Patent ID: 8622779

Claim:
A watercraft comprising: a hull; an engine disposed inside the hull, the engine having an engine casing; a crankshaft disposed at least in part in the engine casing; a marine propulsion unit operatively connected to the engine for propelling the watercraft, the marine propulsion unit including: a water intake ramp; a driveshaft connected to the crankshaft; and one of an impeller and a propeller operatively connected to the driveshaft, the one of the propeller and the impeller and a portion of the driveshaft being disposed in the water intake ramp, a remainder of the driveshaft being disposed at least partially inside the hull; a front wall formed at least in part by the water intake ramp, the driveshaft extending through the front wall; and a sealing unit longitudinally disposed between the front wall and the engine, the sealing unit comprising: a first sealing sub-unit disposed around a first portion of the remainder of the driveshaft, the first sealing sub-unit having a first end and a second end, the first end being sealingly connected to the front wall, the second end being sealingly connected to the engine casing, an inside of the first sealing sub-unit being in fluid communication with the water intake ramp, the first sealing sub-unit preventing fluid communication between the water intake ramp and a portion of an inside of the hull; and a second sealing sub-unit disposed around a second portion of the remainder of the driveshaft, the second sealing sub-unit having a first end and a second end, the first end being sealingly connected to the driveshaft, the second end being sealingly connected to at least one of the crankshaft and the engine casing, at least the first end of the second sealing sub-unit being disposed longitudinally between the first and second ends of the first sealing sub-unit, and at least the first end of the second sealing sub-unit being disposed radially between the driveshaft and at least a portion of the first sealing sub-unit, and the second sealing sub-unit preventing fluid communication between the water intake ramp and an interior of the engine.