the removable storage tray  50 . The port storage compartment  152  includes a side wall  156 , a bottom wall  158 , and a top wall  160 , which are integrally formed as a single unit. An opening  162  extends through the side wall  156 . The edges to the opening  156  are ringed with a seal  164 . The seal  164  engages the peripheral sides of the storage tray  50  to provide a water-tight barrier. The starboard storage compartment  154  is constructed in the same manner, except that it is a mirror image of the port side storage compartment  152 . 
     With the port and starboard storage compartments  152 ,  154  arranged in this manner, after removal of the storage tray  50 , the interiors of both side compartments  152 ,  154  are accessible. In addition, since the central portion  166  of the watercraft  10  does not contain any storage compartment(s), the space may be accessible for purposes of maintaining the forward end of the engine  12  and any peripheral components located near the forward end of the engine  12 . In particular, it is contemplated that the fuel tank and fuel pump, among other peripheral components, are two of the peripheral components of the engine  12  that may be accessible after removal of the storage tray  50 . 
     FIG. 10 illustrates a variation of the side storage compartments illustrated in FIG.  9 . Here, like the storage compartment  142  illustrated in FIG. 8, the side storage compartments  165 ,  167  do not include a bottom wall  158 . Instead, the side walls  168  and the top walls  170  are affixed to the hull  11 . The walls  168 ,  170  define an opening  172  therethrough that is surrounded by a seal  174  to provide water-tight engagement with the peripheral walls of the storage tray  50 . In the illustrated embodiment, the walls  168 ,  170  are rigid. However, they may be flexible, as discussed in connection with the storage compartment  142 . As in the previous embodiment, the walls  168 ,  170  may be attached to the hull  11  via a suitable adhesive or sealing compound. 
     While the port and starboard additional storage compartments  152 ,  154 ,  165 ,  167  extend only laterally to the storage tray  50 , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the compartments  152 ,  154 ,  165 ,  167  may extend to fill a space forward or rearward to the storage tray  50 , space permitting. 
     Additionally, while the walls of the additional storage compartments  132 ,  142 ,  152 ,  154 ,  165 ,  167  have been described as being either rigid or flexible, it is contemplated that the walls could be a combination of both. For example, the bottom portions of the walls could be rigid while the top portions of the walls could be flexible. This hybrid approach to the construction of the additional storage compartments  132 ,  142 ,  152 ,  154 ,  165 ,  167  is also considered to fall within the scope of the present invention. 
     It is noted that the removable storage compartment  30  and the storage tray  50  both have smaller upper openings than the opening  22  in the deck  20  that permits access to the interior of the watercraft  10 . This permits the storage tray  50  to be removed from the storage compartment  30  and the removal of the storage compartment  30  from the watercraft  10 . 
     In each of the figures, the storage tray  50  is shown of a size that totally occludes the opening to the storage compartment  30 . While this construction provides the maximum storage capacity for the storage tray  50 , it is contemplated that the storage tray  50  need not cover the entire opening to the storage compartment  30 . To the contrary, the storage tray  50  may be constructed to cover only a portion of the opening to the storage compartment  30 . While a smaller storage tray  50  provide less storage capacity, the smaller tray  50  would permit immediate visual inspection of the contents of the storage compartment  30  when the cover  24  is opened. A small storage tray  50 , therefore, offers advantages to the present invention and, as a result, is contemplated to fall within the scope of this invention. 
     Similarly, both the storage tray  50  and the storage compartment  30  may have upper openings smaller than the opening  22  in the deck  20 . This construction permits immediate access to the interior of the hull  11  when the cover  24  is opened. Since this also provides certain advantages, the smaller tray  50  and storage compartment  30  are also contemplated to fall within the scope of this invention. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates one further aspect of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 3 shows the inclusion of a flexible storage bag  180  attached to a side wall  32 . The flexible storage bag  180  is secured to the interior of the side wall of the storage compartment  30  via a connector  182 . The connector  182  includes one or more fasteners (not shown) so that the storage bag  180  may be readily detached therefrom. In the embodiment illustrated, the storage bag  180  is constructed of a flexible mesh material so that the contents thereof are readily discernable without having to open the bag  180 . Alternatively, the bag  180  could be constructed from a plastic cellophane material to accomplish the same goal. As illustrated, a zipper  184  is a suitable closure device for the bag  180 . As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, any other suitable flexible material (e.g., opaque plastic) or any other closure (such as snaps or buttons) may be employed without deviating from the invention. 
     FIG. 3 also illustrates another aspect of the present invention. At the bottom of the storage compartment  30 , a rigid container  186  may be fastened to the bottom wall  34 . In the illustrated embodiment, the rigid container is a cylinder with a screw top  188 . A flexible retainer  190  holds the container  186  against the bottom wall  34  of the storage compartment  30  to prevent the container  186  from being jostled about during operation of the watercraft  10 . 
     While the bag  180  and the container  186  are shown attached to specific walls  32 ,  34  of the storage compartment  30 , it is contemplated that the bag  180  and container  186  may be attached to any suitable part of the walls  32 ,  34  of the storage compartment  30  without departing from the scope of this invention. The locations illustrated are meant to be exemplary. They are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In additional, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation, component, or material to the teachings of the present invention without departing from its teachings as claimed.