Mercury introduces Joystick Piloting for single-engine outboards with thruster

Mercury Marine enhances Joystick Piloting capabilities © Mercury Marine

Mercury Marine®, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), today introduced Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster, the latest addition to its portfolio of joystick vessel controls.

The system was revealed today at the Discover Boating™ Miami International Boat Show in Miami Beach, Florida. Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster seamlessly integrates Joystick Piloting with bow thruster control to provide full 360-degree maneuvering and the ability to perform complex maneuvers, such as docking or navigating in confined spaces, that may be otherwise 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. "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. It is compatible with CAN-based variable-speed thrusters from a variety of partners.

Mercury Marine has been a leader in vessel control evolution since it introduced it first Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO) system in 2013. Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster enables vessel control capabilities not possible in a traditional single-engine application and 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 our existing "Mercury navigation sensor" for GPS position and heading sensing and Mercury SmartCraft® Connect, it also supports a suite of integrated SmartCraft® advanced 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, 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.

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 www.mercurymarine.com.