Mercury Marine has introduced Mercury Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels, compatible for use with the Mercury Verado® family of V8, V10 and V12 outboard engines from 250 to 600hp, at the Discover Boating™ Miami International Boat Show in Miami Beach, Florida. Enhanced by electric steering, Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels rounds out Mercury’s suite of joystick systems, delivering effortless command and control to owners of vessels powered by sterndrives, inboards, Zeus® pod drives, multi-outboard installations, multi-outboards with an integrated bow thruster, single-engine pontoons with deployable thrusters, and now, boats with only a single outboard engine for propulsion.
“This new joystick steering system is unique in that it is specifically designed for single-engine vessels. It features a simple, single-touchpoint user interface for throttle, shift and steering, facilitating ergonomic one-handed operation,” said Tyler Mehrl, Senior Category Manager, Joystick, Steering, and Throttle & Shift Controls.
Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels eliminates the need for boaters to use both hands to throttle, shift and steer during low-speed manoeuvres like docking. Not only is one-handed operation more convenient, but the precision control that the steering system provides will give users greater confidence in situations where manoeuvring a single outboard can be more challenging than a multi-engine configuration.
The new single-engine joystick has a sleek design without any physical buttons. It allows for proportional forward and reverse movement and the twist function provides precise, intuitive steering.
When Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels is integrated with a compatible multifunction display (MFD) incorporating GPS and Mercury SmartCraft Connect, it also offers autopilot features. “There are two autopilot features, Heading and Route,” Mehrl explained. “You easily can set up a route on the MFD by dropping waypoints. When the Heading function is activated, you can make 1- or 10-degree adjustments to your heading on the MFD, or 10-degree adjustments by twisting the joystick, so you can use it to really fine-tune your direction of travel.”
Mercury Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels will be available starting from April, 2024. For more information, visit www.mercurymarine.com.au
