Mercury introduces outboard joystick system

Mercury Marine has revealed details of its new Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO) with Bow Thruster, which the company says is the industry’s first outboard joystick system with full integration of a bow thruster.

With Mercury outboards now being used on very large boats, this integrated new system provides the ability to manoeuvre large vessels with the same precision as smaller joystick-controlled boats.

JPO with Bow Thruster offers a single joystick control for simultaneously operating both Mercury’s JPO and a compatible bow thruster from Sleipner or Vetus. The system is also an enabler for future implementation of more automated vessel control as part of Brunswick’s ACES (Autonomy, Connectivity, Electrification and Shared access) strategy.

“JPO continues to evolve, offering boaters even greater control and customization for their preferred vessels,” says Rob Hackbarth, Mercury product category director. “For large boats powered with multiple Verado outboards and equipped with JPO and a bow thruster, controlling both JPO and the thruster has traditionally required the user to manage these systems independently. This innovation enhances vessel manoeuvrability and authority by integrating bow thrusters into the JPO control system.”

This is the second innovative joystick technology that Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation, has put into market this year following the January launch of Mercury’s Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Pontoons. Mercury says both innovations simplify boating and make the experience more intuitive.

“With the integration of bow thrusters into JPO, all the user has to do is point the joystick where they want to go,” says Tyler Mehrl, Mercury category manager for controls and rigging. “The system will automatically and simultaneously apply the thruster power and outboard throttle, shift and steering to move the boat in the proper direction. For certain situations that might warrant independent control of the bow thruster, the user may operate only the bow thruster using the thruster manufacturer’s control.”

JPO with Bow Thruster will be available from March 2022.