Patent ID: 8668533

Claim:
A drive for a marine craft comprising: a power source; a gearbox; a plurality of waterjet propulsion units having a nozzle section, a cross-sectional diameter, and a waterjet engagement apparatus configured for transmitting power from the gearbox to the waterjet propulsion unit; wherein at least one of the waterjet engagement apparatuses are engaged thereby providing propulsion to the marine craft; wherein the plurality of waterjet propulsion units include a first waterjet propulsion unit having a first nozzle section having a first cross-sectional diameter, and a second waterjet propulsion unit having second nozzle section having a second cross-sectional diameter; and wherein the waterjet engagement apparatus includes a first waterjet engagement apparatus configured for transmitting power from the gearbox to the first waterjet propulsion unit, and a second waterjet engagement apparatus configured for transmitting power from the gearbox to the second waterjet propulsion unit; and wherein at least one of the first waterjet engagement apparatus and the second waterjet engagement apparatus is engaged thereby providing propulsion to the marine craft; and wherein the drive further comprises one of: A) a user operable control to selectively engage the first waterjet propulsion unit and/or to selectively engage the second waterjet propulsion unit; B) an automatic control to selectively engage at least one of the first waterjet propulsion unit and the second waterjet propulsion unit dependent upon one or more of a marine craft speed and a marine craft resistance; and C) an automatic control to selectively engage at least one of the first waterjet propulsion unit and the second waterjet propulsion unit dependent upon one or more of a marine craft actual direction, a commanded steering direction, and a commanded reversing direction.