Canadian Yachting October 2015 - (Page 84)

ELECTRONICS The Joy of Joystick Docking for Smaller Boats By Andy Adams Probably the biggest advance in operator convenience and simplicity that we have seen in boating in the last 25 years was the introduction of joystick docking, pioneered by Volvo Penta with the introduction of their revolutionary IPS drive system. Suddenly, yachts that were of a size that previously would have required a small crew and a lot of driver skill to dock, became a one-person effortless operation. Fighting winds or current became a simple matter of increasing the thrust and everything was controlled by an intuitive "joystick" like you would see on a video game. Just push the lever in the direction you wanted to go and the boat would respond - even against winds and current. The only issue was that at first, this great feature was only available on a big diesel-powered yacht with IPS drives. It was for the high-end and only available on a new boat. Joystick docking was such an advance though, that other engine companies quickly introduced their own versions and the technology spread to new twinengine sterndrive boats and more recently, to twin or multi-engine outboard boats. That's great but what if you had an older boat or a smaller boat? Yacht Controller, maker of bow and stern thrusters and now wireless control for yachts, has intro- 84 Canadian Yachting duced their new "Sport" system Joystick for Center Console Boats and Small Yachts. Building on the success of more than 10,000 wireless Yacht Controllers in the field, "Sport" joystick and thruster package has been designed with smaller boats in mind. The "Sport" joystick can move a boat in any direction with precision making docking, mooring and manoeuvering effortless. The "Sport" makes even the novice boater into a docking professional. The "Sport" system electronically connects your engine controls (whether cable or electronic) and/or thrusters to their joystick which then provides corresponding control of your boat when moving in any direction. This allows the operator to simply use one control when manoeuvering their boat for docking and mooring, thereby eliminating stress and making the procedure safer and easier. The joystick connects to any thrusters on board, or can be accompanied by either their internal, or external thruster systems. The e-thrust is easy to install and requires no fiberglass lamination so many owners perform a self-install, saving thousands of dollars and having a superior system which requires less battery power, can operate for more than seven minutes continuously, and is a totally sealed motor requiring no maintenance. The Yacht Controller "Sport" joystick takes docking and mooring to a new dimension in safety and control and can be combined with a wireless remote for complete freedom of control. This is a great way to update an otherwise good older boat, adding convenience and value too. * See innovation in action at the Yacht Controller website www.YachtController.com OCTOBER 2015 http://www.YachtController.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting October 2015

Vantage Point: Been there, Done that
Waterfront: What the Galley Guys have been up to, Plastic Pollution, inReach SE Review and more...
One Particular Harbour: Gig Harbor, Puget Sound
Stretching the Boating Season: by the Canadian Safe Boating Council
Club Profile: Bedford Basin Yacht Club
Destination: Lost on Murchison Island
Waypoints Winter Cruising Feature: Chartering a Boat in the Grenadines
Destination: Nevis
Power Feature: Moorings 514 Power Cat
Port Hole
Sail Review: Dufour 500
Electronics: Yacht Controller
Insurance: Do you have the proper insurance coverage for your boat?

Canadian Yachting October 2015