Mercury Marine has introduced Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster, marking the latest addition to the company's portfolio of joystick vessel controls.
The new system was unveiled at the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show earlier today.
The Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster system will integrate Joystick Piloting with bow thruster control to provide full 360-degree maneuvering. The system provides the ability to perform complex maneuvers, such as docking or navigating in confined spaces, that are otherwise extremely challenging in a single-engine vessel.
”Close-quarter maneuvering with a single-engine vessel can be challenging, even for a skilled captain,” said Steve Andrasko, Vice President Category Management at Mercury Marine in a press release.
“With this new system, the boat operator can command steering, throttle and shifting of the outboard motor and simultaneously activate a variable-speed bow thruster, all with one hand through a single, intuitive joystick. The result is confident control of a single-engine vessel even when a boat-handling situation is complicated by wind or current.”
Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster will be compatible with Mercury Verado and Sea Pro V8, V10 or V12 engine models equipped with electric steering from 250 to 600hp. It is compatible with CAN-based variable-speed thrusters from a variety of partners.
Mercury Marine first introduced the Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO) system in 2013. Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster enables vessel control capabilities that would otherwise not be possible in a traditional single-engine application. The system offers nearly all of the functionality of JPO for a multi-engine vessel, including 360-degree rotation of the vessel and sideways movement.
When Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster is integrated with existing “Mercury navigation sensor” for GPS position and heading sensing and Mercury SmartCraft Connect, it also supports a suite of integrated SmartCraft controls previously not available for single-engine vessels. These include Skyhook (locked position and heading), Bowhook (locked position) and Drifthook (locked heading) digital anchoring to maintain position regardless of wind or current or heading. These features mark a major enhancement for anglers or when waiting for a drawbridge to open or fuel dock access. The system also enables SmartCraft Autopilot for optimized navigation.
The single-engine joystick allows for proportional forward and reverse movement and the twist function provides precise, intuitive steering, and progressive thruster activation.
The new Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster will be available to boat manufacturers and through Mercury Marine re-power dealers in the second quarter of 2025.
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