Retractable stabilizer for watercraft

Abstract

A user floatation system for boating safety is provided. The system includes a retractable stabilizer for use with a watercraft. The system includes a float system, coupled to a hull of the watercraft to stabilize the watercraft during use. The float system includes a float, a frame system and a float system. The frame system comprises frame members for coupling the frame system to a watercraft. The float rotating system operatively coupled to the frame system. The float rotating system includes a stabilizer arm coupled to a rotating support at one end thereof, and coupled to the float on an opposite end thereof. The float is moveable between the stored position and the deployed position in response to operation of the float rotating system.

1 . A retractable stabilizer for use with a watercraft, the stabilizer comprising:
 a float system, coupled to a hull of the watercraft to stabilize the watercraft during use, the float system comprising:
 a float; 
 a frame system comprising frame members for coupling the frame system to a watercraft; and 
 a float rotating system operatively coupled to the frame system, wherein the float rotating system comprises a stabilizer arm coupled to a rotating support at one end thereof, and coupled to the float on an opposite end thereof, wherein the float is moveable between the stored position and the deployed position in response to operation of the float rotating system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The stabilizer of  claim 1 , wherein the float rotating system comprises a rotatable handle operatively coupled to a rotating support. 
     
     
         3 . The stabilizer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotation of the handle rotates the rotating support. 
     
     
         4 . The stabilizer of  claim 3 , wherein the float is moved between the stored position and the deployed position in response to rotating the rotating support of the float rotating system. 
     
     
         5 . The stabilizer of  claim 3 , wherein the float rotating system further comprising a lock pin coupled to the stabilizer arm and a depth plate coupled to a frame member of the frame system, wherein depth plate comprises a plurality of apertures extending through the depth plate the lock pin is configured to be removably inserted within any of the plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         6 . The stabilizer of  claim 5 , wherein the float rotating system comprises a lock spring, wherein the lock spring biases the float rotating system toward a locked position. 
     
     
         7 . The stabilizer of  claim 6 , wherein the float rotating system is moveable between the locked position and the unlocked position in response to moving the lock pin between a locked position wherein the lock pin extends into one aperture of the plurality of apertures and the unlocked position wherein the lock pin is does not extend into any of the plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         8 . The stabilizer of  claim 7 , wherein the lock pin is moved to the unlocked position in response to movement of the handle from a default linear position in a first linear direction. 
     
     
         9 . The stabilizer of  claim 8 , wherein the lock pin is moved to the locked position in response to movement of the handle to the default linear position. 
     
     
         10 . The stabilizer of  claim 5 , wherein the depth plate is a semicircular shape. 
     
     
         11 . The stabilizer of  claim 10 , wherein one aperture of the plurality of apertures of the depth plate is located on one end of the depth plate and the remainder of the apertures of the plurality of apertures is located on an opposing end. 
     
     
         12 . The stabilizer of  claim 11 , wherein the one aperture located on one end of the depth plate corresponds to the float in the stored position, and the remainder of the apertures of the plurality of apertures corresponds to the deployed position, wherein each of the remainder of apertures corresponds to a different depth the float extends within a body of water travelled by the watercraft. 
     
     
         13 . A method of using a retractable stabilizer, the method comprising:
 moving the float rotating system into an unlocked position from a locked position;   rotating a float to a deployed position from a stored position in response to rotating the handle; and   moving the float rotating system into the locked position from the unlocked position.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein moving the float rotating system into the unlocked position from the locked position comprises moving a lock pin of the float rotating system from a locked position to an unlocked position. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein moving the float rotating system into the locked position from the unlocked position comprises moving the lock pin from the unlocked position to the locked position. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein moving the lock pin between the locked position and unlocked position includes moving the lock pin between engagement and disengagement with any of the plurality of apertures of a depth plate of float rotating system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising adjusting the depth a float of the retractable stabilizer extends within a body of water travelled by a watercraft the retractable stabilizer is coupled to in response to engaging the lock pin within a different aperture of the plurality of apertures of the depth plate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising moving the float rotating system into the unlocked position from the locked position; and rotating a float to the stored position from the deployed position in response to rotating the handle. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising moving the float rotating system into the locked position from the unlocked position. 
     
     
         20 . A watercraft comprising:
 a seat with a first horizontal orientation for a user to sit thereon;   a hull, located below, behind and in front of the seat respectively, the hull having a top surface; and   a float system, coupled to a hull of the watercraft to stabilize the watercraft during use, the float system comprising:
 a float; 
 a frame system comprising frame members for coupling the frame members to a watercraft; and 
 a float rotating system operatively coupled to the frame system, wherein the float rotating system comprises a stabilizer arm coupled to a rotating support at one end thereof, and coupled to the float on an opposite end thereof, wherein the float is moveable between the stored position and the deployed position in response to operation of the float rotating system.