Mercury News

Mercury Marine joystick technology to include single and dual inboard applications

Miami, FL - Mercury Marine today officially announced the launch of Joystick Piloting for Inboards on single engine and dual engine boats. The single engine application was displayed to the public at the Atlanta Boat Show in January, and now for the first time, Joystick Piloting for Inboards on dual engine applications is available for larger boats.

“Joystick Piloting for Inboards has been the talk of the boat shows so far in 2017 and we are excited to expand that offering to larger boats that offer dual engines,” said John Buelow, Mercury Marine vice president of global category management. “This will allow consumers who have tow sport boats as well as larger inboard boats to take advantage of the joystick technology.”

The joystick technology allows the engine to work with bow and stern thrusters to provide ultimate vessel control and a superior driving experience for the boater. The system is designed to work with Mercury’s award winning range of purpose-built marine inboard engines.

“We’ve had a number of customers request the joystick option and up until this point we haven’t been able to offer that to them,” said Randy Peterson, engineering manager for Cruisers Boats. “This is great.  It’s going to help us and keep our customers happy.  We are looking forward to it.”

“Inboard boats are traditionally difficult to dock,” said Buelow. “Joystick Piloting for Inboards provides the ultimate vessel maneuverability never before seen on a gasoline inboard-powered boat.”

Joystick Piloting for Inboards comes standard with a thruster only feature for large dual engine boats, allowing the driver to easily adjust heading by bumping the joystick.

In addition, Mercury has updated its Smart Tow to accommodate the lower speeds required by wake surfers. This feature allows tow sports boaters to choose a preset launch profile and cruise speed, providing a consistent, perfect ride for the wake surfer or wake boarder.