Aluminum Watercraft With Rounded Corners At The Stern

Abstract

An aluminum watercraft that includes rounded port and starboard corners at the stern of the watercraft. The rounded port and starboard corners are formed by integral port and starboard corner extensions extending from the posterior of the port and starboard side walls of the watercraft's hull. During manufacture, the port and starboard corner extensions are bent and joined to a transom assembly. The deck of the watercraft extends to the transom assembly and the bent port and starboard extensions. Curved port and starboard rails are attached to the curved port and starboard corners.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a watercraft, the method comprising:
 cutting a port hull section from a sheet of aluminum, the port hull section comprising a port corner extension extending from a posterior of the port hull section;   cutting a starboard hull section from a sheet of aluminum, the starboard hull section comprising a starboard corner extension extending from a posterior of the starboard hull extension;   joining the port hull section and the starboard hull section along a hull midline to form a hull;   joining a lower transom to a lower posterior edge of the hull;   bending and joining the port corner extension to a port side of a transom assembly;   bending and joining the starboard corner extension to a starboard side of the transom assembly; and   attaching an interior liner and deck to the hull and transom assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein bending the port corner extension forms a rounded port corner at a stern of the watercraft, and
 wherein bending the starboard corner extension forms a rounded starboard corner at the stern of the watercraft.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 attaching a curved port rail to the rounded port corner; and   attaching a curved starboard rail to the rounded starboard corner.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the curved port rail and the curved starboard rail each comprise a rigid extrusion and a resilient component. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transom assembly comprises an upper transom, a transom step, the lower transom, a port transom wing, and a starboard transom wing. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the port corner extension comprises a port extension top edge, a port extension bottom edge, and a port extension distal edge, and   wherein the starboard corner extension comprises a starboard extension top edge, a starboard extension bottom edge, and a starboard extension distal edge.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein joining the port corner extension to a port side of a transom assembly comprises:
 joining a port extension bottom edge to the port transom wing; and   joining a port extension distal edge to the upper transom.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein joining the starboard corner extension to a starboard side of a transom assembly comprises:
 joining a starboard extension bottom edge to the starboard transom wing; and   joining a starboard extension distal edge to the upper transom.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the deck extends to the port extension top edge and the starboard extension top edge. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising attaching a port gunnel to the port hull section and attaching a starboard gunnel to the starboard hull section. 
     
     
         11 . An aluminum watercraft comprising:
 a hull comprising a port hull side wall and a starboard hull side wall;   a port corner extension extending from a posterior of the port hull side wall;   a starboard corner extension extending from a posterior of the starboard hull side wall;   a transom assembly attached to a hull lower posterior edge of the hull; and   a deck attached to the hull,   wherein the port corner extension is bent to attach to a port side of the transom assembly and to form a rounded port corner, and   wherein the starboard corner extension is bent to attach to a starboard side of the transom assembly and to form a rounded starboard corner.   
     
     
         12 . The aluminum watercraft of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a curved port rail attached to the rounded port corner; and   a curved starboard rail attached to the rounded starboard corner.   
     
     
         13 . The aluminum watercraft of  claim 12 , wherein the curved port rail and the curved starboard rail each comprise a rigid extrusion and a resilient component. 
     
     
         14 . The aluminum watercraft of  claim 13 , wherein the transom assembly comprises an upper transom, a transom step, a lower transom, a port transom wing, and a starboard transom wing. 
     
     
         15 . The aluminum watercraft of  claim 14 , wherein the transom assembly attaches to the hull lower posterior edge of the hull along the lower transom. 
     
     
         16 . The aluminum watercraft of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the port corner extension comprises a port extension top edge, a port extension bottom edge, and a port extension distal edge, and   wherein the starboard corner extension comprises a starboard extension top edge, a starboard extension bottom edge, and a starboard extension distal edge.   
     
     
         17 . The aluminum watercraft of  claim 14 ,
 wherein a port extension bottom edge attaches to the port transom wing; and   wherein a starboard extension bottom edge attaches to the starboard transom wing.   
     
     
         18 . The aluminum watercraft of  claim 14 ,
 wherein a port extension distal edge attaches to a port side of the upper transom; and   wherein a starboard extension distal edge attaches to a starboard side of the upper transom.   
     
     
         19 . The aluminum watercraft of  claim 16 , wherein the deck extends to the port extension top edge and the starboard extension top edge. 
     
     
         20 . The aluminum watercraft of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a port gunnel attached to the port hull side wall; and   a starboard gunnel attached to the starboard hull side wall.