Patent ID: 7234983

Claim:
A marine vessel and drive combination comprising: a marine vessel comprising a hull having a longitudinally extending keel having a lower reach and port and starboard lower hull surfaces extending upwardly and laterally distally oppositely from said keel in V-shaped relation; a port tunnel formed in said port lower hull surface, said port tunnel having a top spaced above an open bottom; a starboard tunnel in said starboard lower hull surface, said starboard tunnel having a top spaced above an open bottom; a port marine propulsion device comprising a port drive shaft housing extending downwardly in said port tunnel to a port lower gear case supporting at least one port propeller shaft driving at least one port propeller; a starboard marine propulsion device comprising a starboard driveshaft housing extending downwardly in said starboard tunnel to a starboard lower gear case supporting at least one starboard propeller shaft driving at least one starboard propeller; wherein: said port marine propulsion device is a steerable marine propulsion device steerable about a port steering axis which extends through said top of said port tunnel; said starborad marine propulsion device is a steerable marine propulsion device steerable about a starboard steering axis which extends through said top of said starboard tunnel; each of said port and starboard steering axes is vertical; said port marine propulsion device provides propulsion thrust along a port thrust direction along at least one port propeller shaft, said port marine propulsion device having a port reference position with said port thrust direction pointing forwardly parallel to said keel, said port marine propulsion device being steerable about said port steering axis along a first angular range from said port reference position away from said keel, said port marine propulsion device being steerable about said steering axis along a second angular range from said port reference position towards said keel, said first and second angular ranges being unequal, and said port tunnel being asymmetric; said starboard marine propulsion device provides propulsion thrust along a starboard thrust direction along said at least one starboard propeller shaft, said starboard marine propulsion device having a starboard reference position with said starboard thrust direction pointing forwardly parallel to said keel, said starboard marine propulsion device being steerable about said starboard steering axis along a third angular range from said starboard reference position towards said keel, said starboard marine propulsion device being steerable about said starboard steering axis along a fourth angular range from said starboard reference position away from said keel, said third and fourth angular ranges being unequal, and said starboard tunnel being asymmetric.