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A retractable mounting apparatus is provided for attaching boat accessories to a boat. In one embodiment, a mounting apparatus is provided for selectively securing an accessory to a structural portion of a boat. The apparatus has a housing that is configured for coupling to the structural portion of

A retractable mounting apparatus is provided for attaching boat accessories to a boat. In one embodiment, a mounting apparatus is provided for selectively securing an accessory to a structural portion of a boat. The apparatus has a housing that is configured for coupling to the structural portion of the boat, and a mounting element that is at least partially disposed in the housing. The mounting element is movable relative to the housing between a retracted position and an extended position above the structural portion. The mounting element is rotatable about the axis.

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1. A mounting apparatus for selectively securing one of a plurality of accessories to a structural portion of a boat, comprising: a housing configured for coupling to the structural portion of the boat;a mounting element at least partially disposed in said housing and movable relative thereto along

1. A mounting apparatus for selectively securing one of a plurality of accessories to a structural portion of a boat, comprising: a housing configured for coupling to the structural portion of the boat;a mounting element at least partially disposed in said housing and movable relative thereto along an axis between a retracted position and an extended position above the structural portion, said mounting element being rotatable about said axis relative to said housing and including a first engaging portion for selectively coupling thereto a cooperating second engaging portion of the accessory, said mounting element including a top face and said housing including a flange for coupling said housing to the structural portion of the boat and positioned relative to a remainder of said housing so as to make said top face substantially flush with a top surface of the boat when said flange is coupled to the structural portion of the boat;a pin associated with one of said mounting element or said housing;a plurality of slots in the other of said mounting element or said housing and adapted to receive said pin;rotation of said mounting element about said axis defining a plurality of available angular positions of the mounting element relative to said housing; andselective engagement of the pin with one of said slots being effective to lock said mounting element in a predetermined one of said available angular positions thereof. 2. A boat comprising the mounting apparatus of claim 1. 3. A mounting apparatus for selectively securing one of a plurality of accessories to a structural portion of a boat, comprising: a housing configured for coupling to the structural portion of the boat;a mounting element at least partially disposed in said housing and movable relative thereto along an axis between a retracted position and an extended position above the structural portion, said mounting element being rotatable about said axis relative to said housing and including a first engaging portion for selectively coupling thereto a cooperating second engaging portion of the accessory; andan encasement extending from said housing and including a biasing element urging said mounting element in a direction toward said retracted position. 4. The mounting apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first engaging portion includes a channel for slidably receiving a cooperating protrusion of the second engaging portion of the accessory. 5. A boat comprising the mounting apparatus of claim 3. 6. A mounting apparatus for selectively securing one of a plurality of accessories to a structural portion of a boat, comprising: a housing configured for coupling to the structural portion of the boat;a mounting element at least partially disposed in said housing and movable relative thereto along an axis between a retracted position and an extended position above the structural portion, said mounting element being rotatable about said axis relative to said housing and including a first engaging portion for selectively coupling thereto a cooperating second engaging portion of the accessory; andsaid mounting element including a latch and said housing including a stop member selectively engageable by said latch to lock said mounting element in said retracted position. 7. The mounting apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: a pivotally-mounted element operatively coupled to said latch for selectively engaging and disengaging said latch relative to said stop member. 8. An accessory mounting system comprising the mounting apparatus of claim 6 and further comprising: a boat accessory having the second engaging portion thereon and configured for selective coupling with said first engaging portion of said mounting element. 9. A boat comprising the mounting apparatus of claim 6. 10. A mounting apparatus for selectively securing one of a plurality of accessories to a structural portion of a boat, comprising: a housing having an axis and configured for coupling to the structural portion of the boat with the axis thereof generally vertical and generally perpendicular to a top surface of the boat;a mounting element at least partially disposed in said housing and movable axially relative thereto along the axis between a retracted position and an extended position above the structural portion, said mounting element being rotatable about said axis relative to said housing and including a first engaging portion for selectively coupling thereto a cooperating second engaging portion of the accessory, said mounting element including a top face and said housing including a flange for coupling said housing to the structural portion of the boat and positioned relative to a remainder of said housing so as to make said top face substantially flush with the top surface of the boat when said flange is coupled to the structural portion of the boat and the mounting element is in the retracted position; anda locking feature on the first engaging portion for securing the second engaging portion of the accessory relative to the first engaging portion of said mounting element, the locking feature including one of (a) a releasable member moveably secured in a bore in one of said portions and (b) a hole or other recess formed in the other of said portions for receiving the releasable member and configured to releasably couple said portions together until manually released by a user. 11. A boat comprising the mounting apparatus of claim 10. 12. A mounting apparatus for selectively securing one of a plurality of accessories to a structural portion of a boat, comprising: a housing configured for coupling to the structural portion of the boat;a mounting element at least partially disposed in said housing and movable relative thereto along an axis between a retracted position and an extended position above the structural portion, said mounting element being rotatable about said axis relative to said housing and including a first engaging portion for selectively coupling thereto a cooperating second engaging portion of the accessory;said mounting element including a top face and said housing including a flange for coupling said housing to the structural portion of the boat and positioned relative to a remainder of said housing so as to make said top face substantially flush with a top surface of the boat when said flange is coupled to the structural portion of the boat; anda pivotally-mounted lifting element coupled to said mounting element and engageable to move said mounting element upward toward said extended position, said lifting element having a folded orientation in which said lifting element is generally flush with said top face. 13. A boat comprising the mounting apparatus of claim 12. 14. A mounting apparatus for selectively securing one of a plurality of accessories to a structural portion of a boat with the accessory supported at an exposed top surface of the boat, comprising: a housing configured for coupling to the structural portion of the boat;a mounting element at least partially disposed in said housing and movable relative thereto along an axis between a retracted position and an extended position above the structural portion, said mounting element being rotatable about said axis relative to said housing and including a first engaging portion for selectively coupling thereto a cooperating second engaging portion of the accessory;said housing having a spring connected to the mounting element to urge said mounting element along said axis toward an intermediate position partially disposed in said housing when said mounting element is in said retracted position; andwhen said mounting element is in said extended position, said mounting element being rotatable about said axis to define a plurality of available angular positions thereof relative to said housing, said spring urging said mounting element downward so as to secure said mounting element in one of said angular positions. 15. The mounting apparatus of claim 14, wherein said mounting element includes a pair of channels for slidingly receiving a corresponding pair of protrusions of the accessory. 16. The mounting apparatus of claim 14, further comprising: a pin associated with one of said mounting element or said housing; anda plurality of slots in the other of said mounting element or said housing and adapted to receive said pin, selective engagement of the pin with one of said slots being effective to lock said mounting element in a predetermined one of said available angular positions thereof. 17. The mounting apparatus of claim 14, wherein rotation of said mounting element about said axis is effective to lock a vertical position of said mounting element relative to said housing. 18. A boat comprising the mounting apparatus of claim 14. 19. A mounting apparatus for selectively securing one of a plurality of accessories to a structural portion of a boat, comprising: a housing configured for coupling to the structural portion of the boat;a mounting element at least partially disposed in said housing and movable relative thereto along an axis between a retracted position and an extended position above the structural portion, said mounting element being rotatable about said axis relative to said housing and including a first engaging portion for selectively coupling thereto a cooperating second engaging portion of the accessory; anda biasing element urging said mounting element in a direction toward said extended position when said mounting element is in said retracted position and urging said mounting element in a direction toward said retracted position when said mounting element is in said extended position. 20. A boat comprising the mounting apparatus of claim 19. 21. An accessory mounting system for supporting a boat accessory at an accessible surface of a boat having a structural portion behind the accessible surface, the system comprising: a housing configured for coupling to the structural portion of the boat behind the accessible surface thereof;a mounting element at least partially disposed in said housing and movable relative thereto between a retracted position and an extended position above the accessible surface when the housing is coupled to the structural portion, said mounting element including a first engaging portion;a biasing element urging said mounting element in a direction toward said retracted position;a lifting element coupled to said mounting element and engageable to move said mounting element upward toward said extended position; anda boat accessory having a second engaging portion for selective engagement thereof with said first engaging portion of said mounting element. 22. The system of claim 21, further comprising: a plurality of boat accessories having respective second engaging portions, each selectively engageable with the said first engaging portion of said mounting element. 23. The system of claim 21, wherein said mounting element is moveable along an axis in the housing between the retracted position and the extended position and is rotatable about said axis in the extended position to thereby define a plurality of available angular positions of said mounting element relative to said housing, said biasing element urging said mounting element in a direction toward said retracted position in said angular positions. 24. The system of claim 23, further comprising: a pin associated with said mounting element; anda plurality of slots in said housing adapted to receive said pin, selective engagement of said pin with one of said slots being effective to lock said mounting element in a predetermined one of said available angular positions of said mounting element. 25. The system of claim 23, further comprising: locking structure in said housing adapted to selectively engage said mounting element and effective to lock said mounting element when so engaged in a predetermined one of said available angular positions of said mounting element. 26. A boat comprising the mounting system of claim 21. 27. The boat of claim 26 wherein said mounting element includes a top face and said housing is coupled to the structural portion of the boat and positioned relative to a remainder of said housing so as to make said top face substantially flush with a top surface of the boat.