Protective Device for the Drive Unit of a Watercraft

Abstract

A protective device ( 14 ) for the drive unit ( 10 ) of a watercraft such as a sport motor boat, a fishing vessel or the like, especially having a Z-drive. In order to prevent barnacle infestation and fouling of the drive unit ( 10 ) while the watercraft lies in the water, the protective device ( 14 ) is configured as a housing ( 16 ) with at least two dimensionally stable housing shell parts ( 18 ), which, in the mutually connected closed state, for the seal-tight enclosure of the drive unit ( 10 ) to be protected, bear in a seal-tight manner one against the other with their closing edges ( 22 ), which correspond to one another in shape, and with an opening edge ( 24 ) against the hull of the watercraft, the housing shell parts ( 18 ) consisting of a lightproof material.

1 . A protective device for the drive unit of a watercraft such as a sport boat, in particular a sport motor boat, a fishing vessel or the like, especially having a Z-drive, the protective device being configured as a housing with two dimensionally stable housing shell parts, which are mutually connected by means of a hinge and, in the mutually connected closed state, enclose the drive unit to be protected and bear one against the other with their closing edges, which correspond to one another in shape, wherein the housing shell parts consist of a lightproof material and are intended with their closing edges to enclose the drive unit in a seal-tight manner and have an opening edge which is intended to bear in a sealing manner against the hull of the watercraft, characterized in that the opening edge has a lip seal and the housing shell parts have on their closing edges a sealing elements, and in that the hinge is provided on edge portions, remote from the opening edges, of the closing edges of the two housing shell parts.  
   
   
       2 . The protective device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the housing with its housing shell parts is matched approximately in shape to the form of the drive unit.  
   
   
       3 . The protective device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the housing shell parts consist of glass-fiber reinforced plastic or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene.  
   
   
       4 . The protective device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the housing is fastenable to the drive unit, to be protected, of the watercraft.  
   
   
       5 . The protective device as claimed in  claim 4 , characterized in that the housing is fastenable to the stern plate of the drive unit to be protected, which stern plate is fastened to the stern of the watercraft.