Marine vessel hull with a longitudinally-vented, partial-beam transverse step

Abstract

A marine vessel hull, and marine vessels comprising at least one such hull, comprising a non-entrapment hull having at least one partial-beam, longitudinally vented transverse step, each partial-beam, longitudinally vented transverse step comprising a transverse step with port and starboard portions that extend inwardly to an intersection with at least one longitudinal step but do not fully extend from starboard to port across the full beam of the vessel.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A marine vessel hull having a port and starboard, the vessel comprising at least one longitudinally-vented, partial-beam transverse step, each longitudinally-vented, partial-beam, transverse step comprising:
 at least one port forward longitudinal step portion connecting to a port transverse step portion, the port transverse step portion extending to the port of the vessel from an intersection with the at least one port forward longitudinal step portion, the at least one port forward longitudinal step portion defining a longitudinal air pathway configured to feed air into the port transverse step portion when the hull is in motion on a body of water; and   at least one starboard forward longitudinal step portion connecting to a starboard transverse step portion, the starboard transverse step portion extending to the starboard of the vessel from an intersection with the at least one starboard forward longitudinal step portion, the at least one starboard forward longitudinal step portion defining a longitudinal air pathway configured to feed air into the starboard transverse step portion when the hull is in motion on a body of water;   wherein no transverse step portion extends between the at least one port forward longitudinal step portion and the at least one starboard forward longitudinal step portion.   
     
     
         2 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 1 , wherein each longitudinal step portion has a cross-sectional profile that comprises a cutout into the hull relative to a line defined by a deadrise angle of the hull, the cutout comprising a vertical rise starting from the line defined by the deadrise angle and a run tilted outwardly upward at a lesser, non-horizontal angle than the deadrise angle and that extends to an intersection with the line defined by the deadrise angle. 
     
     
         3 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one port aft longitudinal step portion extending aft of the at least one longitudinally-vented, partial-beam transverse step;   at least one starboard aft longitudinal step portion extending aft of the at least one longitudinally-vented, partial-beam transverse step.   
     
     
         4 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one forward port longitudinal step portion and the at least one aft port longitudinal step portion are longitudinally aligned with one another and the at least one forward starboard longitudinal step portion and the at least one aft starboard longitudinal step portion are longitudinally aligned with one another such as to define at least one otherwise continuous longitudinal step extending forward and aft of the at least one partial-beam transverse step but for port and starboard discontinuities introduced by the at least one partial-beam transverse step. 
     
     
         5 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 1 , wherein hull is devoid of lifting strakes. 
     
     
         6 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 1 , wherein the partial-beam, longitudinally-vented transverse step defines a plurality of longitudinally unrestricted transverse step air pathways configured to ventilate the partial-beam, longitudinally-vented transverse step from the port and starboard when the vessel is in motion on a body of water. 
     
     
         7 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 1 , wherein the hull comprises a plurality of longitudinal steps. 
     
     
         8 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 7 , wherein at least one longitudinally-vented, partial-beam transverse step intersects with all of the longitudinal steps. 
     
     
         9 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 7 , wherein at least one longitudinally-vented, partial-beam transverse step intersects with fewer than all of the longitudinal steps. 
     
     
         10 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 7 , comprising a plurality of partial-beam transverse steps. 
     
     
         11 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 10 , wherein one of the plurality of longitudinally-vented, partial-beam transverse steps intersects with more longitudinal steps than another of the plurality of longitudinally-vented, partial-beam transverse steps. 
     
     
         12 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 11 , comprising exactly two longitudinal steps and exactly two partial-beam transverse steps. 
     
     
         13 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 12 , wherein each longitudinally-vented, partial-beam transverse step intersects both longitudinal steps. 
     
     
         14 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 12 , wherein each longitudinally-vented, partial-beam transverse step intersects with only one of the longitudinal steps. 
     
     
         15 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 1 , wherein each transverse step portion of the at least one transverse step tapers from a maximum height at an inboard edge to a minimum height at an inboard edge. 
     
     
         16 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 15 , wherein the maximum height of each transverse step portion exceeds a height of the longitudinal step with which the transverse step portion intersects. 
     
     
         17 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 15 , wherein each transverse step portion has a zero height at the inboard edge. 
     
     
         18 . The marine vessel hull of  claim 15 , wherein each transverse step portion has a non-zero height at the inboard edge. 
     
     
         19 . A marine vessel comprising at least one marine vessel hull of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . The marine vessel of  claim 19 , wherein the vessel comprises only a single hull.