Sectional boat

Abstract

A sectional boat includes fore and aft boat sections releasably couplable together by a releasable coupler cooperating between the fore and aft boat section transoms. When the boat sections are assembled to form the boat, the fore and aft boat section transoms abut in opposed facing relation to one another. The releasable coupler may include at least one dovetail coupler having at least one female dovetail groove in each of the transoms and disposed so as to be aligned and opposed facing when the transoms are in their opposed facing relation. Each dovetail coupler may include at least one pair of male dovetail tenons mounted thereon in oppositely disposed relation so to engage in their corresponding opposed facing female dovetail grooves. Each tenon is sized to snugly slidably mate into a corresponding female dovetail groove in each of the transoms. Each tenon includes an upstanding lug having an aperture. A rigid member mates through the aperture so as to releasably lock each tenon in its corresponding female dovetail groove.

1 . A sectional boat comprising:
 fore and aft boat sections releasably couplable together by a releasable coupler cooperating between the fore and aft boat sections, wherein said boat sections include corresponding fore and aft boat section transoms and wherein when said boat sections are assembled to form said boat, said fore and aft boat section transoms abut in opposed facing relation,   wherein said releasable coupler comprises at least one dovetail coupler having at least one female dovetail groove in each of said transoms and disposed so as to be aligned and opposed facing when said transoms are in said opposed facing relation, and wherein said at least one dovetail coupler includes at least one pair of male dovetail tenons mounted thereon in oppositely disposed relation so to engage in a corresponding said opposed facing female dovetail grooves, wherein each said tenon is sized to snugly slidably mate into a corresponding said female dovetail groove in each of said transoms,   wherein each said tenon includes a substantially vertically upstanding lug mounted to and extending upwardly from an uppermost end of each said tenon so as to extend above an upper edge of a corresponding transom of said fore and aft boat section transoms when each said tenon is snugly mated in said corresponding female dovetail groove,   wherein each said lug includes an aperture, and wherein said coupler further comprises a rigid elongate member for mating in each said aperture so as to releasably lock each said tenon in said snug mating engagement in said corresponding female dovetail groove.   
     
     
         2 . The boat of  claim 1  wherein said at least one dovetail coupler includes at least a pair of said dovetail couplers cooperating between said transoms. 
     
     
         3 . The boat of  claim 1  wherein each said aperture is a bore which extends entirely through each said lug, and wherein one said elongate member is mountable in each said aperture so as to journal said elongate member through said bore in snug sliding engagement therein. 
     
     
         4 . The boat of  claim 3  wherein each said bore is oriented laterally along said upper edge of said corresponding transom when said at least one tenon is snugly mated in said at least one female dovetail groove, and wherein said elongate member when mounted through each said bore lies substantially flush along said upper edge of said corresponding transom when said dovetail block member is in a fully upwardly mated position is said dovetail grooves. 
     
     
         5 . The boat of  claim 4  wherein said at least one female dovetail grooves in each said transom is a substantially parallel pair of female dovetail grooves and wherein corresponding said at least one tenon each has one of said lugs mounted thereon, and wherein corresponding said bores in said lugs are substantially parallel in each said dovetail block member. 
     
     
         6 . The boat of  claim 5  wherein each said female dovetail groove widens from a narrow upper end of each said groove to a wider lower end of each said groove, and wherein each corresponding said tenon is correspondingly wedge shaped so as to have a narrower upper end and a wider lower end to snugly fit each said tenon in each corresponding said female dovetail groove, wherein when each said tenon is snugly wedged into each said corresponding female dovetail groove in said mating engagement by sliding each said tenon upwardly into each corresponding said female dovetail groove, each said tenon is firmly wedged into said fully upwardly mated position in its corresponding said female dovetail groove so as to position said bore in each said corresponding lug said adjacent said upper edge of said corresponding transom. 
     
     
         7 . The boat of  claim 6  wherein said boat sections are substantially identically shaped so that one of said boat sections when overlaid on the other snugly fits said one of said boat sections onto said other boat section for storage and off-water transportation.