Kentucky Patent of the Month – January 2023

If you’re in the market for a houseboat, you know just how limited you are in design. You’re restricted to predetermined configurations and floor plans with no direct input. This is where Harbor Cottage, LLC comes in. They offer the unique opportunity for you to select your desired floor plan for your houseboat cabin assembly, and then connect it to a hull to form your dream houseboat.

Conventional houseboats are often transported over roads and highways. Harbor Cottage has recently patented a modular houseboat design so that you have the option to build the cabin at one location, the hull at another, and then assemble the houseboat at a third, closer to the body of water where you plan to use it. This not only saves on transportation costs, but it also reduces the environmental impact.

Furthermore, conventional houseboats are often not equipped for marine environments, as they’re constructed with residential-grade materials. Harbor Cottage overcomes this limitation, using marine-grade wiring and electrical components throughout the structure to ensure the houseboat is equipped to handle any adverse environmental conditions.

The team at Harbor Cottage has also addressed the issue of conventional houseboat hull designs not being conducive to receiving a prefabricated house. They’ve provided a peripheral receiving surface on the hull to mate with the cabin assembly, ensuring a secure and stable connection. Additionally, they’ve eliminated the need for a chemical gel coat material on the uppermost surface of the houseboat, which can cause ecological damage and become slippery over time. Instead, they’re design integrates a roof deck with horizontal boards that allows rainwater or spray to run off the cabin assembly roof, reducing the need for maintenance and improving safety.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

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