Patent ID: 8177594

Claim:
A method of controlling a watercraft, the watercraft having 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 being movable between a first stowed position and a second position in which the reverse gate redirects a jet of water expelled from the jet propulsion system, the reverse gate being in operative connection with the reverse gate operator, the method comprising: 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.