Power boat with wash diverter

Abstract

A wash diverter that diverts wash produced by a motor away from a smooth, steep surf wave form formed in a wake by a deployed wave shaper of a power boat. The wash diverter can extend along the bottom edge of a transom of the power boat and be rotated to different positions. The wash diverter can span between the chine and keel of the boat. The wash diverter can include a main plate portion and an elongate portion. The main plate portion can be disposed proximate the chine and an end of the elongate portion can be disposed proximate the keel. The elongate portion can have a width that is less than half of the main plate portion. The wash diverter can form a low-pressure pocket in the water behind the power boat to direct wash away from the smooth, steep surf wave form in the wake.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water sports boat with a wash diverter to divert wash away from a port or a starboard surf wave form formed in a wake produced by the water sports boat by creating a low-pressure pocket, the water sports boat comprising:
 a cockpit including controls configured to provide a driver operation of the water sports boat;   a hull comprising a transom, a keel, a port chine, and a starboard chine;   a sterndrive engine configured to propel the hull of the water sports boat through water to create a wake;   one or more wake shapers configured to be controlled by the driver to form a port or starboard wave form in the wake; and   a wash diverter rotatably coupled to the transom, the wash diverter configured to be movable by an actuator between an upward stowed position and a downward deployed position, the wash diverter comprising a main tab and an elongate extension portion, the main tab disposed proximate the port chine or the starboard chine, and the elongate extension portion extending to proximate the keel;   wherein the wash diverter is configured to be moved by the actuator to a deployed position in which the wash diverter creates a low-pressure pocket in the water that pulls wash produced by the sterndrive engine away from the port or starboard wave form in the wake to a more central position such that the port or starboard wave form has a smooth front face.   
     
     
         2 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the wash diverter is substantially coplanar with a projected plane of a running surface of the hull in the upward stowed position. 
     
     
         3 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the wash diverter is above a projected plane of a running surface of the hull in the upward stowed position. 
     
     
         4 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the wash diverter extends below a projected plane of a running surface of the hull when in the downward deployed position. 
     
     
         5 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the wash diverter is disposed at a position on the transom that is lower than that of the one or more wake shapers. 
     
     
         6 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the wash diverter is configured to be deployed when the one or more wake shapers are deployed. 
     
     
         7 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal edge of the wash diverter is rotatably coupled to the transom. 
     
     
         8 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the main tab extends away from the transom farther than the elongate extension portion. 
     
     
         9 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the main tab extends away from the transom twice as far as the elongate extension portion. 
     
     
         10 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the elongate extension portion in a chine-to-keel direction is greater than a width of the elongate extension portion extending away from the transom. 
     
     
         11 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the elongate extension portion in a chine-to-keel direction is at least twice as large as a length of the main tab in the chine-to-keel direction. 
     
     
         12 . The water sports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the main tab and the elongate extension portion are integrally formed from a plate of material. 
     
     
         13 . A water sports boat with a wash diverter to divert wash away from a port or a starboard surf wave form formed in a wake produced by the water sports boat, the water sports boat comprising:
 a cockpit including controls configured to provide a driver operation of the water sports boat;   a hull comprising a transom, a keel, a port chine, and a starboard chine;   an engine configured to propel the hull of the water sports boat through water to create a wake;   one or more wake shapers configured to be controlled by the driver to form a port or starboard wave form in the wake; and   a wash diverter rotatably coupled to the transom, the wash diverter configured to be movable by an actuator between an upward stowed position and a downward deployed position, the wash diverter comprising a tab and an elongate portion, the tab disposed proximate the port chine or the starboard chine, and the elongate portion extending to proximate the keel;   wherein the wash diverter is configured to be moved by the actuator to a deployed position in which the wash diverter moves wash away from the port or starboard wave form in the wake to a more central position.   
     
     
         14 . The water sports boat of  claim 13 , wherein the wash diverter extends below a projected plane of a running surface of the hull when in the downward deployed position. 
     
     
         15 . The water sports boat of  claim 13 , wherein a longitudinal edge of the wash diverter is rotatably coupled to the transom proximate a bottom edge of the transom. 
     
     
         16 . The water sports boat of  claim 13 , wherein the tab extends away from the transom farther than the elongate portion. 
     
     
         17 . The water sports boat of  claim 13 , wherein a length of the elongate portion in a chine-to-keel direction is greater than a width of the elongate portion extending away from the transom. 
     
     
         18 . The water sports boat of  claim 13 , wherein the wash diverter is disposed at a position on the transom that is lower than that of the one or more wake shapers. 
     
     
         19 . A water sports boat with a wash diverter to divert wash away from a port or a starboard surf wave form formed in a wake produced by the water sports boat, the water sports boat comprising:
 a cockpit including controls configured to provide a driver operation of the water sports boat;   a hull comprising a transom and a keel;   an engine configured to propel the hull of the water sports boat through water to create a wake;   one or more wake shapers configured to be controlled by the driver to form a port or starboard wave form in the wake; and   a wash diverter rotatably coupled to the transom, the wash diverter configured to be movable by an actuator between an upward stowed position and a downward deployed position;   wherein the wash diverter is configured to be moved by the actuator to a deployed position in which the wash diverter moves wash away from the port or starboard wave form in the wake to a more central position.   
     
     
         20 . The water sports boat of  claim 19 , wherein the wash diverter is rotatably coupled to the transom proximate a bottom edge of the transom at a position that is lower than then one or more wake shapers.