Hinckley, Hunt, Little Harbor and Lyman-Morse are names that conjure up visionsof sleek luxury yachts, comfortably slicing through even the roughest ocean waters. In the quest to offer the latest technology, many of their designs now feature water-jets instead of traditional propellers. But the latest thing in propulsion isn't new at all.

Today's water-jets are the result of more than two centuries of trial and error,exhilarating successes and frustrating defeats experienced by a cast of inventors, entrepreneurs and adventurers who weren't afraid to lay it all on the line. They include a self-taught craftsman backed by the Founding Fathers, the engineers of the Royal Navy, a small-town Ohio genius, a New Zealand sportsman and an American industrialist. Their efforts, which ranged from back-yard tinkering to daring international expeditions contributed to the spectacular technology that now powers everything from fishing boats to frigates. The water-jet is here to stay.

David S. Yetman has been a prolific, award-winning boating writer for more than 15 years. He has written four books and more than 200 articles for a broad range of boating magazines including Boating World, Motor Boating, Offshore, Power & Motoryacht, Sail, Soundings, Trailer Boats and Yachting. As a young man, he was involved in several start-up ventures in design, manufacturing and retail sales before embarking on a career in mechanical design and engineering, rising to the level of Engineering Manager for a high-technology company before retiring in 2001. He has been awarded patents for designs of a wide range of products,including motorcycle frames, laboratory apparatus and automated instruments used in DNA research, and enjoys applying his broad technical experience to boating and writing. He and his wife, Pat, live on Hodgdon Island, Maine and cruise the New England coast on CURMUDGEON, their Albin Tournament Express convertible.