The new Mercury Marine joystick control for a single outboard puts throttle, shifting and steering control in the palm of your hand. Many captains will find that the joystick makes it easier to handle a single-engine boat in tight quarters. Full-lock steering response is realized with a quick turn of the joystick rather than with multiple turns of the wheel, and shifting from forward to reverse is just as quick. The joystick simplifies boathandling, matching the functionality of the Yamaha Helm Master EX single-engine system introduced in 2021.
We tested the single-engine joystick aboard a Highfield Sport 700 RIB powered by a Mercury Verado 250 outboard. A lightweight RIB is easily pushed around by wind and current, and thus is a perfect application for the joystick. The same could be said for a pontoon. Tilt the knob forward or back for forward or reverse thrust, and twist it left or right to steer the outboard. The bow of the vessel always follows the direction of the joystick rotation, whether forward or reverse thrust is selected. The joystick is proportional, which means that the farther from the center the joystick is moved, the more thrust is applied. The system is programmed to limit thrust through the joystick, which makes it less likely you’ll dial up too much thrust—we’ve all seen that happen around the dock.
Learning to use this control takes some practice. Experienced captains will instinctively reach for the wheel. But once you develop new muscle memory, control becomes instinctive. This joystick also offers some autopilot functions if the boat is rigged with a compatible MFD and a Mercury GPS/IMU. The single-engine joystick is compatible only with Mercury Verado and Sea Pro V-8, V-10 and V-12 engine models equipped with Mercury electric power steering. It can be retrofit, but our Merc rep suggests that the ideal time for installation is during a repower, when all the required components can be ordered together. Vessels equipped with electric steering can add the single-engine joystick for about $2,500, and autopilot for an additional $3,000. Note that these features are not mutually exclusive. If the vessel has electric steering, AutoPilot can be installed without the joystick, and vice versa.
Read Next: Mercury Joystick Piloting for Pontoons
SmartCraft OS Joystick Update Available
Mercury Marine recently released a SmartCraft software update that gives multiengine joystick piloting new capabilities. Closed-loop velocity control will automatically adjust throttle and steering if wind or current causes the boat to drift off course during joystick maneuvers, reducing unwanted fore-aft drifting by up to 74 percent. Speed-based joystick operation replaces the previous rpm-based system. The joystick input translates to actual speed over ground, and if the boat encounters a force such as a headwind or tailwind, the system will automatically increase or decrease throttle to maintain the captain’s desired speed. For V-12 engines, the software update enables slip control, which allows the transmission to slip up to 90 percent to reduce propeller rpm and more accurately control the boat’s movements. The software update is available for boats that currently have multiengine joystick piloting and next-gen digital throttle and shift controls. See a Mercury dealer for details.
