Patent Abstract:
A method of controlling a watercraft is disclosed which comprises actuating a reverse gate operator, sensing a speed of the watercraft, controlling a thrust generated by a jet propulsion system differently depending on whether the speed of the watercraft is above or below a predetermine watercraft speed when the reverse gate operator is actuated, and moving the reverse gate to a position in which the reverse gate redirects a jet of water expelled from the jet propulsion system in response to the actuation of the reverse gate operator. A watercraft implementing the above method is also disclosed.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/083,215, filed on Jul. 24, 2008, and is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/961,650, filed Dec. 20, 2007, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/871,698 filed on Dec. 22, 2006, the entirety of these three applications 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 sport 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 reverse gate operator which, when pulled, lowers the reverse gate in front of the water jet. By actuating a throttle operator of the watercraft, the amount of thrust generated by the jet propulsion system changes. Therefore, by controlling the position of the reverse gate and the amount of thrust generated by the jet propulsion system, by actuating the reverse gate operator and the throttle operator respectively, the driver of the watercraft can control the amount of reverse thrust being generated. 
     The reverse thrust being generated when the reverse gate is lowered can also be used to decelerate the watercraft. However, when the watercraft is moving at relatively high speeds, if the driver of the vehicle applies to much reverse thrust, it can cause the stem of the watercraft to lift and the bow of the watercraft to dip. This can result in an undesirably unstable riding condition. 
     Also, when the watercraft is moving at high speeds, the thrust being generated is also usually high. The high thrust being generated may in some cases prevent the reverse gate from being lowered as the thrust pushes the reverse gate back towards its stowed position when the reverse gate comes in contact with the jet of water being expelled by the jet propulsion system. Therefore, in these cases, in order to decelerate the watercraft, the driver needs to first release the throttle operator in order to reduce the thrust being generated by the jet propulsion system. The driver then needs to actuate the reverse gate operator in order to lower the reverse gate. Finally, the driver needs to actuate the throttle operator sufficiently to generate a reverse thrust, but not too much so as to avoid the above-mentioned problem. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a way to allow the driver of a watercraft to control the amount of reverse thrust being generated when the reverse gate is lowered while preventing the generation of too much reverse thrust when the watercraft is moving at relatively high speeds. 
     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 method of controlling a jet propelled watercraft where the driver controls the amount of reverse thrust being generated below a predetermined speed, but where the amount of reverse thrust being generated above the predetermined speed is at least partially controlled independently of driver inputs. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a watercraft implementing at least an embodiment of the above method. 
     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 reverse gate operator, and a reverse gate 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. The reverse gate is in operative connection with the reverse gate operator. The method comprises actuating the reverse gate operator, sensing a speed of the watercraft, sensing a position of the throttle operator, controlling a thrust generated by the jet propulsion system based at least on the position of the throttle operator when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is below a predetermined watercraft speed, controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system at least in part independently of the position of the throttle operator when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed, and moving the reverse gate to the second position in response to the actuation of the reverse gate operator. 
     In an additional aspect, when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed, the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system is controlled independently of the position of the throttle operator. 
     In a further aspect, controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system includes controlling a speed of rotation of the engine. 
     In an additional aspect, when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed: controlling the speed of rotation of the engine includes controlling the speed of rotation of the engine to be at or below a reverse gate actuation speed in response to the actuation of the lever, the reverse gate is moved to the second position once the speed of rotation of the engine is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed, and once the reverse gate is moved to the second position, controlling the speed of rotation of the engine includes controlling the speed of rotation of the engine in order to decelerate the watercraft. 
     In a further 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 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 also comprises sensing an actuated position of the reverse gate operator. When the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is below the predetermined watercraft speed, moving the reverse gate to the second position includes adjusting the second position of the reverse gate based at least on the actuated position of the reverse gate operator. 
     In a further aspect, when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed, moving the reverse gate to the second position includes adjusting the second position of the reverse gate independently of an actuated position of the reverse gate operator. 
     In an additional aspect, the method also comprises adjusting a position of a throttle valve of the engine based on the position of the throttle operator when the reverse gate operator is not actuated. 
     In a further aspect, the method also comprises sensing an actuated position of the reverse gate operator, and controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system at least in part independently of the position of the throttle operator when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed includes controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system based at least on the speed of the watercraft and the position of the reverse gate operator. 
     In an additional aspect, when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed, the second position of the reverse gate is a predetermined position independent of the position of the reverse gate operator. 
     In a further aspect, the method also comprises sensing an actuated position of the reverse gate operator; and controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system at least in part independently of the position of the throttle operator when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed includes adjusting the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system based on changes in the position of the reverse gate operator. 
     In an additional aspect, the method also comprises returning the reverse gate operator to a non-actuated position; and moving the reverse gate to a neutral position in response to the reverse gate operator returning to the non-actuated position. 
     In a further aspect, controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system at least in part independently of the position of the throttle operator when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed includes controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system at least in part independently of the position of the throttle operator when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed until the speed of the watercraft is less than or equal to an other predetermined watercraft speed. The other predetermined watercraft speed is less than the predetermined watercraft speed. The method also comprises moving the reverse gate to a neutral position when the speed of the watercraft is less than or equal to the other predetermined watercraft speed. 
     In another aspect, the invention provides a watercraft having a hull, a deck disposed on the hull, an engine compartment defined between the hull and the deck, an engine disposed in the engine compartment, a throttle body having a throttle valve and being in fluid communication with the engine, a jet propulsion system connected to the hull and operatively connected to the engine, an electronic control unit (ECU) associated with the watercraft for controlling at least an operation of the engine, a throttle operator being movable between an idle position and an actuated position, a throttle operator position sensor associated with the throttle operator for sensing a position of the throttle operator, the throttle operator position sensor being in electronic communication with the ECU, a throttle valve actuator operatively connected to the throttle valve and in electronic communication with the ECU, an engine speed sensor for sensing a speed of rotation of the engine and being in electronic communication with the ECU, a watercraft speed sensor for sensing a speed of the watercraft and being in electronic communication with the ECU, 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, a reverse gate actuator operatively connected to the reverse gate for moving the reverse gate between the first stowed position and the second position, and being in electronic communication with the ECU, and a reverse gate operator associated with the watercraft and being in electronic communication with the ECU for controlling the reverse gate actuator. The ECU causes the reverse gate actuator to move the reverse gate to the second position when the reverse gate operator is actuated. The ECU sends a first signal to the throttle valve actuator to control the throttle valve actuator when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is below a predetermined watercraft speed. The first signal is based at least on the position of the throttle operator. The ECU sends a second signal to the throttle valve actuator to control the throttle valve actuator when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed. The second signal is independent at least in part of the position of the throttle operator. 
     In a further aspect, the second signal is independent of the position of the throttle operator. 
     In an additional aspect, the second signal controls the throttle valve actuator such that the speed of rotation of the engine is controlled to be at or below a reverse gate actuation speed. When the second signal is sent to the throttle valve actuator, the ECU causes the reverse gate actuator to move the reverse gate to the second position once the speed of rotation of the engine is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed. Once the reverse gate is moved to the second position, the second signal controls the throttle valve actuator such that the watercraft decelerates in a controlled deceleration. 
     In a further aspect, once the reverse gate is moved to the second position, the second signal controls the throttle valve actuator such that the speed of rotation of the engine is increased above the reverse gate actuation speed. 
     In an additional aspect, a reverse gate operator position sensor is associated with the reverse gate operator for sensing a position of the reverse gate operator. The reverse gate operator position sensor is in electronic communication with the ECU. When the first signal is sent to the throttle valve actuator, the ECU causes the reverse gate actuator to move the reverse gate to the second position based at least on the position of the reverse gate operator. 
     In a further aspect, when the second signal is sent to the throttle valve actuator, the ECU causes the reverse gate actuator to move the reverse gate to the second position independently of the position of the reverse gate operator. 
     In an additional aspect, the ECU sends a third signal to the throttle valve actuator to control the throttle valve actuator when the reverse gate operator is not actuated. The third signal is based at least on the position of the throttle operator. 
     In a further aspect, a reverse gate operator position sensor is associated with the reverse gate operator for sensing a position of the reverse gate operator. The reverse gate operator position sensor is in electronic communication with the ECU. The second signal is based at least on the speed of the watercraft and the position of the reverse gate operator. 
     In an additional aspect, a handlebar is operatively connected to the deck. 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, when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed, the second position of the reverse gate is a predetermined position independent of the position of the reverse gate operator. 
     In a further aspect, a reverse gate operator position sensor is associated with the reverse gate operator for sensing a position of the reverse gate operator. The reverse gate operator position sensor is in electronic communication with the ECU. The second signal is based on changes in the position of the reverse gate operator. 
     In an additional aspect, the ECU causes the reverse gate actuator to move the reverse gate to a neutral position when the reverse gate actuator is returned to a non-actuated position from an actuated position. 
     In a further aspect, the ECU stops sending the second signal when the speed of the watercraft becomes less than or equal to an other predetermined watercraft speed. The other predetermined watercraft speed is less than the predetermined watercraft speed. The ECU causes the reverse gate actuator to move the reverse gate to a neutral position when the ECU stops sending the second signal. 
     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, 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 reverse gate operator, and a reverse gate 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. The reverse gate is in operative connection with the reverse gate operator. The method comprises: actuating the reverse gate operator; sensing a speed of the watercraft; sensing a position of the throttle operator; moving the reverse gate to the second position in response to the actuation of the reverse gate operator; controlling a thrust generated by the jet propulsion system to be less than or equal to a first predetermined maximum thrust when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is below a predetermined watercraft speed; and controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system to be less than or equal to a second predetermined maximum thrust when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed. The second predetermined maximum thrust is less than the first predetermined maximum thrust. 
     In a further aspect, the second predetermined maximum thrust increases as the speed of the watercraft decreases. 
     In an additional aspect, controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system includes controlling a speed of rotation of the engine. 
     In a further aspect, when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed: controlling the speed of rotation of the engine includes controlling the speed of rotation of the engine to be at or below a reverse gate actuation speed in response to the actuation of the lever; the reverse gate is moved to the second position once the speed of rotation of the engine is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed; and once the reverse gate is moved to the second position, controlling the speed of rotation of the engine includes controlling the speed of rotation of the engine in order to decelerate the watercraft. 
     In yet another aspect, the invention provides a watercraft comprising a hull, a deck disposed on the hull, an engine compartment defined between the hull and the deck, an engine disposed in the engine compartment, a throttle body having a throttle valve and being in fluid communication with the engine, a jet propulsion system connected to the hull and operatively connected to the engine, an electronic control unit (ECU) associated with the watercraft for controlling at least an operation of the engine, a throttle operator being movable between an idle position and an actuated position, a throttle operator position sensor associated with the throttle operator for sensing a position of the throttle operator, the throttle operator position sensor being in electronic communication with the ECU, a throttle valve actuator operatively connected to the throttle valve and in electronic communication with the ECU, an engine speed sensor for sensing a speed of rotation of the engine and being in electronic communication with the ECU, a watercraft speed sensor for sensing a speed of the watercraft and being in electronic communication with the ECU, 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, a reverse gate actuator operatively connected to the reverse gate for moving the reverse gate between the first stowed position and the second position, and being in electronic communication with the ECU, and a reverse gate operator associated with the watercraft and being in electronic communication with the ECU for controlling the reverse gate actuator. The ECU causes the reverse gate actuator to move the reverse gate to the second position when the reverse gate operator is actuated. The ECU sends a first signal to the throttle valve actuator to control the throttle valve actuator when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is below a predetermined watercraft speed. A thrust generated by the jet propulsion system as a result of the first signal being sent to the throttle valve actuator is less than or equal to a first predetermined maximum thrust. The ECU sends a second signal to the throttle valve actuator to control the throttle valve actuator when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed. The thrust generated by the jet propulsion system as a result of the second signal being sent to the throttle valve actuator is less than or equal to a second predetermined maximum thrust. The second predetermined maximum thrust is less than the first predetermined maximum thrust. 
     In an additional aspect, the second predetermined maximum thrust increases as the speed of the watercraft decreases. 
     In a further aspect, the second signal controls the throttle valve actuator such that the speed of rotation of the engine is controlled to be at or below a reverse gate actuation speed. When the second signal is sent to the throttle valve actuator, the ECU causes the reverse gate actuator to move the reverse gate to the second position once the speed of rotation of the engine is at or below the reverse gate actuation speed. Once the reverse gate is moved to the second position, the second signal controls the throttle valve actuator such that the watercraft decelerates in a controlled deceleration. 
     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, 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 reverse gate operator, and a reverse gate operatively connected to the hull. The reverse gate is movable between a first stowed position, a second position in which the reverse gate redirects a jet of water expelled from the jet propulsion system, and a neutral position intermediate the first stowed position and the second position. The reverse gate is in operative connection with the reverse gate operator. The method comprises: a) actuating the reverse gate operator; b) sensing a speed of the watercraft; c) controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system in a reverse mode when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is below a predetermined watercraft speed; d) controlling the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system in a controlled deceleration mode when the reverse gate operator is actuated and the speed of the watercraft is above the predetermined watercraft speed; e) moving the reverse gate to the second position in response to the actuation of the reverse gate operator; f) returning the reverse gate operator to a non-actuated position after the actuation of the reverse gate operator; and g) moving the reverse gate to the neutral position in response to the reverse gate operator returning to the non-actuated position. 
     In an additional aspect, steps c, d, and e are only carried out if the reverse gate operator has been actuated for a predetermined amount of time. 
     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 sport boat in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view, taken from a rear, left side, of the sport 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 that may be present in a watercraft in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 13A  is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a reverse gate actuation system of the sport boat of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 13B  is a schematic representation of an alternative embodiment of the reverse gate actuation system of  FIG. 13A ; 
         FIG. 13C  is a schematic representation of another alternative embodiment of the reverse gate actuation system of  FIG. 13A ; 
         FIG. 14  is a logic diagram illustrating a method of controlling a watercraft in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 15  is a logic diagram illustrating a portion of an alternative method of controlling a watercraft in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 16  is a logic diagram illustrating another method of controlling a watercraft. 
     
    
    
     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 reverse gate operator  77  used by the driver to actuate a reverse gate  110  of the watercraft  10  as described in greater detail below. The reverse gate operator  77  is a finger-actuated lever. However, it is contemplated that the reverse gate operator  77  could be a thumb-actuated lever or a twist grip. 
     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 . A reverse gate actuator (not shown) is operatively connected to the reverse gate  110  to move the reverse gate  110 . The reverse gate actuator could be any one of a mechanical, a hydraulic, or an electric actuator, such as an electric motor. One contemplated reverse gate actuator is shown and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/962,396, filed Dec. 21, 2007, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 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 sport boat  120  in accordance with this invention is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The following description relates to one way of manufacturing a sport boat. Obviously, those of ordinary skill in the sport boat art will recognize that there are other known ways of manufacturing and designing sport boats and that this invention would encompass these other known ways and designs. 
     For simplicity, the components of the sport 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 sport 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 reverse gate operator, in the form of a foot pedal  147 , is provided on the footrest  146 . It is contemplated that the foot pedal  147  could be replaced by a handle positioned near or on the steering wheel  148 . The function of the foot pedal  147  is similar to that of the reverse gate operator  77  of the personal watercraft  10 . 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 as explained in greater detail below.  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 an 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  as described below. The left console  128  has a recess (not shown) similar to recess  144  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 the 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 sport 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 sport boat  120  is contemplated. Similarly, although the reverse gate operator  77  is illustrated as being mounted to the handlebar, it is contemplated that a foot pedal, such as the foot pedal  147  of the sport boat  120 , could be used. In the personal watercraft  10 , the foot pedal could 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. 
     Similarly, a reverse gate operator position sensor  204  senses a position of the reverse gate operator  77  (or foot pedal  147 ) and sends a signal representative of the reverse gate operator position to the ECU  200 . The reverse gate operator 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 as 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 sport 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. 
     Depending on the operating condition of the watercraft, one or more of the signals received from the throttle operator position sensor  202 , the reverse gate operator position sensor  204 , the steering position sensor  203 , the engine speed sensor  206 , and the watercraft speed sensor  208  can 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  216  of the throttle body 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  216  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 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  216 , 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. 
     As would also be understood by those skilled in the art of jet propelled watercraft, increasing or decreasing the speed of rotation of the engine  22  results in an increase or decrease, respectively, in the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system  84 . However, it is contemplated that the thrust generated by the jet propulsion system could otherwise be controlled. For example, the diameter of a portion of the jet propulsion system  84 , such as the venturi  110  or steering nozzle  102 , could be varied. U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,918, issued Feb. 22, 2005, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses various variable venturies to be used in a jet propulsion system. 
     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. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 14 to 16 , methods of controlling a watercraft, methods  300 ,  400 , and  500  respectively, will be described. For simplicity, the methods  300 ,  400 , and  500  will be explained with respect to the personal watercraft  10 , but it should be understood that the same or similar methods could be used with the sport boat  120 . Many of the steps of the methods  300 ,  400 , and  500  described below involve the ECU  200 . It is contemplated that electronic modules other than the ECU  200  could be involved in these steps instead of the ECU  200 . However, for purposes of this application, these other electronic modules would be considered to be part of the ECU  200 . Also, in the embodiments described below, the thrust generated by the jet propulsion unit  84  is controlled by controlling a speed of rotation of the engine  22 , but it is contemplated that the thrust generated could be controlled otherwise, as previously mentioned. Finally, in the embodiments described below, the speed of rotation of the engine  22  is controlled by moving the throttle valve  216  by having the ECU  200  send a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210 . However it is contemplated that the speed of rotation of the engine  22  could be controlled by having the ECU  200  send a signal to the ignition system  212  and/or the injection system  214  alone or in combination with the signal sent to the throttle valve actuator  210 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 14 , the method  300  is initiated at step  302 . Then at step  304 , the reverse gate operator position sensor  204  senses the position of the reverse gate operator  77  and sends a signal representative of this position to the ECU  200 . At step  306 , the ECU  200  determines if the reverse gate operator  77  is actuated. 
     If at step  306  it is determined that the reverse gate operator  77  is not actuated, then at step  308  the ECU  200  sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the stowed position (unless the reverse gate  110  is already in the stowed position). Then at step  310 , the throttle operator position sensor  202  senses the position of the throttle operator  76  and sends a signal representative of this position to the ECU  200 . Once it receives the signal indicative of the position of the throttle operator  76 , at step  312  the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  based at least on the position of the throttle operator  76  sensed at step  310 . From step  312 , the method  300  resumes at step  304 . 
     If at step  306  it is determined that the reverse gate operator  77  is actuated, then at step  314  the watercraft speed sensor  208  senses a speed of the watercraft  10  and sends a signal representative of this speed to the ECU  200 . Then at step  316 , the ECU  200  determines if the speed sensed at step  314  is greater than a predetermined watercraft speed V 1 . The predetermined watercraft speed V 1  is a speed of the watercraft  10  above which generating too much thrust with the jet propulsion system  84  while the reverse gate  110  is in a position in which it redirects the jet of water being expelled by the jet propulsion system  84  could result in the stern of the watercraft  10  lifting and the bow  56  of the watercraft  10  dipping. It is contemplated that the predetermined watercraft speed V 1  could be a speed above which the ECU  200  enters a controlled deceleration mode (steps  320  to  342  described below) to slow down the watercraft  10  and at, or below which the ECU  200  enters a reverse mode (steps  310 ,  312 , and  318 ) to reverse the direction of travel of the watercraft  10  (or keep it in position). In either case, the predetermined watercraft speed V 1  will vary from one type of watercraft to the other. It is contemplated that at step  316 , the ECU  200  could determine if the speed sensed at step  314  is greater than or equal to the predetermined watercraft speed V 1 . It is also contemplated that the predetermined watercraft speed V 1  could be a speed of the watercraft  10  slightly below the speed above which generating too much thrust could result in the stern of the watercraft  10  lifting and the bow  56  of the watercraft  10  dipping. 
     If at step  316  it is determined that the speed of the watercraft  10  is less than or equal to the predetermined watercraft speed V 1 , then at step  318  the ECU  200  sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to a position in which it redirects the jet of water being expelled by the jet propulsion system  84 . The position to which the reverse gate  110  is moved is based on the position of the reverse gate operator  77  sensed at step  304 . In a preferred embodiment, for step  318 , each position of the reverse gate operator  77  has a corresponding position of the reverse gate  110 . However it is contemplated that inputs from other sensors could be taken into account by the ECU  200  in addition to the position of the reverse gate operator  77  to determine the position to which the reverse gate  110  should be moved. From step  318 , the method  300  goes step  310  and continues to step  312 . At step  312 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  based at least on the position of the throttle operator  76  sensed at step  310  and the position of the reverse gate operator  77  sensed at step  304 . In an alternative embodiment, shown with the dashed line, from step  318 , the method  318  goes to step  312 , and at step  312  the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  based on the position of the reverse gate operator  77  sensed at step  304 , independently of the position of the throttle operator  76 . 
     If at step  316  it is determined that the speed of the watercraft  10  is greater than the predetermined watercraft speed V 1 , the ECU  200  enters a controlled deceleration mode, then at step  320  the engine speed sensor  208  senses a speed of rotation of the engine  22  and sends a signal representative of this speed to the ECU  200 . Then at step  322 , the ECU  200  determines if the speed of rotation of the engine  22  is greater than a reverse gate actuation speed RPM 1 . The reverse gate actuation speed RPM 1  is a speed of rotation of the engine  22  above which the resulting thrust generated by the jet propulsion system  84  would be too high to lower the reverse gate  110  (i.e. attempting to do so would make the reverse gate  110  either go back to the stowed position due to the thrust or the handling of the watercraft could be compromised). The reverse gate actuation speed RPM 1  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 . 
     If at step  322  it is determined that the speed of rotation of the engine  22  sensed at step  320  is greater than the reverse gate actuation speed RPM 1 , then at step  324  the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  to move the throttle valve  216  in order to reduce a degree of opening of the throttle valve  216  so as to reduce the speed of rotation of the engine  22 . From step  324 , the method returns to step  320  and steps  320  to  324  are repeated until the speed of rotation of the engine  22  is at or less than the reverse gate actuation speed RPM 1 . 
     If at step  322  it is determined that the speed of rotation of the engine  22  sensed at step  320  is at or less than the reverse gate actuation speed RPM 1 , then at step  326  the ECU  200  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 . The position to which the reverse gate  110  is moved is preferably independent of the position of the reverse gate operator  77  sensed at step  304  as doing so could, in some cases result in too much reverse thrust being generated and/or could damage the reverse gate  110 . The position to which the reverse gate  110  is moved is determined based on other inputs to the ECU  200  such as the speed of the watercraft  10  sensed at step  314  and/or the speed of rotation of the engine  22  sensed at step  320 . It is contemplated that the ECU  200  could send a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to continuously adjust the position of the reverse gate  110  as the watercraft  10  decelerates and the speed of rotation of the engine  22  varies. It is also contemplated that the position to which the reverse gate  110  is moved could be based at least in part on the position of the reverse gate operator  77  sensed at step  304  for at least a range of positions of the reverse gate operator  77 . It is also contemplated that the position to which the reverse gate  110  is moved could be a predetermined position, such as the fully lowered position of the reverse gate  110 , independent of the position of the reverse gate operator  77 . 
     From step  326 , the method continues to step  328  where the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  to move the throttle valve  216  in order to increase a degree of opening of the throttle valve  216  so as to increase the speed of rotation of the engine  22 . Then at step  330 , the engine speed sensor  208  senses a speed of rotation of the engine  22  and sends a signal representative of this speed to the ECU  200 . Then at step  332 , the ECU  200  determines if the speed of rotation of the engine  22  is greater than the reverse gate actuation speed RPM 1 . If the speed of rotation of the engine  22  is not greater than the reverse gate actuation speed RPM 1 , then from step  332 , the method returns to step  328  and steps  328  to  332  are repeated until the speed of rotation of the engine  22  is greater than the reverse gate actuation speed RPM 1 . If at step  332  it is determined that the speed of rotation of the engine  22  is greater than the reverse gate actuation speed RPM 1 , the method  300  continues to step  334 . It is contemplated that steps  328  to  332  could be omitted and that the ECU  200  could go directly from step  326  to step  334 . 
     At step  334 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  in order to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  such that the thrust generated by the redirected water jet  85  results in a controlled deceleration of the watercraft  10 . The speed of rotation of the engine  22  is adjusted throughout the controlled deceleration. It is contemplated that at step  334  the speed of rotation of the engine  22  could be controlled so as to provide thrust in bursts. The controlled deceleration continues until either the watercraft  10  is moving at or below a predetermined watercraft speed V 2  or the reverse gate operator  77  is no longer being actuated as described below with respect to steps  336  to  344 . The signal sent by the ECU  200  at step  334  is preferably determined independently of the position of the throttle operator  76 , since adjusting the position of the throttle valve  216  based on the position of the throttle operator  76  might not result in the desired controlled deceleration. However, it is contemplated that the signal sent by the ECU  200  at step  334  could be based in part on the position of the throttle operator  76 . For example, the rate of deceleration of the watercraft  10  could be increased or decreased based on the position of the throttle operator  76 . The signal sent by the ECU  200  at step  334  is preferably based on the speed of the watercraft  10  sensed at step  314  and the position of the reverse gate operator  77  sensed at step  304 . It is contemplated that the signal sent by the ECU  200  at step  334  could also be based at least in part on engine speed. 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. It is contemplated that other inputs to the ECU  200  could also be used. 
     From step  334 , the method  300  goes to step  336  where the watercraft speed sensor  208  senses a speed of the watercraft  10  and sends a signal representative of this speed to the ECU  200 . Then at step  338 , the ECU  200  determines if the speed sensed at step  336  is less than or equal to a predetermined watercraft speed V 2 . The predetermined watercraft speed V 2  is a low watercraft speed. It is contemplated that the predetermined watercraft speed V 2  could be 0 km/h. If at step  338  the speed of the watercraft  10  sensed at step  336  is less than or equal to the predetermined watercraft speed V 2 , then the method  300  goes to step  344  described below. If at step  338  the speed of the watercraft  10  sensed at step  336  is greater than the predetermined watercraft speed V 2 , then at step  340  the reverse gate operator position sensor  204  senses the position of the reverse gate operator  77  and sends a signal representative of this position to the ECU  200 . At step  342 , the ECU  200  determines if the reverse gate operator  77  is actuated. If at step  342  it is determined that the reverse gate operator  77  is not actuated, then the method  300  goes to step  344  described below. If at step  342  it is determined that the reverse gate operator  77  is actuated, then the method  300  returns to step  334 . Note that when step  334  is being carried out following step  342 , it is the speed of the watercraft  10  sensed at step  336  and the position of the reverse gate operator  77  sensed at step  340  that are used by the ECU  200  to determine the signal sent to the throttle valve actuator  210 . In one embodiment, as the speed of the watercraft  10  decreases, the speed of rotation of the engine  22  is increased at step  334 . Also, if the position of the reverse gate operator  77  has increased or decreased at step  340  (i.e. more or less deceleration is desired), then the level of increase of the speed of rotation of the engine  22  at step  334  is adjusted accordingly. 
     At step  344 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the neutral position. From step  344 , the method resumes at step  304 . It is contemplated that step  344  could be omitted, and that the method  300  could go directly from steps  338  and  342  to step  304 . It is also contemplated that step  344  could be replaced by a step where the ECU  200  could send a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the stowed position instead of the neutral position. 
     It is contemplated that the reverse gate  110  could be actuated directly by the reverse gate operator  77  (i.e. the reverse gate actuator  210  would not be actuated as a result of a signal sent by the ECU  200 ). As a result, the reverse gate  110  would move to a position other than the stowed position directly as a result of the reverse gate operator  77  being actuated. Therefore, in such a case, some of the steps of the method  300  would be omitted or modified accordingly. However, the modified method would still result the thrust being generated by the jet propulsion assembly  84  to be controlled independently of the position of the throttle operator  76  when the reverse gate actuator  77  is actuated and the watercraft  10  is moving at a speed greater than the predetermined watercraft speed V 1 . 
     In the method  300 , it is contemplated that when the speed of the watercraft  10  is less than or equal to the predetermined watercraft speed V 1  and the reverse gate  110  has been moved as a result of step  318 , that the maximum speed of rotation of the engine  22  could be limited to a first predetermined maximum engine speed at step  312 , and that when the speed of the watercraft  10  is greater than the predetermined watercraft speed V 1  and the reverse gate  110  has been moved as a result of step  326 , that the maximum speed of rotation of the engine  22  could be limited to a second predetermined maximum engine speed at step  334 . The second predetermined maximum engine speed being less than the first predetermined engine speed in order to prevent the watercraft  10  from pitching forward at high watercraft speed. It is contemplated that the second predetermined maximum engine speed could be variable, such that as the speed of the watercraft  10  decreases, the second predetermined maximum engine speed increases. It is also contemplated that in such an embodiment, the signal sent by the ECU  200  to the throttle valve actuator  210  at steps  312  and  334  could be either at least in part or fully independent of the position of the throttle operator  76  as described above, or based on the position of the throttle operator  76 . It is also contemplated that instead of controlling the engine  22  so as not to exceed a first and a second predetermined maximum engine speed, that the ECU  200  could control the engine  22  (and jet propulsion system  84  if applicable) so a not to exceed a first and second predetermined maximum thrust generated by the jet propulsion system  84 . The second predetermined maximum thrust being less than the first predetermined maximum thrust. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 15 , the method  400  is initiated at step  402 . Then at step  404 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the neutral position. By moving the reverse gate  110  to the neutral position upon initiating the method  400 , the personal watercraft  10  will not be accelerated forwardly or rearwardly by the thrust generated by the engine  22  when it is started. Then at step  406 , the reverse gate operator position sensor  204  senses the position of the reverse gate operator  77  and sends a signal representative of this position to the ECU  200 . At step  408 , the ECU  200  determines if the reverse gate operator  77  is actuated. 
     If at step  408  it is determined that the reverse gate operator  77  is actuated, then the method  400  proceeds as in the method  300  (i.e. goes to step  314  and then to steps  316  to  344 ). For simplicity, these steps have not been reproduced in  FIG. 15  and will not be described again. Note that in the method  400 , step  344  returns to step  406 , instead of step  304  as in the method  300 . Also note that in the method  400 , the step  318  goes to step  412  described below, instead of step  310  as in the method  300 . 
     If at step  408  it is determined that the reverse gate operator  77  is not actuated, then at step  410  the ECU  200  determines if the reverse gate  110  is stowed based on the signal received from a reverse gate position sensor (not shown) or a feedback signal from the reverse gate actuator  218 . 
     If at step  410  it is determined that the reverse gate  110  is stowed, then the ECU  200  proceeds to step  412 . At step  412 , the throttle operator position sensor  202  senses the position of the throttle operator  76  and sends a signal representative of this position to the ECU  200 . Once it receives the signal indicative of the position of the throttle operator  76 , at step  414  the ECU  200  sends a signal to the throttle valve actuator  210  to control the speed of rotation of the engine  22  based at least on the position of the throttle operator  76  sensed at step  412 . From step  414 , the method  400  returns to step  406 . 
     If at step  410  it is determined that the reverse gate  110  is not in the stowed position, then the ECU  200  proceeds to step  416 . At step  416 , the ECU  200  determines if the throttle operator  76  was engaged when the engine  22  was started based on the signal received from the throttle operator position sensor  202  when the engine  22  was started. If the throttle operator  76  was not engaged when the engine  22  was started, then the ECU  200  proceeds to step  422 . If at step  416  it is determined that the throttle operator  76  was engaged when the engine  22  was started, then at step  418  the ECU  200  determines if the throttle operator  76  has been returned to its idle position since the engine  22  was started based on the signals received from the throttle operator position sensor  202  since the engine  22  was started. If the throttle operator  76  has not been returned to its idle position since the engine  22  was started, then at step  420  the throttle operator position sensor  202  senses the position of the throttle operator  76  and the ECU  200  returns to step  418  to determine if the throttle operator  76  has now been returned to its idle position. Steps  418  and  420  are repeated until the throttle operator  76  is returned to its idle position. If at step  420  the position of the throttle operator  76  sensed by the throttle operator position sensor  202  is the idle position, then from step  418  the ECU proceeds to step  422 . If at step  418  it is determined that the throttle operator  76  has been returned to its idle position since the engine  22  was started, then the ECU  200  proceeds to step  422 . Steps  416  to  420  prevent a sudden amount of thrust to be generated by the jet propulsion system  84  at engine start-up. In the method  400 , at engine start-up, since the reverse gate  110  is in the neutral position as a result of step  404 , applying a sudden amount of thrust could cause the transom  54  to lift, thus possibly causing a driver of the personal watercraft  10  to lose his balance. 
     At step  422  the throttle operator position sensor  202  senses the position of the throttle operator  76  and the ECU  200  then proceeds to step  424 . At step  424 , the ECU  200  determines if a rate of change in the position of the throttle operator  76  is greater than a predetermined amount X. If the rate of change in the position of the throttle operator  76  is greater than the predetermined amount X, then the ECU  200  returns to step  422  and steps  424  and  422  are repeated until the rate of change in the position of the throttle operator  76  is not greater than the predetermined amount X. If at step  424  the rate of change in the position of the throttle operator  76  is not greater than the predetermined amount X, then the ECU  200  proceeds to step  428 . 
     In an alternative embodiment shown in dashed lines, from step  422  the ECU  200  proceeds to step  426 . At step  426 , the ECU  200  determines if the position of the throttle operator  76  is greater than a predetermined amount Y. If the position of the throttle operator  76  is greater than the predetermined amount Y, then the ECU  200  returns to step  422  and steps  426  and  422  are repeated until the position of the throttle operator  76  is not greater than the predetermined amount Y. If at step  426  the position of the throttle operator  76  is not greater than the predetermined amount Y, then the ECU  200  proceeds to step  428 . 
     Both steps  424  and  426  prevent a sudden amount of thrust to be generated by the jet propulsion system  84  when the reverse gate operator  77  is not actuated (step  408 ) and the reverse gate  110  is not in the stowed position (step  410 ), thus preventing the aforementioned problem of the transom  54  possibly lifting. 
     At step  428 , the ECU  200  sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the stowed position and then proceeds to step  412  (thus allowing the watercraft  10  to accelerate). 
     Turning now to  FIG. 16 , the method  500  will be described. It is contemplated that the method  500  could be carried out at the same time as the method  300  or  400 . The method  500  is initiated at step  502 . Then at step  504 , the ECU  200  determines if the engine  22  is being started. If the engine  22  is being started, then at step  506  the ECU  200  sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the neutral position (unless the reverse gate  110  is already in the neutral position). The ECU  200  then proceeds to step  508 . If at step  504 , the ECU  200  determines that the engine  22  is not being started (i.e. the engine  22  is already running or is stopped), then the ECU proceeds to step  508 . 
     At step  508 , the ECU  200  determines if the engine  22  is being stopped. If the engine  22  is stopped, then at step  510  the ECU  200  sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the neutral position (unless the reverse gate  110  is already in the neutral position). The ECU  200  then returns to step  504 . If at step  508 , the ECU  200  determines that the engine  22  is not stopped, then the ECU proceeds to step  512 . 
     At step  512  the throttle operator position sensor  202  senses the position of the throttle operator  76  and the ECU  200  then proceeds to step  514 . At step  514 , the ECU  200  determines if the throttle operator  76  is in the idle position. If the throttle operator  76  is not in the idle position, the ECU  200  returns to step  508 . If the throttle operator  76  is in the idle position, then at step  516  the ECU  200  determines if the throttle operator has been in the idle position for longer than a predetermined time t 1 . For example, the time t 1  could be 10 minutes. If the throttle operator  76  has been in the idle position for longer than the predetermined time t 1 , then the ECU  200  returns to step  506  and sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the neutral position (unless the reverse gate  110  is already in the neutral position). If at step  516  it is determined that the throttle operator  76  has not been in the idle position for longer than the predetermined time t 1 , then the ECU  200  proceeds to step  518 . 
     At step  518 , the reverse gate operator position sensor  204  senses the position of the reverse gate operator  77  and sends a signal representative of this position to the ECU  200 . Then at step  520 , the ECU  200  determines if the reverse gate operator  77  has been actuated for less than a predetermined amount of time t 2  before being released. In one exemplary embodiment, the predetermined amount of time t 2  corresponds to an amount of time it takes a user of the watercraft  10  to actuate and then almost immediately release the reverse gate operator  77 . For example, the time t 2  could be half a second. If the reverse gate operator  77  has not been actuated for less than the predetermined amount of time t 2  before being released, then the ECU  200  returns to step  508 . If at step  520 , it is determined that reverse gate operator  77  has been actuated for less than a predetermined amount of time t 2  before being released, then the ECU  200  returns to step  506  and sends a signal to the reverse gate actuator  218  to move the reverse gate  110  to the neutral position (unless the reverse gate  110  is already in the neutral position). 
     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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1