摘要 |
A multi-hull watercraft, such as a catamaran or trimaran is constructed to facilitate the righting thereof following a capsize. By providing a pivot connection between the hulls and the cross-members, in accordance with one method, it is possible to right the capsized vehicle by piecemeal rotation of the hulls through 180 DEG from an inverted to an upright disposition. Following this maneuver, the mast may be either rotated up and out of the water to an erect disposition or, alternatively, the mast can be jacked vertically through the deck. In accordance with a second method, the multiple hulls are interconnected by articulated, extendable and contractible cross-members and righting is achieved by sequentially reducing the beam of the craft, canting its buoyant mast from vertical so that the watercraft will roll so as to be floating on one hull and on the buoyant mast and then while canting the mast in the opposite direction again extending the cross-member to increase the beam such that a rotational moment about the one hull is created sufficient to raise the mast out of the water to an upright disposition.
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