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A drive unit has an engine, an operatively connected driveshaft, a transmission, and a propeller shaft connected to a rotor outside a gear case. A plate, extending above the rotor, is adapted to slidingly receive along a joint axis, an accessory having an accessory joint element which is one of a ch

A drive unit has an engine, an operatively connected driveshaft, a transmission, and a propeller shaft connected to a rotor outside a gear case. A plate, extending above the rotor, is adapted to slidingly receive along a joint axis, an accessory having an accessory joint element which is one of a channel and a protrusion. Extending parallel to the joint axis along a plate joint surface, which is one of a first surface facing away from the rotor and a second surface facing toward the rotor, is a plate joint element, which is the other of the channel and the protrusion, adapted to slidingly interlock with the accessory joint element to thereby prevent displacement thereof in a first direction parallel to the plate joint surface and perpendicular to the joint axis, and in a second direction normal to the plate joint surface. An accessory attachment method is also disclosed.

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1. A drive unit, comprising: an engine;a driveshaft having a first end and a second end, the first end of the driveshaft being operatively connected to the engine;a transmission being operatively connected to the second end of the driveshaft;a gearcase;a propeller shaft disposed at least in part in

1. A drive unit, comprising: an engine;a driveshaft having a first end and a second end, the first end of the driveshaft being operatively connected to the engine;a transmission being operatively connected to the second end of the driveshaft;a gearcase;a propeller shaft disposed at least in part in the gear case at an angle to the driveshaft, the propeller shaft being operatively connected to the transmission;a bladed rotor connected to the propeller shaft and extending outside the gear case; anda plate extending above the rotor, the plate being adapted to slidingly receive an accessory along a joint axis, the accessory having an accessory joint element, the accessory joint element being one of a channel and a protrusion, the plate comprising: a first surface facing away from the rotor;a second surface facing toward the rotor, one of the first and second surfaces being a plate joint surface; anda plate joint element being the other of the channel and the protrusion, the plate joint element extending along the plate joint surface parallel to the joint axis, the plate joint element being adapted to slidingly interlock with the accessory joint element to thereby prevent displacement of the accessory joint element in a first direction parallel to the plate joint surface and perpendicular to the joint axis, and in a second direction normal to the plate joint surface. 2. The drive unit of claim 1, wherein the joint axis is normal to a plane containing the rotational axis of the rotor and the driveshaft. 3. The drive unit of claim 1, wherein the joint surface is the second surface facing toward the rotor. 4. The drive unit of claim 1, wherein the plate comprises: a rear edge disposed opposite the one of the midsection and the gear case;a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge, each lateral edge extending between the rear edge and the one of the midsection and the gear case; and whereinthe plate joint element extends from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge. 5. The drive unit of claim 1, wherein the plate joint element comprises at least one channel extending into the plate from the joint surface, each of the at least one channel is defined by a pair of opposing side walls and a base connecting the opposing side walls;each of the opposing side walls extends from the joint surface, at an acute angle with respect thereto, towards the channel base. 6. The drive unit of claim 1, wherein the plate includes a fastener aperture having a fastener axis parallel to the joint axis, the fastener aperture being adapted to receive a fastener to prevent displacement of the accessory joint surface in the direction parallel to the joint axis when the accessory is slidably received on the plate. 7. The drive unit of claim 1, further comprising: an accessory having an accessory joint surface comprising the accessory joint element, the accessory joint element being interlocked with the plate joint element; anda fastener fastening the accessory to the plate and thereby preventing displacement of the accessory joint element in the direction parallel to the joint axis. 8. The drive unit of claim 7, wherein the fastener is one of a screw and a bolt, the one of the screw and the bolt extending parallel to the joint axis. 9. The drive unit of claim 7, wherein the accessory further comprises an accessory surface generally facing the rotor and extending at a lift angle with respect to the plate joint surface to generate lift when submerged in water. 10. The drive unit of claim 9, wherein the accessory surface is curved. 11. The drive unit of claim 9, wherein the lift angle of the accessory surface is adjustable. 12. The drive unit of claim 11, wherein the accessory further comprises a hinge, the accessory surface being disposed in a portion of the accessory pivotably connected, by the hinge, to a portion of the accessory having the accessory joint surface, the lift angle of the accessory surface being thereby adjustable. 13. The drive unit of claim 11, wherein the accessory further comprises an actuator, the accessory surface being disposed in a portion of the accessory connected to the actuator, the lift angle of the accessory surface being thereby adjustable by the actuator. 14. The drive unit of claim 11, wherein the lift angle of the accessory surface is adjustable in response to the hydrodynamic force of the water. 15. The drive unit of claim 14, wherein the accessory is elastically deformable so as to adjust the lift angle in response to the hydrodynamic force of the water. 16. The drive unit of claim 14, wherein the accessory further comprises a spring, the accessory surface being disposed in a portion of the accessory connected to a portion of the accessory having the accessory joint surface via the spring, the spring being compressible in response to the hydrodynamic force of the water to thereby adjust the lift angle in response to the hydrodynamic force of the water. 17. The drive unit of claim 1, wherein the plate joint element is a plurality of the one of the channel and the protrusion. 18. The drive unit of claim 17, wherein the accessory comprises an accessory body defined by a first accessory portion and a second accessory portion, wherein: the first accessory portion is adjacent to the second accessory portion, andeach of the first and second accessory portions comprises at least a portion of the accessory joint element interlocked with the plate joint element. 19. The drive unit of claim 18, wherein the first and second accessory portions are each adapted to be slidingly received on the plate from opposite directions parallel to the joint axis. 20. The drive unit of claim 18, wherein: the accessory body comprises an accessory surface generally facing the rotor;the accessory surface is continuous across a boundary between the adjacent first and second accessory portions; andthe accessory surface extends at a lift angle with respect to the accessory joint surface to generate lift. 21. The drive unit of claim 18, wherein the fastener extends from one of the first accessory portion and the second accessory portion to the other of the first accessory portion and the second accessory portion to prevent displacement of the accessory joint. 22. The drive unit of claim 1 further comprising: a cowling, the engine and the driveshaft being disposed in the cowling; and a midsection connected to the engine, the midsection having a first end and a second end, the gearcase being connected to the second end of the midsection, the plate extending from one of the midsection and the gearcase.