Personal watercraft

Abstract

A hybrid personal watercraft combines features of pontoon boats and deck boats, in a cost-effective and versatile package. The watercraft includes port and starboard sponsons which combine a pair of outboard flotation cavities. A space below the deck and above the hull bottom creates at least one, and potentially up to three additional flotation cavities, which may also be used as storage areas accessible by an access door in the bow of the watercraft and/or a set of hatches in the deck. The watercraft may be efficiently produced assembled from polymer materials, such as thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO).

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A personal watercraft comprising:
 a hull bottom having a fore portion, an aft portion, a port edge, and a starboard edge;   a port sponson and a starboard sponson each fixed to the hull bottom and extending between the fore portion and the aft portion, the port sponson including a port ledge, the starboard sponson including a starboard ledge, the port edge of the hull bottom being supported by the port ledge, and the starboard edge of the hull bottom being supported by the starboard ledge; and   a deck fixed to the port sponson and the starboard sponson, the deck spaced above the hull bottom to define a cavity therebetween.   
     
     
         26 . The personal watercraft of  claim 25 , wherein the port ledge forms an angled abutment on the port sponson, and wherein the port edge of the hull bottom nests within the angled abutment on the port sponson. 
     
     
         27 . The personal watercraft of  claim 26 , wherein the starboard ledge forms an angled abutment on the starboard sponson, and wherein the starboard edge of the hull bottom nests within the angled abutment on the starboard sponson. 
     
     
         28 . The personal watercraft of  claim 25 , wherein the deck includes a plurality of apertures to enable access to the cavity, the personal watercraft further including a plurality of hatches configured to selectively seal respective ones of the plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         29 . The personal watercraft of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of apertures includes:
 at least one port deck aperture which provides access to a port portion of the cavity;   at least one starboard deck aperture which provides access to a starboard portion of the cavity; and   at least one central deck aperture disposed laterally between the at least one port deck aperture and the at least one starboard deck aperture which provides access to a central portion of the cavity.   
     
     
         30 . The personal watercraft of  claim 25 , wherein the deck extends from the fore portion to the aft portion such that the hull bottom, the port sponson, the starboard sponson, and the deck cooperate to define the cavity. 
     
     
         31 . The personal watercraft of  claim 25 , wherein the hull bottom further comprises:
 a keelson extending along a fore/aft direction and centered around a lateral plane;   a port hull portion that extends laterally and downwardly from the port sponson to the keelson; and   a starboard hull portion that extends laterally and downwardly from the starboard sponson to the keelson.   
     
     
         32 . The personal watercraft of  claim 31 , wherein the lateral plane is equidistant from the port sponson and the starboard sponson. 
     
     
         33 . The personal watercraft of  claim 31 , wherein the hull bottom further comprises a transom portion, the transom portion extending between and fixed to the port sponson and the starboard sponson such that the transom portion forms an aft boundary of the cavity. 
     
     
         34 . The personal watercraft of  claim 33 , wherein the port hull portion includes a port spray rail and the starboard hull portion includes a starboard spray rail, the port spray rail and the starboard spray rail each extend between a fore end proximate the keelson and an aft end proximate the transom portion. 
     
     
         35 . The personal watercraft of  claim 25 , wherein the port ledge is formed along an interior surface of the port sponson, and wherein the starboard ledge is formed along an interior surface of the starboard sponson. 
     
     
         36 . A personal watercraft comprising:
 a hull bottom having a fore portion and an aft portion;   a port sponson and a starboard sponson each fixed to the hull bottom and extending from the fore portion to the aft portion;   a deck fixed to the port sponson and the starboard sponson, the deck spaced above the hull bottom to define a cavity therebetween, and the deck including a plurality of apertures to enable access to the cavity; and   a plurality of hatches configured to selectively seal respective ones of the plurality of apertures.   
     
     
         37 . The personal watercraft of  claim 36 , wherein the plurality of apertures includes:
 at least one port deck aperture which provides access to a port portion of the cavity;   at least one starboard deck aperture which provides access to a starboard portion of the cavity; and   at least one central deck aperture disposed laterally between the at least one port deck aperture and the at least one starboard deck aperture which provides access to a central portion of the cavity.   
     
     
         38 . The personal watercraft of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the hull bottom further comprises a port edge,   the port sponson includes a port ledge, and   the port edge of the hull bottom is supported by the port ledge.   
     
     
         39 . The personal watercraft of  claim 38 , wherein the port ledge forms an angled abutment on the port sponson, and wherein the port edge of the hull bottom nests within the angled abutment on the port sponson. 
     
     
         40 . The personal watercraft of  claim 38 , wherein:
 the hull bottom further comprises a starboard edge,   the starboard sponson includes a starboard ledge, and   the starboard edge of the hull bottom is supported by the starboard ledge.   
     
     
         41 . The personal watercraft of  claim 40 , wherein the port ledge is formed along an interior surface of the port sponson, and wherein the starboard ledge is formed along an interior surface of the starboard sponson. 
     
     
         42 . The personal watercraft of  claim 36 , wherein the hull bottom further comprises a transom portion, the transom portion extending between and fixed to the port sponson and the starboard sponson such that the transom portion forms an aft boundary of the cavity. 
     
     
         43 . The personal watercraft of  claim 36 , wherein the hull bottom further comprises:
 a keelson extending along a fore/aft direction and centered around a lateral plane;   a port hull portion that extends laterally and downwardly from the port sponson to the keelson; and   a starboard hull portion that extends laterally and downwardly from the starboard sponson to the keelson.   
     
     
         44 . The personal watercraft of  claim 43 , wherein the lateral plane is equidistant from the port sponson and the starboard sponson.