EP2651756A1

EP2651756A1 - Coupling system

Info

Publication number: EP2651756A1
Application number: EP11811534.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Nigel Ogier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-12-15
Filing date: 2011-12-15
Publication date: 2013-10-23
Also published as: WO2012080442A1; GB201021240D0; GB2477377B; GB2477377A

Abstract

A system (1; 41) for coupling an outboard motor (7) to a vessel (9, 11), the system comprising: a first part (3; 43) configured for coupling to an outboard motor, and a second part (5; 45) configured for coupling to a vessel; wherein the first part (3; 43) includes a first part (19; 51) of a two-part engagement mechanism, and the second part (5; 45) includes a second part (29; 73) of said two-part engagement mechanism, said first (19; 51) and second (29; 73) parts of said engagement mechanism being engageable to couple said first part (3; 43) to said second part (5; 45).

Description

COUPLING SYSTEM

Field

This invention relates to coupling systems. In one illustrative implementation, the invention relates to a system for coupling a motor to a vehicle. The teachings of the present invention have particular utility as a system for coupling an outboard motor to a water vessel, particularly small water vessels such as dinghies, yachts and power boats; and the system will be described below with particular reference to this application.

It will be appreciated, however, that the teachings of the present invention have other applications, and hence the following description and claims should not be read as being limited only to a system for coupling an outboard motor to a boat.

Background

It is commonplace for persons owning a number of boats to swap outboard motors between boats. For example, an owner of a small yacht might moor their yacht offshore and travel between their yacht and the land in a small motor dinghy. When that owner moors their dinghy they will typically remove the outboard motor for safe storage, and when that owner motors out to their yacht they may decouple the motor from the dinghy and couple it to the yacht.

In either case, as outboard motors are typically quite large and heavy items of machinery it can be difficult for one person to decouple the motor from the boat and lift it onto the quayside or to decouple the motor from the dingy and couple it to the yacht.

A typical outboard motor includes one or more C-clamp fixing arrangement that enable the motor to be attached to a boat (typically to the transom of the boat or directly to the stern of the boat). These clamp arrangements include one or more screw bolts that must each be manually turned by way of a small handle and tightened until a firm fit is achieved between the motor mounting clamp and the transom of a boat.

Whilst much of the weight of the motor will be carried by the transom of the boat whilst the clamp(s) is adjusted, it is typically necessary for the person fixing the motor to have one hand on the motor whilst they tighten the clamps. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art it can be difficult to hold the motor in place with one hand while tightening the aforementioned screw bolts with the other. Another drawback with the existing arrangement is that it can take a considerable amount of time to properly tighten the screw bolts when coupling a motor to a boat.

The present invention has been devised with the foregoing problems in mind. Summary

In one illustrative implementation of the teachings of the invention, there is provided a system for coupling an outboard motor to a vessel, the system comprising: a first part configured for coupling to an outboard motor, and a second part configured for coupling to a vessel; wherein the first part includes a first part of a two-part complementary engagement mechanism, and the second part includes a second part of said two-part engagement mechanism, said first and second parts of said engagement mechanism being engageable to couple said first part of said coupling system to said second part of said coupling system.

In another envisaged implementation, there is provided a system for coupling an outboard motor to a vessel, the system comprising: a first part configured for coupling to an outboard motor, and a second part configured for coupling to a vessel; wherein the first part includes a first part of a two-part engagement mechanism that comprises a male part and a female part, and the second part includes a second part of said two-part engagement mechanism, said male and female parts of said engagement mechanism being engageable to couple said first part to said second part.

In either case, it will be appreciated that the coupling system herein described can more easily be operated (for example to couple an outboard motor to the transom of a boat) than existing arrangements where clamps and bolts must be tightened whilst the user is manhandling a relatively cumbersome outboard motor. This is particularly true in circumstances where a single user is trying to couple a motor to, or decouple a motor from, a boat.

In one arrangement, the two-part engagement mechanism may comprise a male part and a complementary female part. For example, the male part may comprise a square-section cone, and the female part may comprise a conical square-section socket.

The system may further comprise means operable to lock the first and second parts of said engagement mechanism together once engaged. For example, the engagement mechanism may be configured so that a distal portion of the first part of the engagement mechanism projects from a distal end of the second part of the engagement mechanism when the first and second parts are engaged, said locking means comprising an aperture through which a padlock shank may be inserted.

In one envisaged arrangement, the system may comprise means for latching the first and second parts of the engagement mechanism together when said first and second parts are engaged. The latching mechanism may comprise a peg carried by an actuator arm that is mounted to one of said first and second parts of said engagement mechanism, said peg being configured to engage with an aperture in the other of said first and second parts of said engagement mechanism to latch said one part to said second part when the first and second parts of said engagement mechanism are engaged.

In one arrangement, the actuator arm that is mounted to one of said first and second parts of said engagement mechanism may be moveable to disengage the peg from the aperture in the other of said first and second parts of said engagement mechanism to unlatch said one part from said second part.

The actuator arm may be moveable to disengage the peg from the aperture and engage the peg in a slot in the other of the first and second parts of said engagement mechanism along which the peg can slide as said one part is disengaged from said second part.

A resilient bias may be provided, the bias being operable, as said first and second parts are disengaged, to urge said actuator arm from a position where the first and second parts are unlatched towards a position where the peg will automatically engage with the aperture if the first part should be reengaged with the second part.

In one implementation the first part of the coupling system comprises said first part of said two-part engagement mechanism, and means for coupling said first part of said two-part engagement mechanism to an outboard motor. In this or another implementation, the second part of the coupling system comprises said second part of said two-part engagement mechanism, and means for coupling said second part of said two-part engagement mechanism to a vessel. The coupling means may be adjustable to vary the relative distance between said second part of said two-part engagement mechanism and a part of said vessel. The coupling means may additionally or alternatively be adjustable to vary the orientation of said second part relative to said vessel part.

In a preferred arrangement, the first part of said engagement mechanism comprises a downwardly depending male part, and said second part of said engagement mechanism comprises an upwardly opening female part.

In another implementation, the teachings of the invention provide a system for coupling an outboard motor to a vessel, the system comprising: a motor mounting part comprising a bracket for attachment to an outboard motor and a male part of an engagement mechanism fixedly coupled to said bracket, and a vessel coupling part comprising a bracket for attachment to a vessel and a female socket of said engagement mechanism adjustably coupled to said bracket; wherein the male part and the female parts of said engagement mechanism are engageable with one another to couple said vessel coupling part to said motor mounting part. In yet another implementation, the teachings of the invention provide a system for coupling an outboard motor to a vessel, the system comprising: a motor mounting part comprising a bracket for attachment to an outboard motor and a female socket of an engagement mechanism fixedly coupled to said bracket, and a vessel coupling part comprising a bracket for attachment to a vessel and a male part of said engagement mechanism adjustably coupled to said bracket; wherein the male part and the female parts of said engagement mechanism are engageable with one another to couple said vessel coupling part to said motor mounting part.

Other features, aspects and embodiments of the invention are set out below and elsewhere in the application.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Various aspects of the teachings of the present invention, and arrangements embodying those teachings, will hereafter be described by way of illustrative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the coupling system;

Fig. 2 is a schematic exploded representation of a first part of the coupling system;

Fig. 3 is a schematic exploded representation of a second part of the coupling system;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of a coupling system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the coupling system depicted in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a first part of the coupling system depicted in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the first part depicted in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an isometric view of part of a second part of the coupling system depicted in Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is an exploded view of the part depicted in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an exploded view of another part of the second part of the coupling system depicted in Fig. 4;

Fig. 1 1 is a schematic representation of a locking arm;

Fig. 12 is a schematic representation of a spring arm for use with the locking arm of Fig. 1 1 ;

Fig. 13 is a schematic representation of a padlock;

Fig. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an illustrative storage mount for use with parts of the aforementioned coupling system; Fig. 15 is a front elevation of the storage mount depicted in Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a right side elevation of another illustrative storage mount for use with parts of the coupling system;

Fig. 17 is a front elevation of the mount shown in Fig. 16; and

Fig. 18 is a top plan view of the mount shown in Figs. 16 and 17.

Detailed Description

Illustrative implementations of the teachings of the invention will now be described with particular reference to a system for coupling an outboard motor to a watercraft such as a vessel or a boat. However, as aforementioned, it should be remembered that this particular application is merely illustrative, and that the teachings of the present invention may equally be applied to systems for coupling other objects together.

With the above proviso in mind reference will now be made to Fig 1 of the accompanying drawings in which there is depicted a coupling system 1 that comprises a first coupling part 3 and a second coupling part 5 (the first 3 and second 5 parts being shown in Fig. 1 as being engaged with one another). In this particular implementation the first coupling part 3 is configured for coupling to an outboard motor 7 and the second coupling part 5 is configured for mounting to a boat, in this particular example to a transom 9 reinforcing the stern 1 1 of the boat.

As shown, the first part and second part each include a respective part of a two- part engagement mechanism. In this particular example, the first part includes a male part of the aforementioned engagement mechanism, and the second part includes a female part having a complementary shape to that of the male part. It will be appreciated, however, that the male and female parts may be reversed so that the first part 3 carries a female part which can be engaged with a complementary male part carried by the second part 5.

Fig. 2 is a schematic exploded view of the first part 3 of the coupling system shown in Fig. 1 . The first part 3 comprises a plate 13 that is configured to be fixed (for example, bolted) to a pair of clamps 15 that form part of the outboard motor 7. The plate 13 is coupled by means of a top plate 17 to a male part 19 of the two-part engagement mechanism. The male part 19 may be wholly or partly hollow to reduce the weight of this part of the coupling system. Further more, whilst in this particular implementation the male part comprises a square section cone (that is to say, a cone with a square cross- section), it will be appreciated that the male and female parts may have alternative complimentary shapes. For example the male part could be rectangular or indeed round or elliptical in section, and the female part could be shaped accordingly. As shown in Fig. 1 , when the plate 13 is fixed to the clamps 15 of the outboard motor 7, the male part 19 extends forwards of the clamps (i.e. in a direction away from the motor).

Referring now to Fig. 3, the second part 5 comprises a bracket for coupling the second part to the transom or stern of a boat. The bracket comprises a first part 21 with a hooked end portion that fits over the top edge of the stern of the boat, and a second part 23 that abuts against an inside wall of the stern. Bolts or other fixings may then be passed through the first part, the stern and through slots in the second part 23 to securely couple the bracket to the boat.

The second part of the bracket has a pair of parallel spaced plates 25 that are configured to slide between or outside of a pair of similar plates 27 that are coupled to the female part 29 of the engagement mechanism. As shown in Fig. 3, the first and second pairs of plates can be moved relative to one another to adjust the distance between the female part and the bracket. Once the female part has been properly located in the boat (in this instance inboard of the stern), the first and second plates can be fixed together (for example by means of bolts) to secure the female part in the desired location.

In a preferred implementation, the female part 29 includes a notch 31 in which a rib 33 (Fig. 2) projecting downwardly from the top plate 17 locates when the male part is properly aligned with the female part.

The female part may also be configured to carry a locking arm 35 that can be separated from the female part and (one the male and female parts have been interengaged) slid through opposite lateral slots in the male and female parts (only one 37 of which is visible in Fig. 2) to lock the one part to the other. The arm 35 may also include one or more holes through which the arm of a padlock may be passed to resist removal of the arm from the male and female parts.

Whilst it is not essential for the male and female parts to have a generally square cross-section and be conical, such an arrangement is advantageous as it facilitates proper alignment of the motor with the transom of the boat. Furthermore, the conical shape of the male and female parts tends to draw the motor towards the rear of the transom as the two parts are interengaged.

Figs. 4 and 5 depict another coupling system 41 that embodies the teachings of the present invention. The coupling system 41 of this embodiment comprises a first coupling part 43 that - in a similar way to the system of Figs. 1 to 3 - is configured to mate with a second coupling part 45 so that a motor can be mounted to the transom of a boat, for example. The first coupling part 43, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, comprises a front plate 47 that is joined with (for example, welded to) a rear plate 49 to form a hollow tapered male part 51 that has a generally square cross-section..The tapered male part 51 is coupled by a generally triangular reinforcing plate 53 to a support plate 55 on which an outboard motor (for example) can be mounted. The reinforcing plate 53 is configured to locate in a slot 57 formed in the rear plate 49 so that part of the reinforcing plate 53 projects into the hollow interior of the male part 51 . A top plate 59 is joined (for example, welded) to the front plate 47, the rear plate 59, the reinforcing plate 53 and the support plate 55 to close off the male part 51 and securely couple the male part 51 to the support plate 55.

As shown in Fig. 7, distal parts of the front and rear plates 47, 49 are each formed with an aperture 61 that is sized so that the shank 63 of a marine padlock 65, such as that shown in Fig. 13, can be fed through the apertures 61 when the front and rear plates 47, 49 are secured together. In a particularly preferred arrangement, the front and rear plate apertures and the padlock are configured and arranged so that a boltcutter (or other similar tool) cannot be inserted between the padlock and the front or rear plate to cut the shank of the padlock.

The front plate 47 also includes a slot 63 and a further aperture 65 that cooperate with a locking mechanism (described below) to lock the first and second coupling parts together.

Referring now to Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the second part 45 of the coupling mechanism includes a mounting bracket 67 (Fig. 10) that can be fixed to the transom of a boat, The mounting bracket 67 comprises a back plate 69 that abuts the transom in use, and a pair of fixing plates 71 that are coupled (for example, welded) to the back plate 69 so that they extend (at least generally) in parallel from the plane of the back plate 69.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the second part 45 of the coupling mechanism also includes a female part 73 that co-operates with the aforementioned male part 51 of the first part 43 of the coupling mechanism. The female part 73 comprises a back plate 75 to which a front plate 77 is coupled (for example, welded) to form a hollow truncated cone that has (in this particular example) a generally square cross-section. The front and back plates 77, 75 of the female part 73 are shorter than the front and rear plates 47, 49 of the male part 51 so that the distal end of the male part 51 projects from the distal end of the female part 73 when the two parts are coupled together to expose the apertures 61 (as shown in Figs. 4 and 5). As will be appreciated, by virtue of this arrangement the shank of a padlock can be fed through the exposed apertures 61 in the male part 51 when the male and female parts are coupled together to thereby resist unauthorised disassembly of the coupling system.

The back plate 75 of the female part 73 includes a pair of wings 79 (one of which is visible in each of Figs. 8 and 9) that extend substantially in parallel in a direction away from the front plate when the front and back plates are coupled together). The wings 79 are spaced to fit within the fixing plates 71 that extend from the bracket back plate 69 so that bolts 73 can be inserted through the plates and wings to couple the female part 73 to the mounting bracket 67. In one contemplated arrangement, the wings may include a pair of parallel slots (through which the aforementioned bolts may be slid), but in a preferred implementation they each include a hole 81 and an arcuate slot 83 so that the angle of inclination of the female part 73, relative to the back plate 69, can be varied. In this latter arrangement a user can adjust both the distance of the female part 73 from the back plate 69 as well as the angle of inclination of the female part 73 relative to the back plate 69.

As shown in Fig. 9, the back plate 75 of the female part 73 includes a slot, in this instance a V-shaped slot 85, in which the triangular reinforcing plate 53 of the first coupling part 43 locates when the first coupling part 43 is mated with the second coupling part 45. This arrangement facilitates proper alignment of the first and second coupling parts 43, 45 for mating engagement.

Referring again to Fig. 9, the female part 73 further comprises a latching mechanism 87 that cooperates with the aperture 65 and slot 63 in the male part 51 when the first and second coupling parts 43, 45 are mated. The latching mechanism includes an actuator arm 89 that is coupled by means of a pivot 91 to the front plate 77. The actuator arm 89 is curved at the end opposite the pivot 91 to provide a handle, and is moveable within the confines of a retaining bar 93 that is coupled to the front plate 77. A peg 95 is fixed to the actuator arm 89 and extends through a slot 97 in the front plate 77 of the female part. An end of the peg 95 distal from the actuator arm 89 is chamfered so that the actuator arm is urged towards the retaining bar 93 as the male part 51 is inserted into the female part 73, and until the peg reaches the aperture 65 in the male part 51 whereupon the actuator arm 89 springs back towards front plate 47 (by virtue of its inherent resilience) so that the peg 95 engages with the aperture 65. In this position, the male part 51 is latched in the female part 73 by virtue of the engaged peg 95 and aperture 65.

To remove the male part 51 from the female part 73, a user pulls the handle of the actuator arm 89 towards the retaining bar 93 to disengage the peg 95 from the aperture 65 in the front plate 47 of the male part 51 . The user then pivots the actuator arm 89 to move the peg 95 from one end of the slot 97 (in a right-hand direction, as illustrated in Fig. 5) towards the other end of the slot 97 until the peg registers with and locates in the slot 63 in the front plate 47 of the male part 51 . With the peg in registration with the slot 63, the male part 51 can be withdrawn from the female part 73.

In a particularly preferred implementation, a curved end portion 99 of a generally V-shaped spring clip 101 (illustrated in Fig. 12) locates in a notch 103 (Fig. 1 1 ) formed in the actuator arm 89 so that an opposite end 105 of the spring clip 101 bears on an inside surface of the retaining bar 93 when the actuator arm 89 is mounted to the front plate of the female part 73. As will be appreciated, the spring clip 101 provides a biasing force that urges the actuator arm 89 back towards the position depicted in Fig. 5 once the male part 51 has been at least partly disengaged from the female part 73, thereby automatically resetting the actuator arm 89 of the latching mechanism.

To facilitate operation of the latching mechanism by a user, the front plate 77 of the female part 73 may be provided with first and second indicators 107, 109 so that a user can readily see whether the actuator arm 89 is in a latched or unlatched position. For example, indicator 107 may comprise a red spot of paint to signify that the actuator arm is in a position where the peg 95 will engage in the aperture 65 when the male part is inserted into the female part, and indicator 109 may comprise a green spot of paint to signify that the peg is located in the slot 63 and that the male part 51 may be withdrawn from the female part 73.

In a further implementation of the teachings of the invention, it is envisaged to integrate the first part of the coupling system into an outboard motor (which could be a petrol, diesel or electric motor), that first part being configured for coupling to a second part that may either be integrated into the transom, of a boat or coupled to a boat (as in either of the foregoing arrangements). Similarly, it is also envisaged for the second part of the coupling system to be integrated into the transom of a boat and be configured for coupling to a first part that may either be integrated into an outboard motor or coupled to an outboard motor (as in either of the foregoing arrangements).

It is likely that in many implementations of the teachings of the present invention that the first and second parts will be of metal, but it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that a variety of suitable materials may instead or in addition be employed. For example, part of all of the coupling system may be of plastics or a composite material.

Referring now to Figs. 14 to 18 of the accompanying drawings, it is anticipated that it would be useful to provide a mounting for storage of an outboard motor when that motor is not in use.

Fig. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a storage mount 1 1 1 that is configured, in this particular implementation for mounting to an upper rail 1 13 and a lower rail 1 15. The mount 1 1 1 comprises a generally U shaped mounting plate 1 17 that fits over the upper rail 1 13, and a generally U shaped mounting plate 1 19 that fits over the lower rail 1 15. The mounting plates are connected one to the other by means of a tube 121 , and in a preferred arrangement a bolt securing mounting plate 1 19 to the lower rail 1 15 extends through the tube 121 so that the tube cannot rotate relative to either of the mounting plates 1 17, 1 19.

As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, one face of mounting plate 1 17 includes a pair of spaced generally parallel plates 123 (one of which is visible in Fig. 14) to which the wings 79 of a female part 73 of the coupling system can be bolted. Spacers 125, for example of nylon, are inserted between the opposing faces of the mounting plate 1 17, and the bolts securing the mounting plate 1 17 to the rail 1 13 extend through the spacers 125 to hold them in place.

In one envisaged implementation, a vessel may be provided with a second part of the aforementioned coupling system fixed to the transom, and a second female part 73 fixedly attached to the plates 123 of the storage mount 1 1 1 . In this arrangement, a motor with a first part of the coupling system fixed to it can be moved between the transom and the storage mount. In another envisaged implementation the storage mount 1 1 1 may be provided without a female part 73, and the bolts (see Fig. 4) coupling the wings 79 to the fixing plates 71 (that are coupled to the back plate 69) can be undone; and the motor, first part and female part can then be removed from the transom and be attached to the storage mount 1 1 1 by bolting the wings 79 of the female part 73 to the plates 123 extending from mounting plate 1 17.

Figs. 16 to 18 show right and front elevations and a top plan view, respectively, of another storage mount 127. The storage mount of this arrangement is configured for fixing to a mast of a vessel or a flat surface of the vessel. To that end, the mount 127 comprises a back plate 129 from which a pair of (at least generally) parallel fixing plates 131 extend. The fixing plates 131 are configured for coupling to the wings 79 of the female part 73 (as shown in Fig. 16), and in this connection a vessel may be provided with a second part of the aforementioned coupling system fixed to the transom, and a second female part 73 fixedly attached to the plates 131 of the storage mount 127. In this arrangement, a motor with a first part of the coupling system fixed to it can be moved between the transom and the storage mount. In another envisaged implementation the storage mount 127 may be provided without a female part 73, and the bolts (see Fig. 4) coupling the wings 79 to the fixing plates 71 (that are coupled to the back plate 69) can be undone; and the motor, first part and female part can then be removed from the transom and be attached to the storage mount 127 by bolting the wings 79 of the female part 73 to the plates 131 extending from mounting plate 1 17.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the coupling system herein described can more easily be operated (for example to couple an outboard motor to the transom of a boat) than existing arrangements where clamps and bolts must be tightened whilst the user is manhandling a relatively cumbersome outboard motor - particularly in circumstances where a single user is trying to couple a motor to, or decouple a motor from, a boat.

It will also be appreciated that whilst various aspects and embodiments of the present invention have heretofore been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular arrangements set out herein and instead extends to encompass all arrangements, and modifications and alterations thereto, which fall within the scope of the appended claims. For example, whilst the foregoing description refers to components being bolted together, it will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art that other fixing mechanisms may instead be employed without departing from the teachings of the invention. In fact, in particularly preferred implementations of the invention, security fixings (such as shear bolts) may be employed to resist unauthorised disassembly of the coupling system. Similarly, whilst the male and females parts depicted in the drawings each have a generally square cross-sectional shape, it will be appreciated that these parts may have other complementary shapes. In fact, whilst it is preferred for the male and female parts to be complementary in shape (so that the motor may easily be aligned with the transom of a boat to which it is mounted), it is only necessary for the male part to fit within the female part and many different shapes that provide this functionality will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art. .It will also be appreciated that the male and female parts need not necessarily be generally conical, but could instead have a generally constant cross-section.

It will further be appreciated that the particular male/female engagement mechanism herein disclosed is merely an illustrative example of many different types of male/female engagement mechanisms that could instead be employed. For example, the motor part could include a barbed male part that is configured to be pushed into a female socket with an opening that expands to allow the barbed part to pass into the socket before retracting to secure the barbed part in the socket.

It will also be apparent, that whilst it is preferred for the second part to be arranged so that it projects inboard of the stern, the second part could instead be configured so that it projects outwardly from the stern of the boat.

Lastly, it should also be noted that whilst the accompanying claims set out particular combinations of features described herein, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular combinations hereafter claimed, but instead extends to encompass any combination of features herein disclosed irrespective of whether that particular combination has been set out at this time in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1 . A system for coupling an outboard motor to a vessel, the system comprising: a first part configured for coupling to an outboard motor, and

a second part configured for coupling to a vessel;

wherein the first part includes a first part of a two-part engagement mechanism that comprises a male part and a female part, and the second part includes a second part of said two-part engagement mechanism, said male and female parts of said engagement mechanism being engageable to couple said first part to said second part.

2. A system according to Claim 1 , wherein the two-part engagement mechanism comprises a male part and a complementary female part.

3. A system according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the male part comprises a square- section cone, and the female part comprises a conical square-section socket.

4. A system according to any preceding claim, comprising means operable to lock the first and second parts of said engagement mechanism together once engaged.

5. A system according to Claim 4, wherein said engagement mechanism is configured so that a distal portion of the first part of the engagement mechanism projects from a distal end of the second part of the engagement mechanism when the first and second parts are engaged, said locking means comprising an aperture through which a padlock shank may be inserted.

6. A system according to any preceding claim, comprising means for latching the first and second parts of the engagement mechanism together when said first and second parts are engaged.

7. A system according to Claim 6, wherein the latching mechanism comprises a peg carried by an actuator arm that is mounted to one of said first and second parts of said engagement mechanism, said peg being configured to engage with an aperture in the other of said first and second parts of said engagement mechanism to latch said one part to said second part when the first and second parts of said engagement mechanism are engaged.

8. A system according to Claim 7, wherein the actuator arm that is mounted to one of said first and second parts of said engagement mechanism is moveable to disengage the peg from the aperture in the other of said first and second parts of said engagement mechanism to unlatch said one part from said second part.

9. A system according to Claim 8, wherein the actuator arm is moveable to disengage the peg from the aperture and engage the peg in a slot in the other of the first and second parts of said engagement mechanism along which the peg can slide as said one part is disengaged from said second part.

10. A system according to Claim 9, further comprising a resilient bias that is operable, as said first and second parts are disengaged, to urge said actuator arm from a position where the first and second parts are unlatched towards a position where the peg will automatically engage with the aperture if the first part should be reengaged with the second part.

1 1 . A system according to any preceding claim, wherein said first part of the coupling system comprises said first part of said two-part engagement mechanism, and means for coupling said first part of said two-part engagement mechanism to an outboard motor.

12. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein said second part of the coupling system comprises said second part of said two-part engagement mechanism, and means for coupling said second part of said two-part engagement mechanism to a vessel.

13. A system according to Claim 12, wherein said coupling means is adjustable to vary the relative distance between said second part of said two-part engagement mechanism and a part of said vessel.

14. A system according to Claim 13, wherein said coupling means is adjustable to vary the orientation of said second part relative to said vessel part.

15. A system according to Claim 1 1 and Claim 12, wherein said first part of said engagement mechanism comprises a downwardly depending male part, and said second part of said engagement mechanism comprises an upwardly opening female part.

16. A system for coupling an outboard motor to a vessel, the system comprising: a motor mounting part comprising a bracket for attachment to an outboard motor and a male part of an engagement mechanism fixedly coupled to said bracket, and

a vessel coupling part comprising a bracket for attachment to a vessel and a female socket of said engagement mechanism adjustably coupled to said bracket;

wherein the male part and the female parts of said engagement mechanism are engageable with one another to couple said vessel coupling part to said motor mounting part.

17. A system for coupling an outboard motor to a vessel, the system comprising: a motor mounting part comprising a bracket for attachment to an outboard motor and a female socket of an engagement mechanism fixedly coupled to said bracket, and a vessel coupling part comprising a bracket for attachment to a vessel and a male part of said engagement mechanism adjustably coupled to said bracket;