Boating is a popular pastime for a wide variety of people. The types of boats that boaters use typically range from small rowboats and dinghies, to medium- and large-sized fishing and cruising vessels commonly used by casual fisherman and boating enthusiasts. Other types of small- to large-sized vessels include speedboats and sailboats of all sizes. It is very common for medium- and large-sized watercraft to remain outdoors, for example, moored to a slip in a marina or kept on the side of a residence. Whether the boats are moored at a marina or trailered by the owner, the majority of boats remain outside exposed to the elements night and day. Since these boats have an integral hull, any rainfall to which they are exposed will tend to collect in the bilge area of the boat. Although many boats have a bilge pump included in their construction, owners prefer that the rainwater and other elements be diverted away from the boat interior. This function is usually performed by a cover placed over the open cockpit areas of the boat.
A typical boat cover extends over the cockpit area of a boat and those areas where rain water would have a tendency to collect. Usually, the boat cover extends from the bow to the stern, and from the port gunwale to the starboard gunwale, with a portion of the cover draping over the sides of the boat hull. The cover can have peripheral draw strings to maintain the edge of the cover close to the hull of the boat to prevent light winds from capturing the cover. Further, the cover may have regularly spaced eyelets around the periphery to permit the edges of the boat cover to be securely tied down; thereby, allowing the owner to transport the boat on the open road at highway speeds that would otherwise tend to rip off an untethered cover.
If the middle of these covers is unsupported, the cover tends to form pockets in the mid portion of the cover, where rainwater, snow (when boat is stored outdoors in the winter), or other detritus common to the geographical area can accumulate. One method of preventing the formation of such pockets and the resulting accumulation is to place a vertical pole substantially in the middle of the cover. Such a pole is of a length to raise and support the mid-portion of the cover so that the rainwater, snow, or detritus slides down the surface of the cover and over the sides of the boat. However, a single center pole supporting a majority of the cover at a single point puts the cover material under considerable stress, and after just a couple of years the cover will begin to deteriorate at that point and subject the cover to tearing.
Another method for supporting a boat cover is to permanently modify the boat by attaching opposing sockets on the port and starboard gunwales or fore and aft portions of the boat. Flexible battens of a length greater than the distance therebetween are then installed with one end in each opposing socket so that the batten is bowed upwards. In this manner, the boat cover can maintain a shape that minimizes the formation of pockets and the resultant accumulation of water, snow, or detritus. However, the battens are not completely stable and can fall while the boat cover is being placed on the boat or, when the boat is already covered, the weight of a wet boat cover can cause movement of the batten and subsequently cause the batten to fall. Also, during transportation of the boat, wind can cause the cover to “whip” and dislodge the batten. Further, such designs do not work on cabin cruisers or bowrider boats that have railings affixed to the top of the gunwales of the boat.
Therefore, a boat cover support is needed that maintains a boat cover in a self-supported configuration where there are no pockets formed that could lead to the undesirable collection of rain, snow or detritus.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds