![]() Bottom line: Maneuvering the boat was a piece of cake. We had the opportunity to test a Dockmate Twist prior to its introduction to the market last fall and used it to pull a twin-engine diesel inboard boat with a bow thruster into and out of its slip several times. Both can also integrate bow or stern thruster control on top of engine controls, and can interface with virtually any electronic engine-control system. New systems from the likes of Dockmate (the Dockmate Twist) and Yacht Controller (the Fusion Wireless Joystick Remote) provide wireless handheld remotes about the size of a cellphone, which incorporate a small joystick. And with a little advance planning, you can have it. In these cases, you might find yourself wishing for a joystick you could hold in the palm of your hand. You may not be able to see the swim platform from the helm, on some boats a bow pulpit is hard to keep in view, or passengers can get in the way of your line of sight. Playing The Palm CardĮven with joystick control, docking can be a challenge, especially on boats with restricted visibility. When it comes time to wait for a bridge opening or for another boat to complete its crossing in a tight channel, pressing a button replaces constant throttle-jockeying and maneuvering. ![]() ![]() During a day of wreck fishing on a Grady-White Canyon 456 with Helm Master we found the handling abilities vastly superior to traditional bottom-fishing methods of anchoring or drifting - but those not interested in fishing can also benefit. Our on-the-water experience fishing on boats equipped with these systems has proved them to be incredibly valuable. Positional micro-adjustments are also as simple as the press of a button or a tap on the joystick. These abilities are most useful for anglers, who may want to drop their lines over a specific spot on a wreck or reef then keep the bow upwind as they fish allow the bow to swing downwind as they hover in one spot, or keep the bow into the seas as they drift across productive bottom or fly fishing kites from the cockpit. Almost simultaneously, Yamaha’s Helm Master, SeaStar’s Optimus 360 and Mercury’s Joystick Piloting systems announced control modes allowing you to hold the boat in a static position, hold position without determining heading, or hold heading orientation without determining position. More recently, significant advancements have been made among several outboard joystick systems. Even steering by joystick at cruising speeds became possible. They could press another and jog the boat a few feet this way or that. Thanks to GPS integration, skippers could press a button and command the boat to hover in place regardless of wind and current. Joystick control changes the game.Īlong with joystick technology came added handling controls that had never before been possible. Give it a twist, and the boat spins on its own axis. Give it a nudge to port, and the boat walks to port. Give the joystick a push forward, and the boat moves forward. The integration of joystick controls, which first became popular on a large scale with Volvo Penta’s IPS system, then Cummins MerCruiser’s Zeus system, and then expanded to include inboard, sterndrive, and outboard power systems of many different types, was mankind’s greatest leap forward to date in resolving this issue. Slowly but surely, technology is solving our docking dilemmas. To learn more about today’s SMART BOATS read “ Smart Boat Technology: Staying Connected“, “ Smart Technology: Comfort” and “ The Future Of Boats & Boating“. No one is assured of success and thus no one can relax when putting Mom’s Mink into the slip. ![]() Docking is a test of any boater’s abilities, and sometimes even the most experienced and competent make a tiny error or misjudgment that results in a docking disaster. Few aspects of operating a boat are as difficult as close-quarters maneuvering around fixed objects, especially when wind or current is thrown into the mix. Since time immemorial, boaters have taken their docking prowess as a point of pride, or a matter of shame. In survey after survey among powerboaters, fishermen, and sailors, everyone agrees: Docking is one of the most stressful parts of a day of boating. There are people watching from both in the cockpit and ashore. It’s been a wonderful day on the boat, but now there’s sweat on your brow. Volvo Penta’s joystick system allows users to dock and maneuver boats simply with the touch of a finger. Modern boat technology takes the pressure out of docking and boat handling, and makes it a breeze. ![]()
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