Patent ID: 8393924

Claim:
A watercraft comprising: a hull; a deck disposed on the hull; an engine supported by at least one of the hull and the deck; a propeller operatively connected to the engine to propel the watercraft, the propeller having a plurality of blades; an electronic control unit (ECU) electrically connected to the engine; a pitch actuator operatively connected to the plurality of blades and electrically connected to the ECU, the pitch actuator being operative to pivot the blades about respective pitch axes between a first pitch and a reverse pitch; a steering device disposed on the deck for steering the watercraft; a throttle actuator disposed on the deck and being electrically connected to the ECU; and a velocity control actuator separate from the throttle actuator, the velocity control actuator being disposed on the deck and being electrically connected to the ECU, the velocity control actuator being movable between an inactive position and a plurality of active positions, the plurality of active positions corresponding to a plurality of degrees of actuation of the velocity control actuator, when the velocity control actuator is in the inactive position, the ECU controlling a speed of the engine based at least in part on a degree of actuation of the throttle actuator, and the ECU causing the pitch actuator to place the plurality of blades at the first pitch, the first pitch being based at least in part on the degree of actuation of the throttle actuator; and when the velocity control actuator is moved from the inactive position to one of the plurality of active positions: the ECU causing the pitch actuator to place the plurality of blades at the reverse pitch, the reverse pitch being based at least in part on the degree of actuation of the velocity control actuator independently of the degree of actuation of the throttle actuator, the ECU momentarily boosting the speed of the engine when the pitch actuator pivots the blades from the first pitch to the reverse pitch, and after momentarily boosting the speed of the engine, the ECU reducing controlling the speed of the engine based at least in part on a degree of actuation of the velocity control actuator independently of the degree of actuation of the throttle actuator.