Boat Control At The Push Of A Button

Posted on:22/06/2016

The first Mercury Joystick Piloting Outboard System (JPO) to be fitted in the UK has been installed on a Wahoo 9.6m RIB.

Developed by Mercury Marine the JPO locks the boat’s position using a GPS satellite antenna. Then working with the engines and drives, it maintains the position of the boat and heading regardless of wind or current.

“The 9.6m RIB is the only boat of its kind to be equipped with Mercury’s joystick control system which allows the pilot to effortlessly move the vessel in any direction, including sideways with the push of the joystick. The joystick allows precision control over the twin Mercury 300hp outboards, making life a lot easier for a skipper manoeuvring the vessel in close quarters,” commented Ben Allen, General Manager for the Marine Leisure Division at Barrus.

The craft has to conform to build criteria set by Mercury Marine Engineers and the installation process must be documented and recorded to ensure the build is completed in line with the installation instructions. “We had to check the installation of all the components and then programme the craft with a “Vessel Personality” which determines how the craft reacts to the operator. The throttle, steering, joystick and instruments in a JPO vessel are electronic, and, as hulls are not always identical they react differently in the water so the “Vessel Personality” has to be fine-tuned during sea trials,” commented Lee Allen, Marine Technical Service Manager at Barrus.

Hand built by Wahoo in Southampton, the RIB was commissioned by the owners of a 85 metre superyacht as a tender for the mothership. The hull design takes its inspiration from thoroughbred race boats designed by the legendary naval architect Lorne Campbell, but reconfigured for improved performance by Wahoo’s own designer Wayne Huntley. The vessel is capable of speeds in excess of 60 knots.

The sea trials and hand-over were in Palma, Mallorca

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