Abstract:
A performance aluminum vee boat hull with a concave bow section, elongated, parallel strakes, a central keel and a triangular shaped, substantially flat pad adjacent the transom and between the innermost strakes that increases the top speed of the boat and adapts the same to easily handle 150-200 horsepower engines.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/245,904 filed Feb. 8, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,670, the disclosure of which, in its entirety, is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of aluminum boat hulls, and in particular to aluminum boat hulls configured to maximize stability and speed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Concave bows, keels, strakes that extend longitudinally, off-sets or jack plates, and vee shaped hulls are not new to boats intended to be powered by outboard engines. However, each of these items is used in a separate, particular way. 
     For example, providing a keel on a boat is known to increase its tracking ability, but it is also known to provide drag and generally is considered to decrease speed. Therefore, few “performance” or high speed boats have keels. 
     Strakes are normally used for two reasons, namely to increase the strength of a boat bottom, and when disposed with one strake surface parallel to the water surface, to give lift. In aluminum boats, in particular, strakes are generally tapered at the rear end so that they do not prevent bow lift, or if not tapered at the rear end, then the transom is formed with a tapered corner to insure some lift, but this increases so called “draft”. 
     “Set-backs” are somewhat common for performance bass boats with so-called pad hulls. Pad hulls have narrow (8-14 inches), centrally located, longitudinal bottom surfaces that are substantially flat (i.e. flat or only slightly “veed” or concaved) as part of a configuration with multiple stepped flat surfaces running all or most of the length of the hull. The central flats in such hulls generally extend at least 6 feet or more forward of the stern, effectively forming the bottom step in a stepped hull. While such flats provide a minimum water contact surface area to enhance the boat speed, the length of such flattened bottom surfaces in a stepped hull tends to interfere with other performance characteristics in boat hulls having this configuration. 
     Vee hulls are common in outboard motor boats because they are known for their softer ride and “rough water” abilities. However, except for boats incorporating my inventive concepts, aluminum vee shaped hulls with performance characteristics that approach fiberglass, are not known to the outboard motor boat market. 
     The high speed (rather than custom hand crafted) production of a performance vee hull heretofore generally relied on molded fiberglass or sophisticated aluminum “stretch forming” techniques. Molding of a hull with fiberglass is a manual operation including applying layers of fiberglass into a mold of any desired configuration and such application takes extended periods of time and presents numerous environmental problems. Stretch forming limits elongated variations such as strake length and causes thick and thin spots. 
     Thus, the conventional wisdom recognized that keels provide drag, strakes either are tapered at the back or the hull has “cut corners”, jack-plates on vee hulls commonly sit far back (not 4-8 inches), concave bows are for pad boats (not for severe 15 degrees or more vees), and normal aluminum production techniques are not suited to economically provide a performance vee. The ability to provide a high speed, stable, aluminum boat hull, adapted for reception of an outboard motor, using less expensive production techniques was sought by those skilled in the art without success until the development of the hull described herein having a concave bow, elongated parallel strakes, a central keel, an offset motor mount and a deep vee configuration extending over a major portion of the length of the hull. Yet, to maintain the stability and handling afforded by this configuration while increasing the speed would even further enhance the commercial attractiveness of such a design. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a performance vee shaped hull that can be made with conventional aluminum manufacturing techniques on a relatively economical basis, using the lift of a concave bow, the off-setting “hold down” of strakes, the tracking and drag of a keel and, preferably, an integrally formed, limited, off-set motor mount, modified by incorporating a relatively short, triangular, substantially flat pad at the stern between the innermost strakes to provide increased lift at high speeds without detracting from the remaining high performance properties of this hull design. 
     The hull of the present invention can be used in a so-called “bass boat” arrangement or a “bay boat” arrangement. In a standard 19 foot long configuration, with a 66 inch wide bottom, the boat hull of the present invention, even without the triangular pad, can run between 53 and 60 miles per hour when powered by a stock 115 horsepower engine, and will handle turns and rough water beyond expectations. When the triangular pad is added to the hull bottom, the speed can be increased without damaging the handling characteristics of such a hull. This design adapts the boat to easily handle 150 to 200 horsepower engines, bringing the top speeds into competitive range. Thus, the substantially flat triangular pad provides lift, increasing speed, while the central strakes act as stabilizers on either side of the pad and the deep vee hull tends to cut through the waves when the boat is running slow. 
     In its preferred configuration, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vee shaped aluminum hull having a central keel, with strakes extending from the bow to the stern of the hull, a set back section for supporting an outboard motor, and a triangular flat pad of limited length intermediate the innermost strakes at the stern of the boat. 
     These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of the intended advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bay-type boat incorporating the preferred hull design of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the boat of FIG. 1 illustrating a plurality of longitudinally extending, parallel strakes, a set back section for mounting an outboard engine to propel the boat, and a triangular flat pad between the innermost strakes at the stern of the boat; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the boat of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the boat of FIG. 1 showing the bow; 
     FIG. 5 is a rear view of the boat of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the boat of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse cross-section through the hull taken along lines  7 — 7  of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
     With reference to the drawings, a bay-type boat embodying the teachings of the present invention is generally designated at  20 . It is to be understood that the instant inventive concepts are equally applicable to a bass-type boat (not shown), the configuration of which is substantially the same, although the bass-type boat is generally of lesser height and has a different interior design adapted primarily to the type of fishing contemplated. Yet, for all intents and purposes, the hull configuration of this invention may be incorporated into aluminum boats for enhanced performance, regardless of the anticipated use. 
     With reference, however, to the bay-type configuration illustrated in FIG. 1, the boat includes an upper deck  22  including a steering console mechanism  24  and gunwales  26   a ,  26   b . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, on the underside of the boat  20  is the hull  30  incorporating the inventive principles of the present invention. At the bow  32  there are concave or reversely curved sections  32   a ,  32   b  carried by a bow extrusion  33 . Extending rearwardly from the bow  32  are a plurality of parallel strakes spaced on either side of the longitudinally extending central axis  30 ′ of the hull  30 , six such strakes  34   a  through  34   f  being shown for illustrative purposes. The strakes  32   a - 32   f  extend from a collapsed forward edge in a constant cross-sectional configuration to a rear edge  35  located at the stern  36  of the boat. 
     Extending rearwardly and centrally from the bow extrusion  33  along the central longitudinal axis  30   a  of the hull  30  is a keel  38  which, in the preferred embodiment of this invention, terminates at a point  37  forward of the stern  36 . 
     A set back section  40  extending beyond the transom  42  for mounting of an outboard engine (not shown) is preferably provided on the stern  36 , including a flat section  40   a  which extends parallel to the transom of the boat. The flat section of the set back can be secured to the transom in any desired manner such as by welded channels (not shown). Two concave curved sections  40   b  and  40   c , as shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  5 , cover the connection between the flat section  40  and the transom  42  of the boat to provide for a cosmetically attractive installation. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2,  4  and  6 , wedge shaped lips  44   a ,  44   b  are added to the bottom of the hull at two locations adjacent the rear edge  37  of the hull. The height of the wedges preferably increase in a direction from the bow to the stern, and from chine to keel as well. The lips minimize any bow lift during initial application of power from an outboard engine mounted on the set back section  40 , and then, when the boat is under power, these lips have minimal or no contact with the water. If deep lips are used, the rear end of the strakes can be collapsed. 
     Strakes  34   c  and  34   d  are shown in more detail in FIG.  7 . These strakes are representative of all of the strakes on the hull. Each strake includes side walls  46   a ,  46   b  intersecting to form a U-shaped intersection  46   c . In an alternative embodiment (not shown), intersection  46   c  may be vee shaped or may have any other configuration. 
     The hull  30  is made up of two aluminum sections  30   a ,  30   b  extending at an angle to the horizontal and held in place in the keel  38  in a conventional manner within openings  38   a ,  38   b , respectively, such as by welds  48   a ,  48   b  located on the interior of the hull  30 . 
     An important improvement in the hull of the instant invention is the addition of the small triangular substantially flat pad  50  in between the innermost strakes  34   c  and  34   d  and extending forwardly of the stern  36  of the boat. The triangular pad  50  includes a base  52  extending tranversely to the central axis  30 ′ at the transom  42  and a pair of sides  54 ,  54  extending forwardly and inwardly from the ends of the base  52  to converge at an apex at the point  37  where the pad  50  meets the keel  38 . The pad  50  may be secured to the sides  30   a ,  30   b  of the hull and to the end of the keel  38  in any conventional manner such as by welds (not shown). 
     The dimensions of the pad  50  obviously depend on the size of the hull. However, it is important that the base  52  extends between the innermost strakes  34   c  and  34   d , preferably terminating at the strakes  34   c ,  34   d , for increased lift and speed without interfering with the improved stability and handling characteristics afforded by the strakes. For most applications, the width of the base  52  should be on the order of about 10″ to 14″. 
     The height “h” of the triangular pad  50  along the central axis  30 ′ of the hull  30  from the base  52  to the apex of the triangle at the point  37  is very limited in contrast to the extended flattened bottom surfaces or long “pad” found in prior art stepped hull designs. For example, in a hull of approximately 19′ in length, the height “h” of the pad  50  can be from approximately 30″ to about 4′, or from about 10 percent to about 25 percent of the length of the hull, preferably from about 15 percent to about 25 percent. 
     Although, as noted, some leeway exists, the preferred pad has a base  52  width of about 10″ and a height “h” of about 33″. Such a configuration provides increased lift and maximum speed when the boat is moving fast and the bow of the boat is lifted out of the water without reducing the stabilizing effect of the strakes which tend to keep the boat straight to, thereby, facilitate handling. The limited extent of the triangular flat pad does not interfere with the smooth ride afforded by the vee shaped hull which still extends over the major portion of the length of the hull. 
     The foregoing description should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.