Personal watercraft fabrication using thermoforming

1. A method of forming a jet-pump powered personal watercraft, the method comprising:

producing a top deck mold for a first component of the personal watercraft, the top deck mold including a plurality of features for assimilation into the first component, the plurality of features of the top deck mold including a foot tray feature, a bulkhead/firewall feature, a gunwales feature, an engine bay opening feature, and a first bond rail feature;

inserting a first thermoplastic material into a heater;

draping the heated first thermoplastic material over the top deck mold;

drawing the heated first thermoplastic material into or over the top deck mold using a vacuum, the heated first thermoplastic material assimilating the features of the top deck mold to produce the first component;

allowing the first component to cool;

extracting the first component from the top deck mold;

producing a bottom hull mold for a second component of the personal watercraft, the bottom hull mold including a plurality of features for assimilation into the second component, the plurality of features of the bottom hull mold including a mid-rocker feature, a convex groove feature running longitudinally along the bottom hull mold and parallel to a center line of the bottom hull mold, a pump cavity feature, and a second bond rail feature having a shape complementary of the first bond rail;

inserting a second thermoplastic material into the heater;

draping the heated second thermoplastic material over the bottom hull mold;

drawing the heated second thermoplastic material into or over the bottom hull mold using a vacuum to produce the second component;

allowing the second component to cool;

extracting the second component from the bottom hull mold;

trimming excess material from the first component;

trimming excess material from the second component; and

coupling the first bond rail of the first component to the second bond rail of the second component to form the personal watercraft.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first thermoplastic material and the second thermoplastic material does not contain volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting materials.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising producing a hood mold comprising a shape configured to engage with the engine hay opening feature of the first component.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising producing a plate covering mold comprising a shape configured to engage with the pump cavity feature of the second component.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plate covering mold and the hood mold comprise a family mold.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

heating a third thermoplastic material;

draping the heated third thermoplastic material over the hood mold;

drawing the heated third thermoplastic material into or over the hood mold using a vacuum to form a hood;

allowing the hood to cool;

extracting the hood from the hood mold;

trimming excess material from the hood; and

coupling the hood to the first component proximate the engine hay opening.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

heating a fourth thermoplastic material;

draping the heated fourth thermoplastic material over the plate covering mold;

drawing the heated fourth thermoplastic material into or over the plate covering mold using a vacuum to form a plate covering;

allowing the plate covering to cool;

extracting the plate covering from the plate covering mold;

trimming excess material from the plate covering; and

coupling the plate covering to the second component proximate the pump cavity.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of features of the bottom hull mold include a plurality of convex groove features, each convex groove feature running longitudinally along the bottom hull mold and parallel to the center line of the bottom hull mold.