received by the International Bureau on 21 October 2014 (21.10.2014)

1-13. (Cancelled)

14. (New) An apparatus for a marine vessel comprising:

an intake housing; an impeller housing; a diffuser/confuser housing; a discharge housing; a steering nozzle, and a plurality of internal housing components, the intake housing, the impeller housing, the diffuser/confuser housing, the discharge housing and the steering nozzle creating a flow path for a water stream on a volumetric basis, the flow path having a length and an axial cross-sectional area, the axial cross-sectional area of the flow path being varied throughout the length to accommodate a volumetric mass of the plurality of the internal housing components while maintaining a regularly decreasing water volume from the inlet housing to the discharge housing, the flow path reducing turbulence and enhancing a solid state character of efflux for the water stream.

15. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 14 wherein the plurality of internal housing components include impeller blades, diffusor/confusor vanes, flow straightener vanes, a drive shaft and a steering shaft with positioning vanes.

16. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 14 further comprising:

an increased radius, the increased radius being introduced at a transition point between the diffuser/confuser housing and the steering nozzle thereby allowing for a less angular transition from the diffuser/confuser housing to an upper portion of the steering nozzle.

17. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 14 further comprising:

an exhaust housing, the exhaust housing being an external housing surrounding the impeller housing, the diffusor housing, an upper portion of the discharge housing and a lower portion of the steering nozzle, the exhaust housing directing exhaust from a power source thereby imparting residual heat from the power source to the impeller housing, the diffusor housing, the discharge housing and the steering nozzle.

18. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 14 wherein the steering nozzle is interchangeable to enable adjustments to the steering nozzle.

19. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 14 wherein the steering nozzle includes a retractable tracking vane, the retractable tracking vane maintaining the steering nozzle in straight position when the marine vessel is in motion.

20. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 14 further comprising:

intake straightener vanes, the intake straightener vanes being positioned on either side of the intake housing, the intake straightener vanes directing the water stream from an intake entrance to the impeller housing.

21. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 14 further comprising:

an interchangeable efflux nozzle, the interchangeable efflux nozzle being removably attached to an end of the steering nozzle, the interchangeable efflux nozzle having an entrance diameter to exit diameter ratio proportioned to a required volumetric velocity ratio adjustment needed to fine tune a required efflux.

22. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 21 further comprising:

interchangeable efflux nozzle straightener vanes, the interchangeable efflux nozzle straightener vanes being positioned around an interior of the interchangeable efflux nozzle thereby controlling the water stream through a radius of the steering nozzle.

23. (New) An apparatus for a marine vessel comprising:

an impeller section, the impeller section having a first hub portion and a plurality of impeller blades, each of the plurality of impeller blades being removably fixed along an outwardly tapered convex surface of the first hub portion.

24. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 23 wherein the outwardly

29 tapered convex surface of the first hub portion includes a blade retainer for affixing the impeller blades to the first hub portion.

25. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 23 wherein the impeller blades include a convex outer surface, a concave inner surface, a short trailing edge, a long leading edge and broad surface sides having a midpoint and a thickness allowing for maximum exposure to a passing fluid.

26. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 23 further comprising: diffuser/confuser blades; and a blade width extension, the blade width extension extending the impeller blades beyond a required pitch thereby enhancing a pitch effect of the impeller blades while stabilizing a flow off a back of the impeller blades in preparation for pick-up by leading edges of diffuser/confuser blades, the diffuser/confuser blades designed to receive a flow at varying accelerated velocities off the blade width extension.

27. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 23 further comprising: a diffusor/confusor section, the diffusor/confusor section having a second hub portion and a plurality of diffusor vanes, each of the plurality of diffusor vanes being removably fixed to a contoured surface of the second hub portion.

28. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 23 further comprising:

30 an intake housing;

an impeller housing, the impeller section including the impeller housing; a diffuser/confuser housing; a discharge housing; a steering nozzle, and a plurality of internal housing components, the intake housing, the impeller housing, the diffuser/confuser housing, the discharge housing and the steering nozzle creating a flow path for a water stream on a volumetric basis, the flow path having a length and an axial cross-sectional area, the axial cross-sectional area of the flow path being varied throughout the length to accommodate a volumetric mass of the plurality of the internal housing components while maintaining a regularly decreasing water volume from the inlet housing to the discharge housing, the flow path reducing turbulence and enhancing a solid state character of efflux for the water stream.

29. (New) An apparatus for a marine vessel comprising:

an impeller section, the impeller section having a hub portion, a plurality of impeller blades and a blade width extension, the blade width extension extending the impeller blades beyond a required pitch thereby enhancing a pitch effect of the impeller blades, the blade width extension stabilizing a through flow off a back of the blade width extension to enhance a solid state characteristic of the through flow.

30. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 29 further comprising:

31 an intake housing;

an impeller housing, the impeller section including the impeller housing; a diffuser/confuser housing; a discharge housing; a steering nozzle; and a plurality of internal housing components, the intake housing, the impeller housing, the diffuser/confuser housing, the discharge housing and the steering nozzle creating a flow path for a water stream on a volumetric basis, the flow path having a length and an axial cross-sectional area, the axial cross-sectional area of the flow path being varied throughout the length to accommodate a volumetric mass of the plurality of the internal housing components while maintaining a regularly decreasing water volume from the inlet housing to the discharge housing, the flow path reducing turbulence and enhancing a solid state character of efflux for the water stream.

31. (New) An apparatus for a marine vessel comprising:

an impeller section, the impeller section having a hub portion and a plurality of impeller blades, the plurality of impeller blades having a trailing edge and an exit angle; and a diffusor/confusor section, the diffusor/confusor section having a hub portion and a plurality of removable and interchangeable diffusor vanes, the plurality of diffusor vanes having a leading edge and an entry angle, the exit angle of the trailing edge of the impeller

32 blades corresponding to the entry angle of the leading edge of the diffusor vanes allowing for a less turbulent water flow transition from the impeller blades to the diffusor vanes enhancing a solid state character of the water stream.

32. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 31 wherein the diffusor vanes are airfoil shaped with an increased radius to support a less angular transition of a flow off a back of the impeller blades thereby reducing turbulence and enhancing a solid state character of the water stream.

33. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 31 wherein the diffusor vanes includes a first portion and an edge side, the first portion having a uniform thickness throughout, and the edge side being blunted or sharpened and being of a different thickness from the first portion.

34. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 31 further comprising: an intake housing;

an impeller housing, the impeller section including the impeller housing; a diffuser/confuser housing; a discharge housing; a steering nozzle, and a plurality of internal housing components,

33 the intake housing, the impeller housing, the diffuser/confuser housing, the discharge housing and the steering nozzle creating a flow path for a water stream on a volumetric basis, the flow path having a length and an axial cross-sectional area, the axial cross-sectional area of the flow path being varied throughout the length to accommodate a volumetric mass of the plurality of the internal housing components while maintaining a regularly decreasing water volume from the inlet housing to the discharge housing, the flow path reducing turbulence and enhancing a solid state character of efflux for the water stream.

35. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 31 further comprising:

an increased radius, the increased radius being introduced at a transition point between the diffuser/confuser and a steering control nozzle assembly thereby allowing for a less turbulent water flow angular transition from the diffuser/confuser to an upper portion of the steering nozzle.

36. (New) An apparatus for a marine vessel comprising:

a diffusor/confuser housing; a discharge housing; a steering nozzle; and a hydraulic trim, the hydraulic trim being aligned between the diffusor housing and an upper portion of the steering nozzle outlet housing, the hydraulic trim including hydraulic ball joints for allowing an up and down trimming of the marine vessel.

34

37. (New) The apparatus for a marine vessel of Claim 36 further comprising: an intake housing;

an impeller housing, the impeller section including the impeller housing; and a plurality of internal housing components, the intake housing, the impeller housing, the diffuser/confuser housing, the discharge housing and the steering nozzle creating a flow path for a water stream on a volumetric basis, the flow path having a length and an axial cross-sectional area, the axial cross-sectional area of the flow path being varied throughout the length to accommodate a volumetric mass of the plurality of the internal housing components while maintaining a regularly decreasing water volume from the inlet housing to the discharge housing, the flow path reducing turbulence and enhancing a solid state character of efflux for the water stream.

35