Hinckley, Hunt, Little Harbor and Lyman-Morse are names that conjure up visions of 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. ...