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(11) | EP 0 107 505 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Boat capable of being used either as a canoe or as a sailing boat |
| (57) A boat is provided which is capable of use either as a canoe or as a sailing boat.
The boat has a hull (2) a mast (6) selectively mountable on the hull (2) for use as
such when the boat is in its sailing boat configuration or stowable on the hull (2)
when the boat is in its canoe configuration, and a sail (20). A member is provided
which is formed of a plurality of sections, which is usable, when the sections are
connected together, as a paddle (44), and, when the sections are disconnected, is
such that one section is usable as a boom (18) one section is usable as a centre-board
(24), and one section is usable as a rudder (26). |
[0001] This invention relates to a boat which is capable of use either as a canoe or as a sailing boat.
[0002] According to the invention there is provided a boat capable of use either as a canoe or as a sailing boat, comprising: a hull; a mast selectively mountable on the hull for use as such when the boat is in its sailing boat configuration or stowable on the hull when the boat is in its canoe configuration;- a sail; and a member formed of a plurality of disconnectible sections, which is usable, when the sections are connected together, as a paddle, and, when the sections are disconnected, is such that one section is usable as a boom and/or one section is usable as a centre-board and/or one section is usable as a rudder.
[0003] In a preferred form of the invention the said member is formed of three sections of which, when the sections are disconnected, one end section is usable as a centre-board, another end section is usable as a rudder, and a middle section is usable as a boom.
[0004] An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows the boat in its sailing boat configuration;
Figure 2 shows the boat in its canoe configuration;
Figure 3 shows the lower portion of the boat in more detail in the configuration of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the hull; and
Figure 5 is a bow elevation of the hull, showing also the centre-board and a portion of the mast.
[0005] The illustrated embodiment comprises a hull 2 on top. of which sits the user 4. The hull may be of any suitable type, though preferably it is formed as a blow-moulding filled with plastic foam. In its sailing boat configuration a mast 6 is mounted on the hull in the mast step 8 (see Figure 4). The mast is preferably formed of at least three hollow sections of tubular metal foldably connected together. Such a form of connection is well known from the construction of the frames of frame tents, and involves the use of resilient connectors, for example springs, mounted within the ends of adjacent tubular sections. One such connector 10 is shown diagrammatically in Figure 3. The uppermost of the vertically extending sections of the mast 6 has a section 12 removably connected thereto (see Figure 1), the section 12 thereof being inclined to provide a gaff-rigged boat.
[0006] As shown in Figure 3, the lower section of the mast carries a connector 1- having an eye 15 by means of which the connector is arranged to swivel about the mast. The connector is held on the mast between pins 16. A boom 18 is removably mounted in a socket 17 of the connector 14. A sail 20 is carried by the mast and boom.
[0007] The hull has a centre-board slot 22 (see Figure 4) which carries a centre-board 24. The centre-board 24 has an obliquely angled, open-ended shaft or cross-piece 25 for a purpose which is explained below. In Figure 3 the centre-board is shown in solid lines as being partially removed, but it is to be understood that in use as a sailing boat the centre-board occupies the position indicated by dashed lines in Figure 3. At its stern the boat has a rudder 26 which is, as can be seen from Figure 3, of substantially the same size and shape as the centre-board 24. The rudder 26 has a shaft portion 28 on which is formed an obliquely angled cross-piece 30. The cross-piece 30 has a bore which enables the rudder 26 to be pivotally mounted on a vertically extending rudder mounting 31. The rudder mounting 31 also carries an eye 32 through which passes a sheet 34 for controlling the sail 20.
[0008] When it is desired to convert the boat from the configuration shown in·Figure 1, to the configuration shown in Figure 2, i.e. for use as a canoe, the mast is folded into its three sections and stowed in a recess 36 formed in the upper surface of the hull. An elastic stowage clip 38 holds the mast in place. The sail is wound on the gaff section 12 and stowed in another recess 40 formed in the upper surface of the hull and is secured by an elastic stowage clip 42. The boom is disconnected from the connector 14 and removed from the lower edge of the sail 20, and the two ends thereof inserted into the ends of the centre-board 24 and rudder 26. This forms a paddle 44, as illustrated in Figure 2. The cross-pieces 25 and 30 form protective rings to prevent water running from the blades of the paddle in the user's hands.
[0009] As mentioned above, the user of the boat, both when it is being used as a sailing boat and when it is being used as a canoe, sits on top of the hull. For this purpose, as shown in Figure 4, a chair-shaped recess 46 is formed on the upper surface of the hull as are two foot pads 48. The foot pads may simply consist of portions of the hull surfaces which are textured, for example by the provision of grooves, so as to provide a firm footing.
1. A boat capable of use either as a canoe or as a sailing boat, comprising: a hull;
a mast selectively mountable on the hull for use as such when the boat is in its sailing
boat configuration or stowable on the hull when the boat is in its canoe configuration;
a sail; and a member formed of a plurality of disconnectible sections which is usable,
when the sections are connected together, as a paddle, and, when the sections are
disconnected, is such that one section is usable as a boom and/or one section is usable
as a centre-board and/or one section is usable as a rudder.
2. A boat according to claim 1, wherein the said member comprises a central section
and two end sections, the central section being usable as a boom, one end section
being usable as a paddle and the other end section being usable as a rudder.
3. A boat according to claim 2, wherein the said sections are substantially identical
to one another.
4. A boat according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the said end sections each carry a drip
ring thereon adapted, when the said member is in use as a paddle, to prevent water
running inwardly along the said end sections towards the said central section.
5. A boat according to claim 4, wherein each drip ring is in the form of a hollow,
obliquely angled, open-ended shaft.
6. A boat according to claim 5, wherein the said hull carries an upstanding rudder
mounting adapted to receive the said open-ended shaft of the end section which is
to form the rudder.
7. A boat according to any preceding claim, wherein the mast carries a connector which
is arranged to swivel thereon, and the boom has an end portion which is removably
mountable in the connector.
8. A boat according to.any preceding claim, wherein the mast is formed of a plurality
of sections foldably connected together.
9. A boat according to any preceding claim, wherein the mast carries an upper inclined
section to provide a gaff rig.
10. A boat according to any preceding claim, wherein the hull is in the form of a
blow-moulding filled with plastic foam.