Yamaha Joystick Control In Action at the Miami Boat Show

Описание: Evinride, Yamaha, and Mercury had outboard joystick control systems in the water at Miami, on display to the public for the first time.

From media intros held months ago, we've previously reported on the Yamaha Helm Master and Mercury Verado joystick controls, and a collaboration between SeaStar (formerly Teleflex) and BRP/Evinrude was news that broke just before the show. In the short time that we are allowed to spend with these steering systems it's really impossible to determine how each will work in the variety of situations an owner may encounter, but so far I have yet to pilot a joystick-equipped boat that just didn't respond to input.

One fact that eveyone needs to keep in mind is that the ultimate performance of the joystick control is very much dependent on the boat -- the hull shape and weight, the location of the center of gravity, the spacing of the outboards, how it's propped, and how many outboards are on the transom. These systems need to be dialed in for each boat. And at the Yamaha Helm Master intro I was told point-blank that its joystick control may not be a good match for every boat. When Yamaha does not feel the Helm Master will work well on a certain hull, it won't permit the builder to install it. If joysticks for outboards become popular, expect to see builders designing new boats specifically to work well in joystick mode, by optimizing the boat's center of gravity and by spreading the motors as far as possible on the transom. Both are key to joystick performance. Also look for builders to design the helm area to include a dedicated mounting location that puts the joystick in a good ergonomic position.