Motorized tow-rope mechanism for watercraft

Abstract

The apparatus includes a housing, a spool assembly, and a motor assembly. The spool assembly is rotatably disposed within the housing, and the spool assembly is configured to receive a tow rope wrapped around the spool assembly about a spool axis, with a fixed end of the tow rope being removably securable to the spool assembly. The motor assembly is configured to drive the spool assembly to retract a free end of the tow rope into the spool assembly. The housing is removably securable to a tow rope mount of a watercraft, in which the tow rope mount has a tubular structure defined by a mounting axis that is perpendicular to the spool axis.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] This disclosure relates to watercraft systems for watersports that utilize a tow rope.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] Various watersports involve a user skimming across the surface of a body of water while being towed by a watercraft. Such watersports may include, for example, waterskiing, wake boarding, and others. The user may be towed by holding onto a tow rope connected to the watercraft while the watercraft maneuvers through the body of water. The watercraft may be equipped with specific structures used for mounting a tow rope thereto. These structures may include, for example, a ski pylon, a wake tower, a tow bar, or others, on which the tow rope is looped or knotted around a hook, ball, or other feature. In some instances, the tow rope may have several loops along its length, such that attaching one of the loops to the mounting structure sets the distance of the user being towed by the watercraft.

[0003] In use, the user or boat operator secures the tow rope to the mounting structure of the watercraft, the user enters the body of water carrying the other end of the tow rope, and the boat operator engages the throttle of the watercraft to tow the user across the surface of the body of water as the user holds onto the tow rope. When the user releases the end of the tow rope, the boat operator must maneuver the watercraft to circle back for the user to reboard the watercraft. At this time, the tow rope may be freely trailing from the watercraft, and there is a risk that the tow rope can be caught in the propeller, which can damage the propeller or the tow rope itself. To mitigate this risk, the tow rope may be manually retrieved from the water before the watercraft circles back to the user. Unless there is a separate spotter onboard who can retrieve the tow rope from the water, the boat operator must leave the helm to complete this task. In either case, the time to manually retrieve the tow rope leaves the user stranded in open water, at risk of injury from other watercrafts. This process may also be repeated several times over the course of a watersport activity, thereby reducing the overall time that the user is actually engaged in the watersport.

[0004] Therefore, what is needed is an improved mechanism for more efficiently handling a tow rope for use in watersports.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0005] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus. The apparatus may comprise a housing, a spool assembly, and a motor assembly. The spool assembly may be rotatably disposed within the housing, and the spool assembly may be configured to receive a tow rope wrapped around the spool assembly about a spool axis, with a fixed end of the tow rope being removably securable to the spool assembly. The motor assembly may be configured to drive the spool assembly to retract a free end of the tow rope into the spool assembly. The housing may be removably securable to a tow rope mount of a watercraft. The tow rope mount may have a tubular structure defined by a mounting axis. The tow rope may extend from the housing toward the mounting axis, and the tow rope may be configured to be secured to the tow rope mount.

[0006] In some embodiments, the motor assembly may be removably secured to the housing such that a driving axis of the motor assembly is coaxial with the spool axis.

[0007] In some embodiments, the housing may comprise a first housing portion, a second housing portion hingedly connected to the first housing portion, and a latch configured to selectively secure the first housing portion to the second housing portion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the housing may further comprise a mounting bracket connected to at least one of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. The mounting bracket may be configured to removably secure the housing from the tow rope mount of the watercraft.

[0009] In some embodiments, the mounting bracket may be connected to a first circumferential surface of the first housing portion and a second circumferential surface of the second housing portion.

[0010] In some embodiments, the motor assembly may be connected to a first planar surface of the first housing portion, and the mounting bracket is connected to a second planar surface of the second housing portion.

[0011] In some embodiments, an outlet port may be defined in the housing, and the free end of the tow rope may extend out of the outlet port.

[0012] In some embodiments, the free end of the tow rope may extend out of the outlet port at an angle of 0 degrees to 30 degrees relative to the mounting axis.

[0013] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a power wire electrically connected to a power source of the watercraft and a control switch electrically connected to the power wire and the motor assembly. The control switch may be configured to control the motor assembly to drive the spool assembly to retract the free end of the tow rope into the spool assembly.

[0014] In some embodiments, the control switch may be provided on a circumferential surface of the housing and may be electrically connected to the power wire and the motor assembly within the housing.

[0015] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a pressure sensor and an alarm in a normally-closed electrical connection with the power wire. The alarm may be configured to produce an alert sound, and the pressure sensor may be removably insertable between the tow rope and the tow rope mount such that pressure from the tow rope on the pressure sensor opens the electrical connection between the alarm and the power wire to stop producing the alert sound.

[0016] In some embodiments, the control switch may be further configured to open the electrical connection between the alarm and the power wire to stop producing the alert sound.

[0017] In some embodiments, the motor assembly may comprise a motor having a splined outdrive configured to engage an internal spline of the spool assembly to drive the spool assembly.

[0018] In some embodiments, the spool assembly may comprise a shaft rotatably secured to the housing and a pair of spool flanges connected to the shaft. The tow rope may be wrapped between the pair of spool flanges. The motor assembly may be configured to drive the shaft to retract the free end of the tow rope onto the pair of spool flanges.

[0019] In some embodiments, a rope fastener may be defined in at least one spool flange of the pair of spool flanges. The rope fastener may be configured to removably secure the fixed end of the tow rope.

[0020] In some embodiments, an internal spline may be defined in the shaft, and the internal spline may be configured to engage a splined outdrive of the motor assembly.

[0021] In some embodiments, the mounting axis of the tow rope mount may be perpendicular to the spool axis of the spool assembly.

[0022] In some embodiments, the tow rope mount may comprise a ski pylon or wake tower having a vertical mounting axis.

[0023] In some embodiments, the tow rope mount may comprise a tow bar having a horizontal mounting axis.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] FIG. 1 is a front view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded top view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 4 is a partially exploded side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, shown connected to a vertical ski pylon of a watercraft;

[0029] FIG. 5 is a top view of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, shown connected to a horizontal wake tower or tow bar of a watercraft;

[0030] FIG. 6 is a partially exploded rear view of the apparatus of FIG. 5;

[0031] FIG. 7 is side view of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, shown connected to an angled wake tower of a watercraft; and

[0032] FIG. 8 is a side view of an apparatus according to the present disclosure shown in use with a watercraft.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0033] Although claimed subject matter will be described in terms of certain embodiments, other embodiments, including embodiments that do not provide all of the benefits and features set forth herein, are also within the scope of this disclosure. Various structural, logical, process step, and electronic changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure is defined only by reference to the appended claims.

[0034] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus 100, shown in FIGS. 1-3. The apparatus 100 may comprise a housing 110. The housing 110 may be made of plastic or other low-cost materials. The housing 110 may be removably securable to a tow rope mount 105 of a watercraft 101, as shown in FIGS. 4-8. The tow rope mount 105 may have a tubular structure defined by a mounting axis 106. In some embodiments, the mounting axis 106 may be vertical or at an oblique angle (fore or aft) relative to the watercraft 101. For example, the tow rope mount 105 may comprise a ski pylon or a wake tower having a vertical mounting axis (as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 8) or an angled mounting axis (as shown in FIG. 7). In some embodiments, the mounting axis 106 may be horizontal or substantially parallel to the watercraft 101. For example, the tow rope mount 105 may comprise a tow bar having a horizontal mounting axis (as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6). The watercraft 101 may comprise a motorized boat, jet ski, or other type of watercraft used for watersports and is not limited herein. The type of tow rope mount 105 may depend on the type of the watercraft 101.

[0035] The housing 110 may comprise a first housing portion 111 and a second housing portion 112, as shown in FIG. 1. The first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 may be symmetrical halves of a substantially circular shell. The second housing portion 112 may be hingedly connected to the first housing portion 111 (as shown in FIG. 2), so as to allow the housing 110 to be selectively opened to insert a tow rope therein. The housing 110 may further comprise a latch 113 configured to selectively secure the first housing portion 111 to the second housing portion 112. More than one latch 113 may be provided to further secure the first housing portion 111 to the second housing portion 112.

[0036] The housing 110 may further comprise a mounting bracket 114. The mounting bracket 114 may be connected to at least one of the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112. In an instance, the mounting bracket 114 may be connected to a first circumferential surface 111a of the first housing portion 111 and / or a second circumferential surface 112a of the second housing portion 112, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4. In another instance, the mounting bracket 114 may be connected to a first planar surface 111b of the first housing portion 111 or a second planar surface 112b of the second housing portion 112, as shown in FIGS. 5-7. The mounting bracket 114 may be configured to removably secure the housing 110 from the tow rope mount 105 of the watercraft 101. For example, the mounting bracket 114 may comprise a first bracket portion 114a connected to the housing 110 and a second bracket portion 114b removably securable to the first bracket portion 114a, such that the first bracket portion 114a and the second bracket portion 114b can be removably secured around the tubular structure of the tow rope mount 105. The first bracket portion 114a may be connected to the housing 110 by one or more fasteners, and the second bracket portion 114b may be connected to the first bracket portion 114a by one or more fasteners to removably secure the housing 110 to the tow rope mount 105. In some embodiments, the housing 110 may comprise two mounting brackets 114, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4-7. However, different numbers of mounting brackets 114 are possible (e.g., 1 or 3 or more), depending on the structure of the tow rope mount 105 and the housing 110.

[0037] The apparatus 100 may further comprise a spool assembly 120, as shown in FIG. 3. The spool assembly 120 may be rotatably disposed within the housing 110. The spool assembly 120 may be configured to receive a tow rope 102 wrapped around the spool assembly about a spool axis 121. The spool axis 121 may be perpendicular to the mounting axis 106 of the tow rope mount 105. A fixed end 102a of the tow rope 102 may be removably securable to the spool assembly 120, while a free end 102b of the tow rope 102 may extend out of the housing 110. For example, an outlet port 115 may be defined in the housing 110, and the free end 102b of the tow rope 102 may extend out of the outlet port 115. The tow rope 102 may extend from the housing 110 toward the mounting axis 106. For example, the free end 102b of the tow rope 102 may extend out of the outlet port 115 at an angle θ of 0 degrees to 30 degrees relative to the mounting axis 106 (as shown in FIG. 4). Accordingly, the tow rope 102 can be secured to the tow rope mount 105 after extending out of the housing 110.

[0038] The spool assembly 120 may comprise a shaft 122 rotatably secured to the housing 110. For example, the shaft 122 may be rotatably secured to the first housing portion 111 and / or the second housing portion 112. The shaft 122 may define the spool axis 121 of the spool assembly 120. The spool assembly 120 may further comprise a pair of spool flanges 123 connected to the shaft 122. In an instance, the pair of spool flanges 123 may be connected to the shaft by one or more set screws. The pair of spool flanges 123 may also be connected together by one or more fasteners. The pair of spool flanges 123 may have symmetrical profiles, such that the tow rope 102 is configured to be wrapped between the pair of spool flanges 123. Rotation of the shaft 122 may cause the tow rope 102 to be unraveled or retracted from the pair of spool flanges 123. A rope fastener 124 may be defined in at least one spool flange of the pair of spool flanges 123. The rope fastener 124 may be configured to removably secure the fixed end 102a of the tow rope 102 to the spool assembly 120. In an instance, the rope fastener 124 may comprise an aperture configured to receive the fixed end 102a of the tow rope 102 and a corresponding hook configured to secure the fixed end 102a of the tow rope 102 thereto.

[0039] In some embodiments, a user may open the housing 110 by operating the latch 113 to separate the first housing portion 111 from the second housing portion 112 and thereby access the spool assembly 120. The user may then wrap the tow rope 102 around the pair of spool flanges 123, secure the fixed end 102a of the tow rope 102 to the rope fastener 124, and extend the free end 102b of the tow rope 102 out of the outlet port 115. Then, the housing 110 can be closed by securing the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 back together with the latch 113. Accordingly, the apparatus100 may allow to easily load and unload the tow rope 102 from the spool assembly 120.

[0040] In some embodiments, the tow rope 102 may comprise one or more rope portions connected end-to-end (e.g., by a carabiner, hook, knot, or other means). For example, the apparatus 100 may be pre-installed with a portion of the tow rope 102, and the user can secure a separate portion of the tow rope 102 thereto before use. These separate portions of tow rope 102 may be selected by the user according to a particular activity or use, having different lengths, features, and or handholds provided at the free end 102b of the tow rope. For example, the tow rope 102 may have several loops along its length, such that attaching one of the loops to the mounting structure 105 sets the distance of the user being towed by the watercraft 101. By connecting a selected tow rope 102 to the portion of the tow rope 102 provided with the apparatus 100, the apparatus 100 can be adaptable for different activities and uses.

[0041] The apparatus 100 may further comprise a motor assembly 130. The motor assembly 130 may be configured to drive the spool assembly 120 to retract the tow rope 102 into the spool assembly 120. The motor assembly 130 may comprise a motor 131 having a splined outdrive 132 configured to engage an internal spline of the spool assembly 120 to drive the spool assembly 120. For example, the shaft 122 may have an internal spline that engages with the splined outdrive 132 of the motor 131. By driving the shaft 122, the pair of spool flanges 123 may also rotate, thereby retracting or unraveling the tow rope 102 depending on the direction of the rotation. In some embodiments, the motor assembly 130 may include a clutch connected to the splined outdrive 132 of the motor 131. When an excessive torque is applied to the clutch (e.g., when the tow rope 102 is stuck and the shaft 122 is impeded from rotation), the motor 131 will slip from the clutch to prevent damage to the motor 131.

[0042] The apparatus 100 may further comprise a power wire 140 electrically connected to a power source 103 of the watercraft 101, as shown in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the electrical connection between the power wire 140 and the power source 103 may be controlled by an accessory switch operable by the operator at the helm of the watercraft 101. The apparatus 100 may further comprise a control switch 145 electrically connected to the power wire 140 and the motor assembly 130. For example, the control switch 145 may be configured to control the motor assembly 130 to drive the spool assembly 120 to retract the free end 102b of the tow rope 102 into the spool assembly 120. In some embodiments, the control switch 145 may comprise an on / off switch, where in the on position, the motor 131 is configured to drive the shaft 122 to retract the tow rope 102 onto the pair of spool flanges 123. In the off position, the shaft 122 may freely rotate to allow the tow rope 102 to be manually extended from the spool assembly 120, or the shaft 122 may be locked from rotation. Alternatively, the control switch 145 may comprise a bidirectional switch, which is configured to control the drive direction of the motor 131 such that the tow rope 102 can be retracted from the spool assembly 120 and unraveled in a motorized fashion. In some embodiments, the control switch 145 may be further configured to variably control the rotation speed of the outdrive 132 to control the speed at which the tow rope 102 retracts or unravels from the spool assembly 120. The control switch 145 may be provided on a circumferential surface of the housing 110. For example, the control switch 145 may be provided on the first circumferential surface 111a of the first housing portion 111 and / or the second circumferential surface 112a of the second housing portion 112. The control switch 145 may be electrically connected to the power wire 140 and the motor assembly 130 within the housing 110.

[0043] The motor assembly 130 may be removably securable to the housing 110. For example, the motor assembly 130 may be removable securable to the first planar surface 111b of the first housing portion 111 or the second planar surface 112b of the second housing portion 112. In some embodiments, the motor assembly 130 may be removably securable to an opposite side of the housing 110 from the mounting bracket 114. For example, the motor assembly 130 may be connected to the first planar surface 111b of the first housing portion 111 and the mounting bracket 114 may be connected to the second planar surface 112b of the second housing portion 112. The motor assembly 130 may be positioned such that a driving axis 134 of the motor assembly 130 (i.e., the splined outdrive 132 of the motor 131) is coaxial with the spool axis 121.

[0044] The apparatus 100 may further comprise a pressure sensor 150 and an alarm 155 in a normally-closed electrical connection with the power wire 140. The pressure sensor 150 may be removably insertable between the tow rope 102 and the tow rope mount 105, so as to measure the pressure from the tow rope 102 on the tow rope mount 105. For example, when a user is holding onto the free end 102b of the tow rope 102 while being towed by the watercraft 101, a pressure may be exerted onto the tow rope mount 105 by the tow rope 102. When the user releases the free end 102b of the tow rope 102, this pressure may be released. Accordingly, the pressure sensor 150 may indicate whether the user has released the free end 102b of the tow rope 102. The alarm 155 may be configured to produce an alert sound. Based on the normally-closed electrical connection with the power wire 140, the alarm 155 may be configured to produce the alert sound so long as there is power from the power source 103 of the watercraft 101. The pressure sensor 150 may be configured to open the electrical connection between the alarm 155 and the power wire 140 to stop producing the alert sound. Accordingly, when a pressure is applied to the pressure sensor 150 (i.e., from the tow rope 102 onto the tow rope mount 105), the alarm 155 may not produce the alert sound, as the user is being towed by the watercraft 101. When the pressure is released from the pressure sensor 150, the alarm 155 may produce the alert sound, as the user has released the free end 102b of the tow rope 102. Accordingly, the alert sound may indicate to the operator of the watercraft 101 that the user has released the free end 102b of the tow rope 102. In some embodiments, the alarm 155 may be configured to produce a visual indicator configured similarly to the alert sound, which can indicate to the operator of the watercraft 101 that the user has released the free end 102b of the tow rope 102 in instances where the alert sound may be difficult to hear due to the sound of the motor of the watercraft 101 or other sounds.

[0045] In some embodiments, the control switch 145 may be further configured to open the electrical connection between the alarm 155 and the power wire 140 to stop producing the alert sound. For example, by moving the control switch 145 to the on position or the retract position, the electrical connection between the alarm 155 and the power wire 140 may be opened to stop producing the alert sound. In this case, the operator of the watercraft 101 has been alerted that the user has released the free end 102b of the tow rope 102 and has operated the control switch 145 to retract the tow rope 102, so further producing the alert sound may be unnecessary. The electrical connection between the alarm 155 and the power wire 140 may remain open after returning the control switch 145 to the off position until the circuit is reset (e.g., by moving the control switch 145 to the unravel position) to allow the alarm 155 to be triggered by the pressure sensor 150 again with further use.

[0046] In some embodiments, the throttle of the watercraft 101 may be configured to control the electrical connection between the alarm 155 and the power wire 140. For example, when the throttle is engaged, the watercraft 101 may be towing the user with the tow rope 102. In this case, the electrical connection between the alarm 155 and the power wire 140 may be closed when the pressure of the pressure sensor 150 is released to indicate when the user has released the free end 102b of the tow rope 102. When the throttle is disengaged, the watercraft 101 is stopped and not towing the user with the tow rope 102. In this case, the electrical connection between the alarm 155 and the power wire 140 may be opened to avoid unnecessarily producing the alert sound from the lack of pressure on the pressure sensor 150.

[0047] In operation, the user or the operator of the watercraft 101 may unravel the tow rope 102 from the spool assembly 120 to a desired distance and can secure part of the tow rope 102 to the tow rope mount 105. The tow rope mount 105 may include a ball 107 or hook connected to the tubular structure configured to secure the part of the tow rope 102 thereto. In some embodiments, the tow rope 102 may have several loops along its length, such that attaching one of the loops to the ball 107 sets the distance of the user being towed by the watercraft 101. The user can enter the body of water carrying the free end 102b of the tow rope 102, and the operator of the watercraft 101 can engage the throttle of the watercraft 101 to tow the user across the surface of the body of water as the user holds onto the tow rope 102, as shown in FIG. 8. When the user releases the tow rope 102, the operator of the watercraft 101 can operate the control switch 145 to retract the tow rope 102 before maneuvering the watercraft 101 to circle back for the user to reboard the watercraft 101. This process may avoid the free end 102b of the tow rope 102 from trailing behind the watercraft 101, which reduces the risk of being caught in the propeller of the watercraft 101. Motorized operation of the spool assembly 120 may further reduce the amount of time of retrieving the tow rope 102 from the water, which reduces the amount of time that the user may be stranded in the open water after releasing the tow rope 102. In addition, the alert sound generated by the alarm 155 can indicate to the operator of the watercraft 101 when the user has released the tow rope 102, which avoids the watercraft 101 from further distancing itself from the user and reduces the time for retrieving the tow rope 102 and circling back to retrieve the user.

[0048] Based on the placement on the watercraft 101, the apparatus 100 may be operable by the operator of the watercraft 101 from the helm, without the use of an additional spotter. For example, the apparatus 100 may be mounted to a tow rope mount 105 having a vertical mounting axis, such as a ski pylon or wake tower, where the apparatus 100 is positioned adjacent to or behind the operator of the watercraft 101 at the helm for case of control. Alternatively, the apparatus 100 may be mounted to a tow rope mount 105 having a horizontal mounting axis, such as a tow bar or a wake tower, where the apparatus is positioned overhead or behind the operator of the watercraft 101 at the helm for ease of control. In some arrangements, the mounting axis 106 of the tow rope mount 105 may be perpendicular to the spool axis 121 of the spool assembly 120, which can allow for more compact wrapping of the tow rope 102, with the housing 110 connected closely to the tow rope mount 105, and more convenient control by the operator of the watercraft 101. Accordingly, the apparatus 100 may provide an improved mechanism for more efficiently handling a tow rope 102 for use in watersports.

[0049] The apparatus 100 may also be arranged such that the tow rope 102 extends out of the housing 110 toward the mounting axis 106 of tow rope mount 105, with the tow rope 102 being configured to be secured to the tow rope mount 106. This can cause the tow rope mount 106 to bear the load from the user, not the apparatus 100, which can lower the load bearing requirements of the housing 110, the spool assembly 120, and the motor assembly 130 and allow for the apparatus 100 to be made of lighter and / or cheaper materials.

[0050] Although the present disclosure has been described with respect to one or more particular embodiments, it will be understood that other embodiments of the present disclosure may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Hence, the present disclosure is deemed limited only by the appended claims and the reasonable interpretation thereof.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:a housing;a spool assembly rotatably disposed within the housing, wherein the spool assembly is configured to receive a tow rope wrapped around the spool assembly about a spool axis, with a fixed end of the tow rope being removably securable to the spool assembly; anda motor assembly configured to drive the spool assembly to retract the tow rope around the spool assembly;wherein the housing is removably securable to a tow rope mount of a watercraft, the tow rope mount having a tubular structure defined by a mounting axis, and the tow rope extending from the housing toward the mounting axis, with the tow rope being configured to be secured to the tow rope mount.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor assembly is removably secured to the housing such that a driving axis of the motor assembly is coaxial with the spool axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises:a first housing portion;a second housing portion hingedly connected to the first housing portion; anda latch configured to selectively secure the first housing portion to the second housing portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the housing further comprises:a mounting bracket connected to at least one of the first housing portion and the second housing portion, wherein the mounting bracket is configured to removably secure the housing from the tow rope mount of the watercraft.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the mounting bracket is connected to a first circumferential surface of the first housing portion and a second circumferential surface of the second housing portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the motor assembly is connected to a first planar surface of the first housing portion, and the mounting bracket is connected to a second planar surface of the second housing portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an outlet port is defined in the housing, a free end of the tow rope extending out of the outlet port.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the free end of the tow rope extends out of the outlet port at an angle of 0 degrees to 30 degrees relative to the mounting axis.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a power wire electrically connected to a power source of the watercraft; anda control switch electrically connected to the power wire and the motor assembly, wherein the control switch is configured to control the motor assembly to drive the spool assembly to retract the tow rope around the spool assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the control switch is provided on a circumferential surface of the housing and is electrically connected to the power wire and the motor assembly within the housing.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a pressure sensor and an alarm in a normally-closed electrical connection with the power wire, wherein the alarm is configured to produce an alert sound, and the pressure sensor removably insertable between the tow rope and the tow rope mount such that pressure from the tow rope on the pressure sensor opens the electrical connection between the alarm and the power wire to stop producing the alert sound.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control switch is further configured to open the electrical connection between the alarm and the power wire to stop producing the alert sound.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor assembly comprises a motor having a splined outdrive configured to engage an internal spline of the spool assembly to drive the spool assembly.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spool assembly comprises:a shaft rotatably secured to the housing; anda pair of spool flanges connected to the shaft, with the tow rope being wrapped between the pair of spool flanges;wherein the motor assembly is configured to drive the shaft to retract the tow rope onto the pair of spool flanges.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a rope fastener is defined in at least one spool flange of the pair of spool flanges, the rope fastener being configured to removably secure the fixed end of the tow rope.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein an internal spline is defined in the shaft, and the internal spline is configured to engage a splined outdrive of the motor assembly.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting axis is perpendicular to the spool axis.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tow rope mount comprises a ski pylon or wake tower having a vertical mounting axis.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tow rope mount comprises a tow bar having a horizontal mounting axis.

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