Mercury Marine revealed its new Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster at the Miami International Boat Show, offering a system that integrates Joystick Piloting with bow thruster control for 360-degree maneuvering and ability to perform complex maneuvers in confined spaces.
“Close-quarter maneuvering with a single-engine vessel can be challenging, even for a skilled captain,” says Steve Andrasko, vice president Category Management at Mercury Marine. “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 is compatible with Mercury Verado and Sea Pro V8, V10 or V12 engine models equipped with electric steering from 250 to 600hp, and with CAN-based variable-speed thrusters from a variety of partners.
The system can be integrated with the existing Mercury navigation sensor for GPS position and heading sensing and Mercury SmartCraft Connect, and supports a suite of integrated SmartCraft advanced controls that previously were not available for single-engine vessels.
Mercury 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. For more information, visit mercurymarine.com.
PHOTO: MERCURY MARINE FACEBOOK
